The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1907-07-19

Colonel Watterson, ingenious as he
is, failed to provide against the anti
climax that was certain to follow his
revelation of the identity of the Demo-
cratic dark horse" who he has been
insisting would carry the country in
the next presidential campaign, no
lmatter whom the Republicans might
nominate. Having conferred public att
tention on his fascinating unknown"
and having endowed him with all the
political virtues possible to an active
and experienced imagination, the Ken
tucy editor should have refused to
iniure the picture thus conjured up
| by descending to mere actualities. 1t
would have been better to let the
| Democrats revel in the original illu-
sion; no man could measure up to the
| Watterson ideal with its heightened
charm Of mystery. Yet the Colonel
lnow yields to the fatuous demand Of
the party and discloses the name Of
his favorite. 1t is nobody more or
less than John A. Johnson, the Cover
nor Of Minnesota.
The country has known something
of Governor Johnson for several years.
He came into public view in 1901,
when, in spite of the coincident presi-
Dental campaign, he carried a strong
Republican state by six thousand plu-
rality. A republican detection, based
on the reputedly questionable methods
Of the victorious faction in the Re-
publican state convention and on a
certain disapproval Of the convention
nominee, secured him the guberna-
torlal office; and when the votes We're
counted in the election two years later
It was found that he mad won again
but this time by margin of seventy
IsiX thousand. He thus became one OF
the notable political phenomena of the
times in the Northwest, and attracted
Iattentlon, as has been seen, as far
south as Louisville, Kentucky
Governor Johnson Is product o.
the great Scandinavian immigration
movement to America. His parents
We're born In Sweden, but settled III
st, Peter. Minnesota, where he was
born just forty-six years ago. The
care Of the family devolved upon hin,
at the age of twelve, and the testi-
mony Of the neighborhood is that he
bore up right manifully under the re.
sponsIbllty. From the age of four.
teen he was the households only finan.
cial resource, in spite of which han
dicap he contrived to make place fol
himself in the community, Compelled
to leave school at a time when mos
boys are midway in their grammar
course, he picked UP information al
he went along and eventually becam,
the editor Of the 81. Peter Herald
through which his influence widenet
beyond his ocal limits, He spent
eight yeors In the Minnesota Senate
and 1t was from this service that h,
was promoted to the governorship
The story is typically American; it i
the kind OF story that the great mas
of Americans like to read, whether o
not 1t argues for its hero any pecu
liar capacity for elevation to the high
est post within the public gift
Colonel Watterson believes tina
Governor Johnson's comparative oh
scurity IS in his favor. He has antag
onized no faction, he has demonstrates
his ability as a campaigner, and he i
an accomplished winner of votes, But
adds the Colonel, it all depends on Mr.
Bryan. He is the party dictator, and
is within his power to take the noml
nation himself or pass it on to whom
soever he approves. What a patheti
state of affairs! Compared with 1t, tn
alleged attempt of President Roosevelt
to control the next Republican nation
al convention looks puerile and dubi
Gus. The Republican party is begin
ming to give evidence Of it's determine
ton to have voice In the selection 0
it's standard bearer, no matter wha
} the White House desires; but the Dem
ocrats must do exactly as the twice
beaten, but still peerless, leader de
mands. 1t is only as favor that tn
Louisville journalist asks for the nom
nation Of Governor Johnson, eve
though he is sure that with this youn
: I.0chinyar the party can go confident
ly into the fray. please, good Nj
Bryan" urges the Colonel, give u
somebody who can win But there ar
these who would hesitate to admit tha
even the Governor of Minnesota coul
carry the country. Indeed it appear
/, very unlikely that he could outstri
either Secretary Taft or Governo
Hughes. -Proyidence Journal