The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-11-17

as advocated by Henry George I decid-
ed to do all could to help it along.
That's all there is to that Money max
ing always was the easiest thing ever
did, and I thought it my duty to give
some of the dollars I was winning and
some of my time to the cause believe
in. y
How did you earn your first money
Mr.. Johnson was my next question.
s'Peddling newspapers in Stanton,
Va, when 1 was only / years old. Aft
erward went to school a little, but not
much. At 5 I began work as a clerk
in Louisville, and l have worked ever
since. What little mental training I
have had I have had to pick up as
went along, working at the same time =
How did you manage to find time to
post yourself upon the many topics you
must necessarily understand in order to
carry on your business and your work
as a public man2''
ooh, = and Mr.. johnson smiled as if
the matter was really not an important
one, I've always tried to be economical
of my time. WASH t so fond of the the
alter perhaps when I was a boy as some
of the other fellows, and while they were
having fun seeing the play I was hav-
ing fun studying. Besides was always
helped and encouraged by one Of the
most glorious mothers in America. She
is still alive, and cam tell you how
much I owe her. =
The Kind of Man lie Is.
This answer furnishes pretty good
key, as far as it goes, TO Tom Johnson g
character. He never wastes time, and it
is fun for him to be busy. He possesses
another characteristic in common with
most men who have really accomplished
big things-he is able at viii to COM
pletely abstract himself from surround
ing circumstances and drive all thoughts
of everything but the matter ia hand
from his mind. An acquaintance of his
says that it's liberal education to see
Johnson work and declares that he can
do more in an hour than many a really
competent man can in four At times,
right in the heat of the recent campaign, +
Tom johnson would ind it necessary to
give his thoughts to business, and then
no one could get a moments attention
on political matters. Still another char
acteristic that has been of immense ben
eft to him, as it is to every man in pol
itics who is fortunate enough to possess
it, is the power Of impressing every one
he meets with the idea that he is entire
ly sincere. Then he never forgets a face
or a name, and that is of course a great
help
and the single tax have been source Of
constant surprise this fall to those Dem
Ocrats who are in favor Of tariff reform
and believe not at all in the single tax
idea, but their attitude has not affected
his utterances in the least, nor has tn
knowledge that many who believe with
him on these two points are in favor Of
free silver modified in the slightest his
devotion to the single money standard.
He was advised more than once by well
wishers to yield somewhat in these di-
rections, but this advice had no influence 4
whatever upon him, and it seems to be +
generally agreed by those who are
against him as well as those who are
for him that he always says what he
thinks and would rather be defeated on
a platform Of his own choosing than to
win on compromise.
A Story Two.
His audacity is simply delightful, and
his power to keep from worrying is the
envy of every one who knows him. The
circumstances Of his becoming a single
tax man and his subsequent candidacy
for congress have often been told. He
was riding on a train one day when the
conductor advised him to buy Georges /
Progress and Poverty Of the newsbOy /
and read it. johnson did as advised i
and was strai ghtway converted. Then
be went to Mr.. George and offered to
help the propaganda with money. In
1883 he was nominated for congress in +
opposition TO the Republican nominee Of /
this year, and, although the district is
norm ally heavily Republican, he barely
failed of election. He had no thought
of running before the nomination was
rendered him ano was even fearful that
be could not make a speech, but. once +
convinced that he ought TO run, left his
business and sailed in
The devotion Of the young men to
johnson during the recent campaign
was worth noting. He likes young men,
and they like him, even when they fail
to agree with all his doctrines.
His Name Is Tom, Not Thomas.
Tom johnson does not himself ride q
wheel now, although at one time his
plump figure astride a cycle was a fea-
ture on Pennsylvania avenue, in WASH +
ington. He is said to have learned to +
ride in just go seconds, and he was
most enthusiastic cyclist for awhile He .
and Tom Reed are great friends. The i
latter was induced by the former, after +
much persuasion. to learn to ride, and I
they used to 60 pedaling along in COM
pany during the brief space that the ex-
ercise was novelty to them.
Reed 8 first name, by the way, as ev-
erybody knows, is Thomas, and Tom Is Z
a nickname for him. Johnson 8 first .
name is Tom and not Thomas. He was E
not formally named till he was APP
preaching his teens, according to one of
his closest friends, and he himself had
a hand IN the selection Of his cognomen.
He fr711 v7ar,n ia Ter, .0ftirl Johnson