New-York tribune., 1908-01-04
JOHNSON THE MEDIATOR.

Governor John 4 Johnson of Minnesota mas
qualified for an Invitation to the Prodlsai Son
dinners to be given this winter in this city by
tho National Democratic Club. Like the incor-
rigibIe optmsts of the club, and like our undiS-
couraged neighbor, THE New York World" he
believes that the Democratic party could re-
cover its grip and restore some semblance OF
agreement among its members as to what II
stands for if only it could select a Presidential
candidate acceptable to everybody and draft
a platform brief enough or cryptcal enough
to leave no room for embarrassing disagree
ments among the fifty-sevenodd varieties or
Ioyal Jefersonians. Colonel Watterson, always
prolific and expeditions as a prophet, foresaW
last summer that Governor Johnson was the
best man TO help the party out of its present
predicament. because his exact status as q
Jeffersonian was practically unknown and each
faction could therefore take him on faith as
confidently as any other The coloneis idea
was to go back TO ante bellum precedent
set by the Whg party and to do without
national platform, so that all Kilkenny ten
dencies might he suppressed until after the eiec-
ton. The less we know or suspect me peusr
off we shall be- was Mr.. Watterson's diagnosis
of the Democratic situation.
The Democratic masses did not take kindly
TO such repressiye and monasuc pollcy. 1he
hest thing about the Democratic party is its
/
ing first and thinking afterward that the
silence cure prescribed was about as welcome
to it as sentence of twenty years at sohtary
confinement would be TO an East Side carttall
orator or anti-rent agitator. The Democratic
voters continued TO show a perverse preference
for voIubity and political improvisation. ana
Colonel Watterson sadly called in his WING
paraIIeI and signified his submission TO the
modern demand for the production OF enough
new ideas TO keep each faction of JeffersonlanS
busy defending its own prepossesslons anu
picking holes in the prepossesslons OF all oIIer
factions.
! Colonel Watterson has dropped Governor
Iobpson for Mr. BRYAN. But The World has
taken the Governor up again and is trying to
make him available Oh a platform not OF say
ing nothing at all but of saying something
which can be interpreted in hfty-seven ways ny
fiftv-seyen different sets of JeHerSonlah tnllh-
ers We learn from an interview proVlded u!
the Governor Of Minnesota that he faVorS
tariff revision" That is a good start. TOT
every national platform framed this year
Republcan, Democratic, Populist. Prohlhl'loh
and SociaIist-wil probably call for revision
of the Dingley schedules. Mr.. Johnson tells
us also that he believes in proper recoshl
tion of the rights of the states as well as those
of the federal government He stands 1of lpe
eoual administration of the laws. Jusuce 10 al
classes-the rich, the poor and the moderately
-elI-to-lo-regulation of corporations. but not
/ oppressive regulation; taxation OF incomes anu
inhertances but not confiscatory taxation;
navy not too big, but just big enough; the ult
mate ACQUISITION of Canada and Mexico, bnt
/ acouisition only through voluntary amalGama-
tion Governor Johnson does not want 10 earn
! the title Too Much Johnson" He aims at being
NOT TOO radical but just radical enough, not 100
conservative but Just conservative enough lie
t is the ideal radicaI-conservative and conserFa-
five radical Can he box the compass, however,
and hold a balance between factions as 1ar
anart in ideas as the poles: Can he be another
Parker TO the East, another Bryan TO the W est I!
/ If he can. he is the Man OF the Hour for the
! National Democratic Clubs missionary dinners
| Governor Johnson says that the Democrauc
marty needs "a platform made out OF principles
! .broad and sound. which will express the Sehu-
ments the feelings. of the great body OF our
| "intelIigent citizens But the Democratic party
! has not succeeded in generation III framing
: n pIatform which fully expressed the seht
/ ments of its own leaders and members no"
can it expect to guide others when 1t has con
sistentlv failed to guide or rule itself: