Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1908-04-16
NEED OF COUNTRY
TRIUMPH OF DEMOCRATIC PRIN-
cIPLEs is IMPERATIVE.
THE MAN AND THE HOUR.
With the Nomination Of John A. John.
son, Progressive Democrat OF In
tegrity, Ability and Achieve
ment, Success Is Assured.


Wearied of IL years of overwhelm-
ing defeat in national elections. dur
ing which time the party has lost ma
tional political control Of every north
ern state and has witnessed devastat-
ing inroads even on the southern
states, hundreds Of thousands of Dem
ocratic voters have in the last few
months asked: who is the man who
can lead the party to victory?"
The best of armies. military or po-
litical, require some measure of sue
cess to maintain their spirit and eff
ficiency. Continuous and overwhelm-
ing defeat, even in the worthiest Of
causes, disheartens the strongest men.
Conditions are such in this year
1908, that a united Democracy, sup
porting a strong presidential nominee,
can win the presidential Office and
cratic party to power. Not only do
the best interests of the Democratic
party call for victory this year, but
so also do the best interests of the ma
ton. Twelve years of almost unop-
posed government of the republic by
one party, and for eight of those years
practically by one man, have brought
about conditions that are repugnant
to the efficient and satisfactory adj
ministration of a government sup
posedly of the people.
Principle with Victory.
Victory can be achieved this year,
without sacrificing one iota of the
stand for principle that has been made
with so much sacrifice by the Demo
cratic party of the United States for
the last dozen years. 1t Is merely a
question of changing leadership. Three
times in succession our party has gone
to defeat, because its leadership has
not been able to inspire confidence in
the masses Of the voters, patriotic,
progressive and sincere as that leader
ship has unQuestionably been. The
party is greater than it's individual
membership and greater than it's lead
ers. The time has come when it
should name it's leader in a presiden-
tial campaign and no longer permit it.
self to be defeated by sentimental,
though heroic, devotion to great
name that has dominated it for a
dozen years.
If in the ranks of the party there is
a man whose principles, whose party
fealty, whose success in political bat
ties, whose actual achievements in
legislation and statesmanship-and a
man holding a commanding political
situation-are such that victory under
his leadership is indicated, is it not
the duty of reasonable, thoughtful, de-
voted Democrats, desiring the success
of their party, to turn to him?
johnson the Man.
The friends of Gov. John A. Johnson
Of Minnesota, who have watched his
remarkable career in recent years, as
well as impartial observers and jour
nalists throughout the country, believe
that he is the man of the hour, the
man in every way equipped to make a
successful campaign, and afterward
to be chief executive of the highest
order. Let US briefly review his career.
John A. Johnson was born in St
Peter, Nicollet county, Minnesota
July %, 1861, of Swedish parents. His
childhood and youth were passed In
great poverty. At 13 years of age, he
was compelled to leave the public
schools Of his native city, in order to
support himself and the parental fam
lily. Though his formal education was
thus early cut short, his self-educatior
never stopped. A student at all times
a wide reader and a Thoughtful one
Mr.. Johnson, after some years of OBJ
scure toll as a drug and grocery clerk
and railway tfme-keeper, became al
the age of "a editor of the ST. Peter
! Herald. He soon became known as
one of the ablest of Minnesota jour
the leaders Of journalism in state re
markable for the number, vigor and in
fluence of it's periodical press. AS G
country editor, he was gradually drawn
| into politics and in 1898 was elected
a member of the senate of the Mime
sofa legislature, and his first public pc
litical work was as member of thai
body. From the first, he was identi
/ fed with various reform measures
which have since become law in Min
nesota
Wherever Gov Johnson has gone
/ he has impressed men as being a MAJ
! Of the Lincoln type. He has the fac
ulty of making many friends and few
! enemies,
Gov. Johnson's Legislative Results.
The governor recommended a per
manent tax commission The legis
/ lature gave it to him and the ink wa!
hardly dry on the document before b.
/ appointed a commission so strong il
it's personnel that the Republican sen
ate resolved by a rising vote to con
! firm the appointments without delay
while the equally Republican house
/ though without the power of confrma
ton, expressed by rising vote its ap
| probation of the excellence of the gov
ernor's appointments.
In northern Minnesota are the great
est iron ore fields in the world. Tn,
! state of Minnesota owns extensiy,