Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1898-10-21

Casey men could not get a caucus, be-
cause Johnson's friends would not go in.
The situation became so serious that
prominent republican senators in Wash
ington wired all the republican members
of the legislature not to %ieopardize the
interests of the party and asked them to
caucus and abide by the decision thereof
80 as to elect a republican senator. Other
leading republicans put the pressure on
and asked johnson to take his hands off.
He finally agreed to Go SO and returned
to Washington. Arriving there, what
did he do but send kilograms to his
friends at Bismarck to hold out against
Casey. The kilograms were in the
Scandinavian language. Roach was
finally elected and it was his one vote
that prevented the defeat of the Wilson
democratic tariff bill in the senate. Now
the johnson dervishes are busy telling
of the goodness and purity of their can
didate and denouncing his opponents in
advance, charging them with planning
to break up the caucus
Summed up, it seems that johnson is
against the railroads, and yet he visits
the magnates in st. Paul in the interests
of his senatorial ambition; he is for a
caucus-or, rather, his managers say his
opponents are against a caucus-and yet
johnson prevented a caucus six years
ago and thus put a democrat into the
senate whose vote passed the Wilson
bill. johnson, no doubt, framed the
Dingley bill, and, were it not for his
modesty, he would have called it the
johnson bill, but his part in the passage
of the Wilson bill should not be over
looked. What has he ever done in II
gress to weigh against his participation
in the crime of 49, by which a repub-
lican caucus was prevented and a demo-
crat elected?
In some sections of North Dakota I
find the republican managers afraid to
antagonize the Norwegian element.
Johnson's strength in the state is based
upon this fear. johnson was born in
Iowa, of Scandinavian parents. The
Norwegians are a sturdy, industrious
and well-meaning people, but, like 9th
ers of foreign blood IN this country, are
frequently the victims of designing
They dlstrust their American neigh
bors, not because the latter are any
worse than the average Of humanity, but
because they are deceived bylmen Of the
johnson stripe, who would be obliged to
work for a living if they could not pull
the wool over the eyes of their country
men. When tho johnson kind want an
office they go amongst tho honest, trust
ing Norwegian ycomanry and advise
them to vote against those of other
nationality, telling them a plausible
story of self-intcrest. johnson has been
in office in North Dakota for twelve
years as a result OF his ability to arouse
prejudices among the Norwegians. In
stead of showing them the way to
Americanism, he points the course to
nationality divisions and dissensions.
johnson has fine ability in this kind of
business, and he has made it pay. He is
worth more money, has more land and
ager buildings than any of the indus
trious people who keep him in Office, but
he did not get it raising wheat. And
the strange part Of it all is that he has
managed all this time to threaten other
people with the Norwegian vote and
scare them into submission to his politi-
cal schemes. How long will the contid-
ing Norwegians do his bidding and fur
nish the political capital he requires?
How long will they be bamboozled by
him and lend encouragement to the
dervish dancers who are reveling in the
frenzy of the prevailing johnson fetch:
beating the ground with their foreheads,
and without rhyme or reason, demanding
johnson, johnson, We want Johnson"
Now TIA Editor Winship has gone
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