Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1908-06-07

publican majority in his district. Nom mated to the same of ;iice four years later, he made vigorous campaign on state
 issues and this time succeeded. He served through two sessions of the legislature and his career was chiefly notable for the leadership of his party in the successful contest for an in- creased gross earnings tax on rail- ways At the end of his legislative term ill 1902 he could have had the Democratic nomination for governor ship, but declined it, preferring to stand for reelection to the legislature. This time he was defeated by a small Iplurality. Then four years as country |editor. In 1901, when the Democratic nomination to the governorship was rendered him, he saw a chance for victory and somewhat reluctantly ac- cepted it. He accomplished the inn possible by securing a plurality of 5000 at the same time that the state was giving President Roosevelt a plu- )ralty of 16l ,000 The legislature was overwhelmingly Republican, but the IGovernor found a way to get along with it successfully and between them they turned out so much good and lpopular legislation that in 1906, when the Governor was re-nOminated by the Democrats, the people could not re- sist the slogan of "One Good Term Deserves Another and he was re- elected by a plurality of over 77,00O in strongly Republican Minnesota, and by virtue of that popular verdict he is today governor of Minnesota.
 The record of legislation secured and administrative progress made dur ing his administration is a long story. Among the things accomplished were the creation of an expert tax commits sion, the increase of the assessed val nation of the United Steel Corporation ! in inc state from $32 ,O0O. .OO0 to $190, 900 900, the reduction of railway rates on freight the introduction of two~cent railway passenger rate. taxation of sleeping car companies, modern mort gage tax, reciprocal demurrage laws, a free state employment bureau, the | extension of the sale of Minnesota state made binding twne to other ownership for public utilities, the abo lition of railway passes, domestic in surance reforms and leading partici patton by the governor in national in surance reforms. On the administra- tive side, the governor two terms are remarkable for the close attention he has given to his duties as mem- Der of various important boards charg ed with large responsibility With these boards he has been governor on the job.
 In person Governor Johnson is tall, thin, slightly stopped. His face is an intense one, indelibly marked with the lines of the many cares that have been his from boyhood, but withal a kindly sympathetic face. He is gentle in manner and rather easygoing. He doesn't like to offend but when his self to face a problem and looks at it souarely his Yes" or No" is irreyo cable.
 Governor Johnson has very reluc- tantly allowed himself to be drawn { into lhe consent for the Democratic . presidential nomination. lie has for years been a friend and personal ad- mirer of Mr Bryan and supported the Nebraskan in 1896 and 1900 He hat ed to be put in a position of opposing Mir Bryan or thwarting his ambition, Moreover he is so simple and unas- .suming that he could hardly believe that he was suitable presidential tim .her. But now that he is in the con test. he is permitting his friends to make it as vigorous and as effective as the lack of time permits. Today there is not state in the Union that has not felt the Johnson bloom in some measure. and impartial political observers concede that the "Great Democratic Governor" of Minnesota has better than a fighting chance of being nominated at Denver. His friends feel that he has a better pros pect of being elected, if nominated than any other Democratic candidate and they assert that they would as soon oppose Johnson to Taft as to any other possible Republican nom- inee.
 While Johnson is staunch Demo- crat of historic Democratic principles tinged with modern interpretation, no Republican need fear that the country will go to the dogs under his admin