East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-01-01
JOHN 4, JOHNSON PRESIDENTIAL TIMBER

Among the possible candidates for
president, John A. Johnson, governor
of Minnesota, is factor Of growing
Importance, says st. Paul letter
Johnson is personally popular.
People who cannot indorse his poll
c.es say they like him as a man and
public official, that they have the ut
most faith in his honesty and good
intentions, and, II the democrats are
to name the president, johnson will
be safe man. The law of Minnesota
does not limit the number of times
a man may be governor and nobody
seems to think there Is any chance to
beat Johnson for governor as long as
he desires the office.
A Democrat In Republican State.
Minnesota is a republican state. 1t
ranks with Iowa in is loyalty to the
republican party 1t has nine con-
gressmen, eight Of them republicans.
Out of 275,000 votes the republicans
usually have $4,000 to 10000 major
lty. In 1904 Roosevelt defeated Par
ker not quite four to one, but uncom-
fortably near 1t. But John A. John
son, democrat, was elected governor
the same year.
Last year. 1906, Johnson's majority
was 10000, though the republican
candidate for state treasurer won by
$4,000, a normal republican majority.
When a man can win such victories
as that there is, OF course, reason.
The first election could be explained
on the ground Of accident, but not the
second. It is no wonder that the re-
publcans of the state are willing for
Johnson to go into national politics
and the democrats of the northwest
think he would make such a race as
the democratic party nationally has
not seen since the active days of Gro
yer Cleveland.
The chief cry Of his friends in the
last campa gn was Didn't johnson
make good?" He had been governor
two years and they had tried him.
The answer to the question came in
the shape of majorites for Johnson
from 214O out of $500 election pre-
cincts.
At distance II is easy to say that
Johnsons Swedish origin mad influ-
ence with the Scandinavian people OF
this state. 1t did in n measure, but
less than one-third of the voting pop
t,1a 90 l.
"Making Good" Habit of JohnsOn's
The fact was Johnson had made
good" in his first term as governor
and he is making good" now The
more one studies his history the more
he is impressed with the feeling that
making good" is the one strong point
about Johnson.
All through life he has simply
done the best he knew how in the
matters that have come to him to do
He has developed into a man of splen-
! did Judgment. a man confident of
himself, but in no sense an egotist. He
has polse and is never stampeded. He
can talk and when he is interested his
speeches have ring in them that
carries conviction.
Nobody questions his motives be,
cause there is nothing in his history
that would Justify the slightest doubt
of the honesty OF his purposes. His
success has come from the fact that
when a matter comes to his attention
he carefully figures out what is the
right thing to do and does 1t. Very
often when he takes a stand 1t does
not at that time seem to be good poll.
tics.
Son of the Village Drunkard.
Early training has much to dc
with a mans career The things h,
learns as a boy, the battles he fights
the ambitions he cherishes help tC
form the basis Of his character ant
exercise an influence which he feel
and exercises an Influence which N,