The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1908-05-08

and partly By warehouse commission
regulation and legislative enactment.
from 10 TO 30 per cent The two-cent
railway passenger rate was secured in
Minnesota Largely due 20 his initia-
tive. the system Of taxation was re
formed. and an expert commission OF
three able men appointed 10 deal with
the taxation problem; laws were
passed providing for the equitable tax
alton Of sleeping car companies;
modern law of mortgage taxation was
also enacted. reciprocal demurrage
laws were adopted. orders of the rail
road and warehouse commission were
made Immediately effective. In the in
terests OF labor a free state employ
ment bureau was created and is con
Quoted with the best results. A great
system for the drainage OF state
swamp lands was inaugurated a law
was passed providing for municipal
ownership OF public utilities. The
state OF Minnesota has long conducted
a Irvine factory with prison labor. the
OBJECT being TO supply the farmers Of
/ lit SidAG WIN a hlAAAnH ALt III ma
vesting their crops az a reasonable
price and protect them from the ex-
/ cessive charges Of the cordage trust.
/ To compete with this fac. Try. the trust
I Constructed a Irvine plant within the
state Gov. Johnson's ;Eswer was a
request TO the legislature for authority
10 sell the product Of the state Irvine
plant outside as well as within the
state At Gov Johnson's suggestion
railway passes were abolished in Min
ncsota.
The governors part in the insurance
\ reforms Of recent years is too well
known 10 require attention here. be-
yond allusion 10 the fact that Presi-
| dent Roosevelt publicly recognized
him as the leader in the nationwide
campaign for reformation OF the great
insurance companies.
Gov Johnson is a man Of strict ID.
herence TO political principle. but he
! does not believe in confusing every
passing fancy or fad with political
principle He believes that there are
few basic political ideas which char
acterize Democracy He is not a man
who was a Republican yesterday. a
Democrat to-day and an Independent
tomorrow Throughout his career he
has been a Democrat
Although there can be no question
that Gov Johnson is a believer in
sweeping tariff reforms. and believer
in the necessity for vigorous legisla-
tion TO meet certain modern Industrial
conditions. he has such an abundance
OF common sense. so much intellectual
balance. and is so tactful in his meth
DDS that he achieves his ends without
that excessive friction ard violent dis
turbance that has been characteristic
OF some of our recent reformers. Gov
Johnson is a big man. He is not wed
ded TO a particular political fad. He is
in craftsmanship something Of an op
portunitist Although guided by some
big principles. he prefers to decide
questions as they come up or theil
individual presentation.
As a Democratic candidate he !.
strong. because between his genuine
devotion 70 reform and h. careful anC
effective methods Of getting reforms
he should have no difficulty in uniting
in his support both the conservative
and radical elements in lis party. This
should insure him the normal Demo
cratic strength. carrying with 1t, o
course. the solid south and such states
as New York and New Jersey. In ad
ditlon. Gov Johnson will draw an i'm
4
navian- American citizens. as well al
other classes. in such states as iii
nois. Wisconsin. Minnesota. North an'
South Dakota. Montana. Nebraska ant
Washington There is no questio
:hat he could carry Minnesota and th'
two Dakntas. Wisconsin and Illinois.