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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 4, 1908)
M ft PECEMDER i, 1901 The Commoner. 7 Tom Johnson "Broke" But Still Fighting - Spectacular Career of Cleveland' Great Mayor-Newaboy, Rolling Mill Hand, Street Railway Worker, Traction and Steel Magnate, Congressman, Mayor if Vi U'J Jliqi If ipm, Tom Johnson's broke! Tho big-bodied, big-minded, big-hearted fighter meaBured his strength with that of "tho system" and "the system" won. His wealth has at times been estimated at $20,000,000, and now he Is uncertain about his ability to maintain an automobile. But "Tom" Johnson's spirit has not beon broken. He lived in a cottage before. He can live there again. He has struggled singlehanded with the wolf of want. The animal can not terrorize him now. "I stiH have a thousand fights in me," is his defiance to his enemies. His attitude is not a disappointment to either his friends or his opponents. Both knew the man. Both know ho would fall with his face to the enemy. There Is little doubt that Johnson's finan cial difficulties may bo traced to the fight ho has made to give Cleveland three cent fares. It is probable that his total wealth has been exaggerated, but there is no question that he sacrificed a fortune in his battle against special privilege. 1 Cleveland's mayor was born fifty-four years ago. He-vcame from an old, and distinguished KentuckyVfamily. One of his relatives was the famous General Richard Mentor Johnson, the slayer of Tecumseh. and afterward yice president of the United States. "Tom Johnson's father was a confederate officer in thefoivil,war, and the overthrow of the southern cause left the family, penniless. At ten, "Tom" made his first money by selling papers containing the story of Lee's surrender to Grant. At .fourteen he was compelled to work in a rdllltfg mill, and a Jfew months later ho secured a Position Mth ' aJkouisville, Ky Btreet ca M'mp&ny, which was' controlled by a relative, Biejler.niah DuPont. BUYING ins FIRST STREET OAR SYSTEM About a year after his connection with this enterprise bdgan, the DuPonts brought Colonel Johnson, Tom's father, in from the farm and made him superintendent of the road, a position he held for several years. He left it to accept an appointment as chief of police of Louisville. The superintendency of the road was then taken by Tom, who held it until 1876, when he and two associates bought of "William H. English, the democratic candidate for vice president of the United States in 1880, the Indianapolis street car system. Before this, however, young Johnson had invented a fare box; which was an improvement upon the fare boxes then in vogue and is still in use. He eaTly learned that patents are not very effective in protecting Inventors, and of this box and his -patent on it he was accustomed to say that the patent wasn't very good but the box was. However sound either judgment may "have been, the box or the patent, or both to gether, gave him first and last nearly $30,000. But Mr. Johnson had not made all this money before going into his street car venture in Indianapolis. To buy that system he needed $30,000 in addition to-nis own resources. This sum was ' lent him by his friend and patron, Biederman DuPont Mr. DuPont took no in-. terest in the enterprise himself. He doubted the business ability of Johnson's associates; But he said he knew Mb money would be safe If Tom L. Johnson lived. So he made the venture as a personal loan. . The Indianapolis system, a miserable affair when Johnson took hold of it, improved under his management, and became very profitable. But he continued to operate without conductors and withi mules for motive power. When lie proposed modifying the system after electricity had come Iqto use, some of his associates op posed the change. They were old friends and rather than offend them he sold out. YOUNG MAQNA9CE MAKES A FORTUNE He bad itfad monoy regularly since 1869, though slowly aUfiret, and several tif Ms patents as well aslhteifare-box bad bee profitable r but the sale tof fhevviifdianapolls Street car system yielded by faT the largeif sraiirhe"hadyet been 0&0 0W0000000000000000 0 Lincoln Stoffens, in his "Shame of tho Cities," declared that Tom Johnson was "tho best mayor of tho best governed city in tho United States." 0 0000000000O000S000000 00 able to call his own. HIa not. profit was more than half a million dollars.'; ; , , Meanwhile, in 1880; Johnson had bought a small street car line in 'Cleveland, which ho had built up by utilizing a discovery ho had made in Indianapolis thd financial advantage of through lines and transfers. Johnson's groat street railway war in Clove land was with tho late Senator Mark A. Hanna. Hanna was a director in the company with which Johnson camo first in conflict. The pre liminary round was won by Johnson, and to prevent his getting a still stronger foothold Hanna bought a controlling Interest in tho com pany whoso privileges Johnson was attacking. . of Clovoland, and his partnor, Arthur J. Mox ham, to show hlra any flaw In tho argument, Unablo to. comply, they objootod to tho promises. But Johnson convlncod them that tho promises woro sounds Tho final result of thoir contro versy was tho complete conversion of all throo to Georgo's viows. Johnson hns slnco tried to And tho con ductor who turned him into this path, which is more to. him than personal riches, but ho can not recall hjs namo and has only boon ablt to learn' that tho man Is dead. Soon after his conversion, Johnson sought out Henry George, and botweon these mon a warm friendship and profound confidence took root In 1885 which lasted until Georgo's death. It was oh Henry Georgo's ndvico that John- son ontored'polltlcs. - y A MONOPOLIST FOUGHT MONOPOLIES"'.' JohnWbn practically managod George's Hpo'c tacular campaign for mayor of Now York and , contributeA liberally to. tho groat economist's pany wnoso privileges Jonnson was attacking, "campaign funds. xiuin.ua uujuui. was 10 ugni jonnson more euec- ' -" in 1890 Johnson was elected to conarcUB 'from a Cleveland district as a democrat. Ho was re-olected In 1892. and wont down to do tlvoly than he might bo able to do with a minor ity interest. Before fighting, however, ho pro posed peace and a partnership . Johnson do- clined the offer and a conflict then began which lasted several years. A detailed accou'ht of this conflict would bo as interesting as an ccoriomic or business novel, but It would require a volume. The war was the sensation of the time in Cleve- land. It eventuated ,in a great reduction of -fares, a policy in which Johnson always believed, and which ho has always furthered. Sometimes one side won, and somotimes tho other, but Johnson's road grow faster than Hanna's. After awhile Johnson succeeded in uniting several other companies, thereby form ing the Cleveland Electric Railway company, or "Big Consolidated." Hanna replied with a union of tho cable roads, forming tho Cleveland City Railway company, known as the "Little Consolidated." These consolidations resulted In ending the fight, but it was an armed peace. Subsequently Johnson disposed of his interest in the Big Consolidated and that company united with Hanna's. By this time Johnson with his brother, Albert, had acquired interests in the Detroit street car system and in the Nassau enterprise of Brooklyn. But In 1898, about the time the large combinations were forming, bo withdrew altogether from the street car business. While engaged In .this business Johnson became interested naturally enough In the pro duction of steel rails, and in connection with both businesses he co-operated with his asso ciates, Biederman DuPont, A. V. DuPont' and A. J. Moxham, in making useful inventions and securing profitable patents. One of their steel plants, the Johnson company, was at Johns town, Pa., and another at Lorain, Ohio. In tho depression of 1893-98 Johnson's financial inter est in these establishments was very nearly swamped. JOnNSON BECOMES DISCIPLE OF GEORGE While interested in street car systems, both In Cleveland and Indianapolis, Johnson fro quently rode on the cars between those cities. On one of these trips a newsboy asked him Xxy buy a book called "Social Problems." It was Henry George's second book on the industrial question, but Johnson supposed it to bo a work on the social evil. Saying as much, and adding that ho had no interest in that subject, ho re fused to buy the book. The train conductor, who happened to be within hearing, happened also to be familiar with George's teachings, and knowing Johnson well, he told him ho was mis taken In the character of the book. "It will in terest you more," he assured him, "than any book you have ever read' Upon this assurance Johnson reluctantly 'invested nair a aouar m uie feat two yoard, later in a republican larfflalider lie attracted national attention while a member of the house by bis frank discussion of public questions. He avowed himself a froo trader and -a single taxor and the foe of monopoly1 In eVe'ry form. About the subject of monopoly Johnson, took what seemed to men leas frank a curious position. Ho was an avowed monopolist. Once he camo near being committed for contempt of court by insisting as a witness In! answer to tho question as to his occupation, that by occupation ho was a monopolist. Yet ho opposed monopoly. That seemed Inconsistent, and on one occa sion in congress a trust lawyer, a member of the house, said in debate that Johnson ought to vote for the measures ho denounced as monopolies, because he was himself a monopolist. Johnson instantly retorted: "As a business man I am willing to take advantage of all tho monopoly laws you pass; but as a member of congress I will not help you to pass them and I will try to force you to repeal them." In 1901 Johnson made his first campaign for mayor of Cleveland, on a platform which declared for municipal ownership. He was elected and ho has been thrice re-elected. A year ago his opponent was Congressman Bur ton, one 6l the ablest Buckeye republicans. President Roosevelt selected Burton to mator tho race, and the street car companies of Cleve land, assisted by the allied public utility monoid olies of the country, raised an unprecedented campaign fund. But Johnson's hold on the peo ple could not be shaken. His majority wa larger than ever. Johnson's fight In Cleveland centered on the city control of its street car system and the in auguration of three-cent fares. He organized, constructed and operated a municipal three-cent fare system for which ho bad secured a fran chise but his opponents succeeded In having tho peopfe refuse to pxtend the grant beyond tho probationary period. Then the road waa thrown into a receiver's hands. ' Johnson Insists that his experiment would have proved an unqualified success. If it bad been given a fail' trial, but the people of Cleve land had evidently wearied of tho atrugglfc.- Denver News. i ii MR. ROOT FOR SENATOR It is plain that Elihu Root will be United States senator from New York If Mpssrs. Roose velt and Taft have their way. Timothy L. Wood ruff has withdrawn from the contest after a vislt to Mr. Taft and Mr. Taft has Issued a! statement In which he rormauy endorses Mr. no zr r a M.i if Lfn wnrlH wflq r vealed statement in wnicn ne lorraauy euore hook and read if. '"m .n L incidentally It may be remarked that rWo's "Progressiva Poverty." After reifc objection to Mr. Root's selection has com from 1 fng this? he I challenged his lawyer, L. A. Russell, nho .representative 'of tho great corporations. m ! i s u If t n it x , it t ' -- ? M. , u t A "4 m .- I n.u 5 34. ' f -' , r &. . r