St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-01-23
JOHNSON FOR MAYOR.
The Record Of a Republican
Candidate Reviewed in
Advance.
Some of the Things of
History He Must Con- II
front.
-
A Board of Public Works
the Next Republican
Scheme. 81
Some Reflections Growing
Out of the Union League
Meeting. e

tOHloIy duuI0SS Oh udI iuUily dItt thO
''good cause'' etc. But it remained for
City Attorney Russell to spring the joke
of the evening, when he practically put
in nomination for mayor. E. NJ. john
son. president of the council. 1t was
never supposed before that Mr.. John
son had any decided opinions about
running for the chair that Mayor Babb
warns so well this cold weather. put
the bushels of approval that followed
each other in rapid succession across
the smooth face of the councils presi-
dent. showed how the latter regarded
his first introduction for this Important
Office. There is no doubt but that john
son is in the field for 1he Republican
nomination for mayor next fall
Mayor Babb has already all
nounced his determination not to
be candidate for reelection
and without his faults, the mayor can
usually be depended upon meaning al
most all he says. The trouble of last
spring during the strike, the unpleas-
aut relations existing between himself
and Police Commissioner GjertSen. the
newspaper criticisms and the like have
long since convinced Mayor Babb that
the office of mayor of Minneapolis is
not what it appears. The Republicans,
of course, realize that there is strong
undercurrent working against the pres
ent administration, and that they must
work all the points on the political
checker board to the best possible ad
vantage il they expect to get the next
mayor. In this par ocular they evil
IDENTIFY think that they have found such
a man in Aid. E. NJ. johnson. johnson
is fair lawyer and good debater, and
Is we'll Informed on ali city matters. He
has been member Us the city council
for about SIX years, and Ills record
there is we'll kn0wn-tOO well for the
good of the party he represents. Mr..
johnson has never been accused OF any
thing corrupt, but he is full of small
tricks that the voters of great city
like Minneapolis should know some
thing of, particularly if they are going
to be called upon to support him for
mayor.
The coming year will witness an I'M
usual effort in Minneapolis to make
eight hours days work. When the
Democrats of Minneapolis went into
power, three wears ago, they were
pledged to eight hours for days work
on all public work and. having prom
iSrd that, they remained true to their
promise, and asresulution to that effect
was passed the second meeting of the
new council. Aid. Johnson was mem
Der of that council and he opposed the
resolution tooth and<nail,'' but it went
through. and the records show that bet
ter work for less none y was accOmp-
liShed during the time the Democrats
were in power than under the contract
system. When the water department
proceeded to lay pipes i'll the streets
thnu fnnnd in nl1anc thEA mains
laid from only four to six feet below the
surface, when they ought to have been
put down eight feet. But the mains
were laid by contractors. who cared not
a cent whether the wafer troZe up in the
pipes or not, provided they got their
money, and many Il water consumer had
to borrow from his neighbOr, simply be-
cause the supply pipes were frozen up.
Though the city paid $1.75 a day, so
cents more than the contractors paid,
and laid the water mains from two to
four feet deeper than was done under
the contract system the department
showed several thousand dollars of saw
ing over the contract system to its credit
when the Democrats left office, This is
one of the public benefits that MI.
johnson opposed and is no doubt of the
same opinion to-day as then on the day.
labor question. Mr.. johnson was then
| a member of the gas committee. but he
was so busy watching the day-labor
system in operation that he recon-
mended, with other members of the
committee, the granting OF permits
sion to the different lighting companies
to put in number of street lamps in
excess of the appropriation. Being one
| of the best fgurers on the committee it
| was thought that everything was all
right, but when the GLOBE pointed out
| the mistake 1T was quickly remedied.
| Mr.. johnson has always been opposed
| to giving any particular attention to the
| labor question and fought the passage
of all aud every resolution that has
been brought before the council for the
benefit of the labOring man since he be-
came member of that body. He is on
| the black list Of the laboring Classes.
Last spring when the street car strike
was inaugurated he was the friend of
| the company from nrSt to last, and when
| the Anderson q Douglas company
wanted an opportunity to eXpend 81, OOO,-
600 here for the public benefit, Mr..
| Johnson opposed granting the new COM
pany any privileges whatever; the old
company was good enough for him, but
| though the people OF Minneapolis want
| ed to see the new company get chance,
| the Second ward alderman followed the
dictates of his own prejudices and voted
to maintain monopoly in power. When
| the present city council went into
| power Mr.. Johnson voted with
! the majority to rescind the eight
| hours-a-day resolution and go
back to the contract system" if pract-
icable. 1t was he who did the prompt
| ing behind the scenes when the wards
| of the city were Increased from eight to.
| thirteen, thus putting fifteen additional
aldermen on the city's payroll. He is
| also credited with being the father of
| the police commission, so far as drawing
| up the act and seeing it pass safely into
| the hands of the governor. What ig-
| nominy, disgrace and expense this body
| has brought on Minneapolis cannot be
pictured here. 1t would require spe-
| cial edition of the GLOBE to cover that
bloody field as it deserves.
And now to heap still more expense
| on the city he comes up and advocates
| the creation of a board of public works.
| Just a week ago the GLOBE gave its
| readers an outline of what the next
| legislature, if Republican, proposed to
| do in this line of business, but did not
mention any names. 1t knew that Aid
johnson was behind the proposed
board but preferred to let Mr.. johnson
say so himself, and now. that he has,
| the voters of Minneapolis can see for
| themselves year in advance what
kind of mayor this man would make.
He has always identified himself with
the most expensive measures, and if the
people of Minneapolis want this kind of
| man they can have him. He has al
| ways opposed measures intended to
benefit the working classes. 1t is now
generally admitted by Republicans that
he will he their next mayoralty candi-
date, and for this reason the GLOBE
sees fit to throw little light on his
public record.
Inren Fletcher for the first time II,