The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1908-04-02
JOHNSON
IS A Candidate
He 10 A RECEPTIVE CANDIDATE
BUT NOT AN URGENT AS
QRESSlVE ONE.

..H. .F# ~ I1r l
He Plainly Announces that He Would
Accept the Nomination onlyfor the
Betterment and at the Call of the
Democratic Party.
st. Paul, March 30.-John A. john
son, governor Of Minnesota, will
accept the Democratic nomination
for president if it is offered, but he is
not an ''open" candidate. That, OFF,
cially, formally, is his position. He
has spoken.
Gov. johnson heard that he has
been mentioned Is. a presidential can
didate, and after considering the mat
ter he stated exactly where he stands.
There will be no Mayo business about
this, for the governor takes his bold
stand in a letter to Swan J. Turnblad,
editor of the Daily Posten, a Scandi-
navian newspaper in Minneapolis.
Mr.. Turnblad apparently had an
idea that Frank A. Day, chairman of
the Democratic state central commit
tee and the governors private secre
tary, was fooling when he fought
drought the Democratic state central
committee the now famous 6s to %
resolution asking the Minnesota Demo-
cratic convention to send a johnson
delegation to the national convention
at Denver. So Mr.. Turnblad decided
to ask the governor himself about it.
The announcement places Cover
nor johnson before the country in q
dignifed candidacy for the leadership
of his party, not, as he expresses it,
for the purpose of defeating Mr..
Bryan or anyone else, but an &C
acknowledgement of the fact that the
executive of Minnesota has respon-
ded to the favorable mention he has
received from all parts of the coun-
try. 1t means that the Minnesota
governor will figure in the Democrat
ic convention at Denver, ave if he
has nothing more than the support
of Minnesota which will undoubtedly
be his, and that his name will furnish
the rallying point for Democrats who,
whether they favor William Jennings
Bryan, are convinced that to nomi-
nate the man from Lincoln would be
to immediate the party upon a third
alter of certain defeat.
Gov. johnson says,
II do not believe that any Ameri.
can citizen should be an active open
candidate for the nomination to the
presidency. Any American would
appreciate the high honor which
could come to him in being selected
as standard bearer of his party.
While I recognize that the press
has had much to say about me in con-
nection with this high office I have
hitherto avoided any public or private
expression regarding my position.
Matters have progressed so far how
ever that I should at least say, in an
swer to your interrogation, that if
the Democratic party of the nation
believed me to be more available
than any other man and felt that by
my nomination I could contribute
any service to the party and to the
nation I should be happy to be the
recipient of the high honor which it
would thus confer"
Asked concerning the announce
ment, Governor 10 hnson stated that
his announcement meant just what 1t
said. That he VOL ld not seek the
nomination., that he would do moth.
ing himself to further his candidacy
and that he would have no regular
organization.
"Who will manage your cam
paign?" was the direct question put
to him.
The governor picked up a copy O
his letter and referred to it. "Let
me read this to you," he explained
''You will note that I say I will have
no organization and will make no &C
tive campaign. I near just exactly
what I say"
"But you will certainly have some
!, kind of an organization, some sort O.
a rallying point for your supportersq'
"WelI," continued the governor
! "my candidacy so far has been the
J work of my friends. I suppose they
will continue to do 30. Some sort O.
room will be engaged in Chicago, but
: no elaborate headquarters will b.
! opened. What work is done will pro
:, badly be accomplished and directed
by Fred B. Lynch of st. Paul and b,
Frank Day.
The johnson presidential move
\ ment started when Henry Watterso,
speaking for the large body of ma
tional Democrats who look upon tn,
\ name of Bryan as spelling inevitabl,
defeat announced he had discovered
ozark Horse"
The name was kept in abeyanc'
\ for some time and then Watterso]
announced that the man he had il
in mind was johnson Of Minnesota.
q MI. Day will undoubtedly look al
ter the governors interest in tn
state while Fred B. Lynch will prob
ably have charge Of the johnson
headquarters in Chicago and look al
ter the national end.