The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1908-03-31
(By Willis J. Abbott

Cniet topic OF pOlltlCal conversation III
Washington today is GOV. John John
sons letter to Mr. Swan j. Turnblad,
editor of the Minneapolis Swedish
American Post in which the governor
for the first time annouhces his can
didacy for the presidency AS the lat
ter has been distributed to the press
of the United States through the va
rious associations, there seems 10 be
no reason for me in this article to
quote II. one paragraph somewhat in
terests me. The Governor says, Il
have done nothing and will do nothing
in the way of organization to bring
about this end, (his nomination. and
shall not be a candidate in the sense
OF seeking the nomination.
This is an admirable position for
any American citizen who feels him
self competent to accept at the hands,
or through the suffrages of few mil
lion other citizens nomination and
an election to the presidency. But
as a distinguished citizen of Mime
sofa said to me today, is Gov. John
son permitting his employees, or rath-
er the employees OF the state, to act
with free hand in politics? Is it
true that a state commissioner of la
Dor was offered the choice by the
Governor of supporting his candidacy
for nomination or of resigning; and
that the Commissioner having re-
fused to present his resignation is now
awaiting discharge? And furthr more
is it a fact that Governor Johnson's
private secretary, Frank a. Day is
also chairman OF the state committee
of Minnesota and is giving practically
all his time and attention, though he
draws salary from the state, to ad-
vance the candidacy of Governor John
son?
The governor is not lawyer, but a
newspaper man. But even as a
newspaper man he should have know
ledge OF a hackneyed maXium of the
law which reads in latin "Qui Fa-
citpe alum facit perse,' which be-
ing turned into English means that
who has a thing done by another, does
it himself. When we observe the
governor of Minnesota allowing his
private secretary to become the mana
ger of campaign in his behalf we
can hardly pay very serious attention
! to his assertion in his formal letter
! that, Il have done nothing and will
do nothing in the way of organization
| to bring about this end, and shall not
| be candidate in the sense of seek.
| ing the nomination" AS Mr. Day draw
ing a salary from the governor and
absolutely subject to the governor s
orders is doing much in the way of
organization and of seeking; and as
there were in Washington a few days
ago at least two other men in the in
1 terest of Governor Johnson's nomina-
ton, it would appear to the mere cas-,
ual newspaper observer that the John
son activities are not wholly without
the governors knowledge.
The Johnson Support.
1t may be admitted that it is not al
ways fair to hold presidential candi'
date responsible for the lines that may
follow in a newspaper article what he
himself has written or dictated And
as in this correspondence | want TO
be fair, will not charge Governor
Johnson with having. been cognizant
of what was said concerning his can
didacy. His letter was followed by this
statement sent out by the press as
sociations The Johnson men say thai
Grover Cleveland did not have his
state behind him in 1892 and that he
was nominated despite the radicals.
They make no secret of the fact that
the same forces that brought about
the nomination of Grover Cleveland
are soidly arrayed in favor of John
sons nomination and say this in
fluence will be as potent in 1908 as
it was in 1892"
1t might bewelltorecallthe
1t might be we'll to recall the po
tency of the Cleveland influences al
Chicago in 1892. The late William c
Whitney, one of the shrewdestpoli
ticians this country ever knew, went
to Chicago with his pockets full oI
money and left Chicago with his pock
cts full of delegates. The convention
assembled as an anti-Cleveland con
vention, But the mistake had beer
made OF not instructing the delegates
Mr.. Whitney and the forces which We
are now informed stand behind Gov
Johnson swung the convention TO Gle
| veland. True the nominee was elected