EED OF CB TRIUMPH OF democratic IS 8 imperative THE MAN AND THE HOUR with the nomination of john A johnson progressive democrat of integrity teg rity ability and achievement success Is assured wearied at 0 12 years yeara of overwhelming defeat in nati national elections during which time the party has lost na doial political control of every north ern peato and has witnessed devastate ing ln inroads even on oil the southern states hundreds hund roda of thousands of democratic voters have in the last few months asked who la is the man who onn can lead the party to victory tile tho best of arin les military or political li require somo some measure of success to maintain their spirit and efficiency fici ency continuous and overwhelming defeat even in the worthiest of causes heartens disheartens dis tile the strongest men conditions tire are such in this year 1908 1008 that a united democracy supporting a strong presidential nominee can win the presidential office and open the abo way for a return of the democratic party to power not only do tile the best interests of the democratic party call for a victory this year but so EO also do the best interests of the nation twelve years of almost unopposed government of the republic by one party and for eight of those years practically by ono one man have brought about conditions that are repugnant to the efficient and satisfactory administration of a government supposedly of the people principle with victory victory can be achieved this year without sacrificing ono one iota of the stand for principle that has been made with so BO much sacrifice by the demo cratic party of the united states for the last dozen years it Is merely a question of changing leadership three times in succession our party has gone to defeat because its leadership has not been able to inspire confidence in the masses of the voters patriotic li progressive ogress lve and sincere as that leadership has unquestionably been the party is greater than its individual membership and greater than its leaders the time has come when it should name its leader in a elal nd no longer permit it Tse sel irto bo be defeated by a sentimental though heroic devotion to a great name that has dominated it for a dozen years if in the ranks of the party there is a man whose principles whose party fealty whose success in political battles batties whose actual achievements in legislation and statesmanship and a man holding a commanding political situation are such that victory under his leadership Is indicated Is it not the duty of reasonable thoughtful devoted democrats de desiring giring the success of their party to turn to him johnson the man tho the friends of gov john A johnson of minnesota who have watched ills his remarkable career la in recent years as well as impartial observers and journalists throughout the country believe that ho he is the man of the hour the man mail in every way equipped to make a successful campaign and afterward to bo be a chief executive of the highest order let us briefly review his career john A johnson was born in st peter nicollet Nl collet county minnesota july 28 1861 of swedish parents ills his childhood and youth were passed in great poverty at 13 years of age lie he was compelled to leave the aubi public c schools of his native city in order to t a support himself and the parental family though his formal education was thus early cut short his self education never stopped A student at all times a wide reader and a thought rui one mr johnson after some years of obscure toll as a drug and grocery clerk and railway timekeeper time keeper became at the ago age of 24 editor of the st peter herald ile ho soon became known as one of the ablest of minnesota journalists and was recognized as one of the leaders of journalism in a state remarkable tor for the number vigor and influence of its periodical press As a country editor lie he was gradually drawn into politics and in 1898 was elected a member odthe of the senate of the minnesota legislature and hla his first public political p work was as a member of that body from the first he was identified with various reform measures which have since become law in minnesota wherever gov johnson has gone lie he has impressed men as being a man of the lincoln typo type he has the faculty of making many friends and few enemies gov johnsons John Bons legislative results result the governor recommended a permanent tax commission the legislature gave it to him and the pinkwas ink was hardly dry on the document before he appointed a commission so strong in its personnel that the republican senate reso resolved ived by a rising vote to confirm the appointments without delay while the equally republican house though without the power of conf confirmation irnia expressed by ii a rising vote its appreciation pre clation of tile the excellence of the governors appointments in northern minnesota arc tile tl ie greatest iron ore fields in tile the world the state of minnesota owns extensive areas of these lands by leases they were largely in the hands of the united states steel corporation and tile the state was receiving only fin an insignificant cant income from its royalties tile tho governor advised the withdrawal of all such lands from mineral leases and the legislature concurred minnesota his has enjoyed but scant income from the wealth of the ho privately owned iron mines tho the governor recommended a royalty tax on the output of these mines ile he did not get it but the united states steel corporation bound IL elf as a substitute to establish a steel I 1 plant at duluth the newly created tax commission together with the state board of equalization iza tion which preceded it the mern mem bers of which were appointed by governor johnson have in the four years of governor jolin johnsons ons administration increased the assessed valuation of the steel corporations iron ore holdings in minnesota from to the two cent law the enactment of tho the two cent passenger tariff law was an exan example 1 pie of governor johnsons johnsona celerity of action invited to address the minnesota editorial t hal association instead of making tile the usual platitudinous address on such occasions he exploded the two cent bomb and urged that an end bo be put to the giving of passes he talked on the same subject to a convention of commercial travelers immediately the state was aflame with this innovation in railway legislation when the legislature met he asked fora law embodying this idea and the legisla ture quickly cespon responded ded neighboring states followed with reductions and now throughout the middle northwest the two cent rate prevails about the time governor johnson came into office there was wag a widespread agitation for reciprocal demurrage laws which would compel railways to allow shippers demurrage charges for failure to deliver cars on time governor johnson ever abreast of po popular p ular progress recommended such a law and got it thanks to his initiative the orders of the minnesota railroad and warehouse commission are now immediately effective pending appeal in defense of labor governor johnson in consonance conson consonance ince with his thorough democracy and believing in equal rights has not been neglectful of the interests of labor he desired a free state employment bureau designed to eliminate the many abuses that have marked private employment bureaus in the great labor centers of minnesota such a bureau was created and has been thoroughly helpful and widely efficient since time immemorial that relic of feudalism the common law doctrine of non liability of employer to employed for injuries occurring through the negligence of a fellow servant has prevailed in minnesota as well as in many other states this ancient rule of the common law 11 said gov johnson coupled with the other rule generally referred to as the doctrine of the assumption of risk by employed emp loyes has cast upon the f individual divid laborer a risk and responsibility out of proportion to tho the wages lie he receives during his term of office gov johnson has had to deal with one great conflict between labor and capital namely naively the strike of the miners on tho the minnesota alin desota iron ranges by direct personal intervention by advice to the employers on oil tho the ono one hand and the strikers on tho the other the governor succeeded without the use of state troops in preventing violence and bloodshed in the forests and prairies ot of northern AlInne minnesota sota are great extents of fertile land which owing to lack of drainage have not been available for cultivation thanks to gov johnson additional legislation on this subject was secured and hundreds of thousands of acres of fertile land will bo be added to the rolls of the states wealth gov johnson believes in the municipal ownership of public utilities and following his suggestion a dolfl modified form of the illinois mueller law was adopted by tho the minnesota legislature under its provisions a municipality may bond its street railways or other public utilities to pay the cost of tile the purchase and operation of the same minnesota a leading agricultural state has long had to contend with the cordage trust which has a practical monopoly of the binding twine used in harvesting for many years the state has had a twine plant in which prison labor was employed the trust erected a factory in minnesota to compete with the state made twine and gov johnsons answer was with the consent of the legislature authorization for the state twine plant to sell its product outside as well vell as within the state the cordage trust will now have hare to fight the cheap minnesota state mado made twine in other states as well as at homo