The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1908-06-25
What rot.-Le Suepr News.
A Badly Buneled Campaign

Now that it is assuredly Bryan
on the first ballot at Denver, it NAV
not be out of order to remark that
Governor Johnson's campaign has
been the worst bungled spectacle ever
made part OF our continuous politi-
cal vaudeville. 1t is one of those bits
of tragedy that are so badly put on
that they are funny.
Governor johnson will go into the
convention with just twenty two votes,
it he chooses to keep them, those of
his own state, and he had no little
trouble to get these. Mr.. Bryan today
has fifty more than the required two
thirds after single-handed campaign
in which he appealed to no one but the
folks, and had against him all the
great newspapers of his party and all
it's great special interests.
| In addition to his pledged vote, he
will have New York, for Tammany
never fails to be with the winner.
And even if Governor johnson and
Judge Gray decide to go down into
oblivion with colors t1ying," and
take Pennsylvania IS democratic boss
with them, Mr.. Bryan will have more
than 900 votes on the first and only
ballot.
All of which accentuates the colos-
sal stupidity of the Johnson campaign
and the paucity of the democratic
party in men who have even the
semblance of greatness that he was
able to make a campaign at all.
It was not that the governor "got in
too late, but that he got in by the
trickery and smart underground route.
For over a year he has been an active
but subterranean candidate. For
nearly year he was candidate of
denial. None other ever denied so
much and belied his denials so CON-
pletely by his later actions.
1t was all of piece with the secret
hidden, mysterious, insinuating, ir-
responsible, smart Alec methods so
familiar in the governors campaigns
in this state, to be followed by the
same deny everything, claim all grand
stand play in the later stages. It bit
terly antagonized every supporter of
Bryan and made Johnson's nomina-
ton impossible, even had he sue
ceeded in pulling the one-third chest
nut from the fire for the interests who
we're using him. :
Even when he openly avowed his
candidacy it was in tilnid, apologize
and hating fashion. He did not wish
to defeat Mr.. Bryan, and then every
agency representing him went after the
Nebraskan hammer and tongs.
Money was poured out as though it
was river water, and it's source was
merely denied, not hidden.
Yet no one who. knows him holds
the governor personally to blame.
He has always had the one pre-
eminent qualification for Office avail
liability. His managers have done the
feSG' he mas Deen pawn on the CpO-
litical chess-board, not especially car
ing for Office, not overly ambitious
politically, but enjoying as would any
one in sort of surprised and guile
less fashion the prominence thrust
upon him. ~ - IL
His captivating personality and fair
ability enabled him to play any part
necessary in the game, and he never
yet has permitted all the adulation
poured over him to possess his in
nards and steal away his common
sense. For this every one admires
him and all rather regret that he has
been so completely the victim of the
behind-the-barn tactics of few politi-
cal stable boys. - Duluth News
Tribune.