The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1904-10-13
JOHNSON'S RECORD.

John A. Johnson, Democratic can
didate for governor of Minnesota, was
elected to the State senate in 1898 and
served in that body in the sessions of
1899 and 1901, and was relieved of his
legislative duties in 1902 by G.. A..
Johnson, a Republican of St. Peter,
where John A. johnson was born and
raised.
John A. Johnson's record while a
| member of the State senate was not
deemed satisfactory enough to justify
the people of his district in returning
him to the Legislature.
Up to the time he was elected to the
legislature he had never held a civic
Office of any kind, and after one term
as Democratic law maker he Jumps
into the great Democratic chasm and
becomes candidate for governor.
You would think to hear the St. Paul
Globe, and the other two metropolitan
Democratic sheets, the MINNEAPOLIS
Times and Journal, that Mr.. John
son was an ideal candidate, and there
is no question, but what, from a
Democratic standpoint, he is, for a
Democratic standard of fitness is all
shoddy and seven-eights of an inch
wide.
During Johnson's term as State
senator the records fail to show where
a single measure was ever placed on
the statute books though his efforts
or championship that was in any wav
beneficial to the best interests of the
State.
He fought the original board OF
control bill that excepted the educa-
tional institutions Of the State from
its provisions. He hailed from a
State institution town that was natur-
ally antagonistic to the bill, and he
failed as a legislator to rise above
sectional feeling and local prejudice
and assist in placing the State institu-
| Loo
largely through his efforts that the
State educational institutions were
placed under the provisions of the
board of control act In this. how
ever, he showed the customary Demo
cratic breadth of craftsmanship.
His record on swamp land drainage,
again indicates that. he is wholly in
capable of compromising the great
needs Of northern Minnesota in this
respect. When the bill to provide for
State drainage commission came no
for passage in the senate it was passed
!
by vote of thirty-six to eight, and
johnson was one of the eight who
voted against the bill.
In the same session he voted against
the bill to prevent the desecration of
Decoration Day, and on the final pas
sage of the bill the vote stood thirty-
six to one-just one against the bill
and John A. johnson was the one.
This is reverence and respect for the
old veterans and for love of orderly
and good government.
The next time he appeared in the
State senate he again showed his
great love and admiration for Mime
sofa patriots and soldiers, by oppos-
ing bill to provide for the .publica-
tlon OF a. history of the Minnesota
troops in the Spanish-American war.
He not only voted against the bill
but took particular pains to assist in
placing the bill beyond all hope aof
resurrection. *
Mr.. johnson is on record as having
voted, to override the. veto of Gov.
Lind, to bill providing for the pay
ment of the sugar bounty, which
bounty the supreme court of the State
afterwards declared unconstitutional
The foregoing are Johnson IS records
on legislation of interest to the State
and every community in the State. If
he has any great record to his credit
as public man and State legislator
history fails to show it.
A rowdy in a St. Paul theater was