The daily Alaskan., 1908-11-27
TOM JoHNsoNs SEARCH FOR
 HAPPINESS.

men in public life. capable men, that one can belleye-belieye in-believe that when they say a thing they mean exactly that, There are num- Der of such men who are laooring might and main for the public veal, with high ideals and strong purpose, Among these are Mir Roosevelt and Mir. Taft. Governor Hughes. Cover nor Folk. Governor Johnson and Mayor Tom Johnson. There are many lesser lights but these are dis tiugulshed for the proof they have offered of a slngleness of purpose. high character and THINGS DONE along this line, There are differences of degree of merit in this group named. of course, and 1t pleases the Alaskan to place Mayor Tom much higher up in the list than he is placed in naming them over here-that arrangement being sug' gested by the relative rights of their office in any procession of dignitar- ias rather than of men. Mayor John son has had on his hands one of the largest. longest most bitter fights that has been waged in this coun' uy. directed against special privilege. He has been combatted by this priv uege. strongly entrenched, and which, Of course, has employed every means known to such to win against him. Johnson has gone his way as un- swervingly and as energetically as rEy..,.- l---s o-,,- -- with his graft prosecutions but with vastly larger purpose and without that vindictive- ness of spirit that mayhap is neces' sary 10 Heney's success.
 A specific incident Of the general fight is that for three cent car fare in Cleveland, fight of a practical sreet.rallway man for what he knows or what. out Of successful exper- fence of many years he thinks he knows-can be done for the benefit of the people. The people have stood with him in large measure but they have been hindered in their af. fairs and inconvenienced in many ways in the street ear service by strikes. etc. which the powers he has been fighting have brought about or aided in bringing about and the recent referendum vote to test the issue of Johnsonism or anti.Johnson- ism was won by the former by a relatively small majority. For the public"-the independent and rust ling units. wrestling with the im- mediate problem of the rent and doc tors bill and the butcher's-has not much patience. and If in his labor in their behalf he iuterferes with their chance at a dollar is liable to remodel Mir. yanderbilt's saying into the altrulst be damned" But the real thing in practical altruism does not allow a little thing like In- gratitude to count He discounts 1t before he enters upon his fight,
 But now comes the statement that Mayor Johnson. during 'hese many years estimated as very rich man and charged of course by his enc mics with making money out of his street car campaign-has lost his fortune and is about to move from his splendid Euclid avenue palace into more modest quarters. selling his automobiles and riding in the troublesome street cars himself But 1t is vastly pleasing to his admirers all over the country to note that this fact does not alter Mayor John sons attitude toward his work. It would be silly to say his altered f. nancial position will not hinder that work-money is a great aid to work in most any direction. But also there are compensations that may be more