Bisbee daily review., 1907-07-04
JOHNSON IS
 LOOMING UP

Then Governor Johnson got busy. In twenty-four hours the legislature passed bills reducing the freight rates. making 2-cent fare, prohibit ing railroad passes. and more power was given the railroad commission. The bills were promptly signed and became laws at once he railroads went into the federal court and got temporary restraining order against the state to prevent the enforcement of some of these laws, and the suit is still pending, but will be pushed as rapidly as possible.
 Suppose the court decides against the State,' l suggested.
 T do not suppose anything of that hnd," replied Governor Johnson.
 Those bills were drawn in the attor- ney generals office; they were gone over carefully, every line was exam ined that the laws might stand in the courts. I haven't the least doubt the people will win. and we are waiting the decision of the court without the
 least feeling of uneasiness as to the
 result If the lower courts decide
 against us, the state will go to the
 higher courts in the land"
 But suppose the highest courts de.
 eide against you-win you call spe-
 cial session of the legislature to cor
 rect the laws?''
 T see no reason now for an extra
 session l do not believe such emer-
 gency will arise. But" and the gover.
 nors square, fighting jaw set firmly. ] If 1t becomes necessary to call a spe.
 cial session. it will be called"
 
 l While the Minnesota legislature did
 not carry ont all of Governor John
 sons suggestions, it enacted into laws Ineariy all of them. It put a tax on
 mortgages, it established a permanent
 tax commission, 1t brought the United liked q tax on sleeping car companies It made the telephone companies pay
 g just share of taxation, it collected
 interest on past due corporation taxes
 It made great reduction in freight
 rates, 1t absolutely abolished free
 passes, it passed a reciprocal demur
 rage law, 1t gave more stringent DOW , CTS to the railroad commission, it form
 ulated some of the best laws in th, united States on insurance, it made
 some splendid laws on banks anc banking, it put a check on extraya sance in the administration of count, affairs by county officers, it gave tn, public examiner authority to make ; more complete examination of railwa, corporations and their books with ; view of ascertaining whether or no they pay into the state treasury, al Of the taxes due the state under tn, : gross earnings tax system. It aIs. : passed number of bills tending f, make the school laws better and nor, effective. It passed laws preventin, the employment of child labor and tb, enforcement of the truancy laws. Tn, [ subject of state drainage received con , siderable attention, in fact the Iegis lature of Minnesota did things that th, people of the state were vitaIly ir , terested in.
 The members did not stop to asl : whether it was Republican or Demo cratic measure-the question was if i would benefit the people. and if the felt it would, the bill became a law ? There was no question asked as fl } whether the governor was behind sucl
 and such a bill, there was no talk O r giving the governor to much power ] there was no talk of bills that woui, ? help the governor build up d machine 5 there was no fault-finding with hin 5 The insurance lobby and the raiIroal ? lobby took their medicine and had tl [ like it. The anvil chorus got after tn
 governor. but the knockers did no 5 count. The members of the legislatur :, felt that when the people of Minesot 7 elected Democrat by 73,000, the maj and his ideas musl be good ideas ' Senators and representatives with DC - litical ambitions found that the bes ? was to further those ambitions was t - tie to the policies of the governor , With this record behind him it is no much wonder that eyes of the peopI 5 are turning toward St. Paul and watch ? ing the big state capitol. Governo
 Johnson is a politician, but not on ? Iof the hasty kind He Is man wh' } thinks that the people who electe, him should have something to sa, } about the conduct of state affairs. st And this Is why the Bryan men ii the West and the Northwest say ths } John k Johnson is a strong politica factor-and dangerous.