Show mm JOHNSON THE MN HE IS THE IDEAL AMERICAN CITI ZEN AND STATESMAN A MAN OF THE PEOPLE I 1 I 1 his record of achievement a guarantee t ee to the nation compared favorably with lincoln a self made man john IL 11 tolan a lawyer of anaconda mont a lifelong acquaintance and friend of gov john A johnson of minnesota writes in fit regard to the batters lat candidacy you are arc taking the proper 8 steps 1 a campaign of education Is what hat Is needed to secure his nomination once let the american people get close to this man learra his early history and struggles as I 1 know them feet feel his friendship as I 1 have felt it see sec his intense love and kindness for his fellow men as I 1 have seen it and no power on earth can deter them from placing him at the head of our federal government mr air tolan has sti summed amed up briefly one side of the great governor of minnesota ile fie Is a most lovable man a man who makes friends of all whom lie he meets in this respect as in some others lie he has been compared to the great lincoln gov johnson la is a man of the people not even lincoln came up from greater obscurity and greater poverty than the virile governor of minnesota he understands the people as perhaps no man in amerl american 9 an public life since lincoln has understood them and the people understand him As AB a democrat gov johnson appeals to the thoughtful members of his party because lie he Is preeminently qualified to unite and blend its discordant elements into a competent enthusiastic sia well organized militant political force gov johnson appeals to tho the people regardless diess of party because he has a record of achievement behind him that guarantees that it if he is chosen to the great office of president he w would uld fill it in a manner wholly satis sails factory to a vast majority of the plain people of america poor swedish immigrants gov johnsons johnsona mother and father were poor immigrants granis from sweden owden the former arriving in st peter minn In 1852 and the father fathe r a year later they were married in 1858 the father was a blacksmith in sweden and took up tip his trade in his new home conducting at first a small blacksmith shop in the country near st peter later the family moved into tho village and it was here july 21 1861 that the son john was born the father was cursed with the drink habit and in consequence after a few years of prosperity the family was reduced to desperate straits so dire was their poverty that the mother had to take in fix washing ln for a living and tha son john acted as her delivery boy when in his twelfth year the destitution of the little family faintly consisting of the mother arid and father and three children had reached such a point that john begged his mother for permission to quit sc school hoolin in order to help hell her she reluctantly luct antly consented fearing that her son arx orx would never be able to return to school this dybis fear was fully justified for after that time the future governor of minnesota knew the four walls of the schoolroom no more the boy went to work in a general store in the village at 10 a month and every cent of this generous salary was turned into the family treasury his spare moments from the store were still devoted to delivering laun dry dri for his mother and the earnings of mother and son were sufficient to keep the little establishment going As time went on their condition improved with johns increasing salary two years after going to work he was receiving 12 a month soon he was getting more from this time on the mother was not compelled to work for the family maintenance the son provided tho the entire income and the mother returned to her proper work of housekeeping and eating caring for the family from the general store john went into a drug store where he stayed for about twelve years and became a licensed pharmacist later he be was employed by a railway contractor in minnesota and iowa and at that time in his early his income averaged about 75 a month all this time whether at home or away he regarded himself as the head and mainstay of the family and provided funds i in addition for educating the brother and sister who survived early chill hood not embittered by poverty although john had thus to leave lea ye school so early in life ho he did not cease to educate himself he became a great student and soon read every book in the village library it Is noteworthy that the first three books lie he rend after leaving school were pres cotts cotta two histories of the conquest of peru and mexico anil and scotts ivanhoe while thus extending his knowl edge and intellectual horizon he at nil all tl times es grow in the other oilier fields of life hard as his struggle had been ho he did not become embittered by it but took as large a part as possible in the village age social ufa life ile he seldom missed a dance ile he attended church lind and belonged to the choir ile ho joined the various fraternal lodges after the habit of men in small villages lie ho was known to everybody in fit the village and everybody was his friend ile he was interested in life not only his own life but the life led by all his friends and neighbors the turning point in gov Johnf johnsons ions career the point from which he began to be a public man canie came with the opportunity port unity to become editor of the village tillage paper the st peter herald that tho the opportunity was given to him a man who had been without any newspaper training or preparation was proof that early in life lie ho began to impress those who knew him as a man provided with a natural equipment which qualified him to undertake almost any responsibility the owners of the paper picked him out as the man they wanted for editor ile he immediately nied lately arose to the opportunity ile he developed great aptitude for the now new work and with it took on a larger ser vice in the community sitting around the big stove in the drug store during the long winter evenings lie he had imbibed democratic doctrines from the local politicians who had congregated there and as tima went on ho he became fixed in his belief in democratic political tenets and a loyal adherent of the party johnson had a natural gift tor for speaking arid and as lie he had now become a man of note in his little home community he had many opportunities to exercise this gift and soon came to be recognized as a fluent easy adaptable speaker always certain to say the right thing at the right time and always sure to say something worth hear hearing ng between his speaking ability his ability as in an editor and his remarkable mixing qualities he was scarcely 30 years old when he was recognized as the leal leading a democratic editor of minnesota first political contest the governors first political contest came in 1894 when he was nominated for the state senate but although he made a gallant fight he was not able to overcome the republican majority in 1898 nominated to the state senate again lie he made a lively campaign on state issues and this time almo victory was with him he served through two sessions of the legislature and his legs dative career was chiefly notable for the leadership of hla his party in the successful contest for a gross earnings tax on the minnesota railways at the end of his legislative term the democratic leaders of the state wanted to nominate him for governor but johnson 11 considered the situation hopeless and declined the honor instead he took the nomination for state senate again but this time he was defeated by a small majority in 1904 he was persuaded however to accept the democratic nomination and after being nominated by acclamation he plunged into a whirlwind campaign ile he made speeches in 74 out of tho the c cuttles of the state and these sr i x J were remarkable for the fact tut toy icy were positive rather than neg negative ive he did not attack his opponent or indulge in personalities but spoke always of state affairs and needed reforms this was la in a presidential year when roosevelt enthusiasm was at its height in every republican state but when the votes worn counted in november it was ft ind that the people of the state at large had learned to love honor admire and respect john johnson ajohnson A as aa had the people of his native village although president roosevelt carried the state by the hitherto unknown plurality of johnson was elected by about after an administration of two years which made good every pre election promise gov johnson came once again before the people of minnesota with the slogan one good term deserves another making speeches in 42 days this time without any presidential canvass to distract th i from state issues and personalities the governor was reelected elected re by a plurality of being the largest plurality ever given to a gubernatorial candidate in minnesota and it Is by virtue of that handsome public verdict of approval that gov johnson today to day atts in hla his office ta la the magnificent marble capitol at st paul perhaps the finest specimen of state architecture in america outside of washing ton looked up to with genuine love respect and confidence by the people of minnesota A great record in the four years that he has bas been governor john A johnson has accomplished great things in minnesota he and his tax reforming appointees have increased the assessed valuation of the united states steel corporation from to 1900 and in lieu of further increase of taxation the steel corporation is now building a plant in duluth owing to his energy railway rates have boon been reduced partly voluntarily and partly by warehouse commission regulation and legislative enactment front from 10 to 30 per cent tho the two cent railway passenger rate was taa secured in minnesota largely due to his bis initiative the system of taxation was reformed and an export expert commission of three able men appointed to deal with the taxation problem laws were passed providing for the equitable taxation of sleeping car companies n modern law of mortgage taxation was also enacted reciprocal demurrage laws were adopted orders of the railroad and warehouse commission were made immediately effective in th the ain interests of labor a free state employment bureau was created and is conducted with the best results A gret great system for the drainage of state swamp lands was inaugurated A law was passed providing for municipal ownership of public utilities the state of minnesota has long conducted a twine factory with prison labor the object being to supply the farmers of the state with a binding twine for harvesting their crops at a reasonable reas onZe price and protect them from the excessive charges of the cordage trust to compete with this facury tho the trust constructed a twine plant within the state gov johnsons answer was a request to io the legislature for authority to sell the product of tho the state twine plant outside as well as within the state at gov johnsons suggestion railway passes were abolished in min desota ne sota the governors part in the insurance reforms of recent years is too well known to require attention here beyond allusion to the fact that president roosevelt publicly recognized him as the leader in the nationwide nation wide wid 0 campaign for reformation of the great insurance companies gov johnson is a man of strict td rd t r d cherence to political principle but lie he does not believe in confusing every passing fancy or fad with political principle he believes that there are a few basic political ideas which characterize acte democracy lie he is not a man who was a republican yesterday a democrat today to day and an independent tomorrow to morrow throughout his career he has been a democrat although there can be no question that gov johnson is a believer in i sweeping tariff defor reforms ms and a believer in the necessity for vigorous legislation to meet certain modern industrial conditions he has such an abundance of common sense so much intellectual balance and is so tactful in his fetn that lie he achieves his ends endo without that excessive friction and violent disturbance tur bance that has been characteristic of some of our recent reformers gov johnson is a big man lie he la Is not wedded to a particular political fad ile he is in statesmanship something of an op although guided by some big principles he prefers to decide questions as they come up ou their individual presentation As a democratic candidate candida to he Is strong because between his genuine devotion to reform and it h careful land and effective methods of getting gettig reforms he should have no difficulty in uniting I 1 in his support both the conservative and radical elements in Us lis party this should insure him the normal democratic strength carrying with it of course the solid south and such states as now new york and new jersey in addition gov johnson will draw an immense republican vote irom anavian amerlean american citizens as well as other classes in such states as illinois wisconsin minnesota north and south dakota montana nebraska and washington there Is no question quest loi that be could carry minnesota and the two dakotas wisconsin and illinois |