The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-01-15
JOHNSON OF MINNESOTA.
He Is modest, Self.Poised. Keen.
"itted, Clear-Minded and Good to
Look At"

"riting from Washington under
date OF December 8, Mr.. G. H Crastv
editor OF the Baltimore News. saws.
After all, Henry Watterson il a
pretty good judge of colts. Six or
eight months ago. when 1t looked az
II the next election would 20 by de-
fault to the Republicans because of
the poverty Of presidential material
IN the Democratic party, the Louis
vile editor announced that he had
made discovery.
The name Of Mr.. Watterson's IN.
known did not at that time revive the
oaded hopes of the millions Of people
VINO have been yearning to get to-
getner on some plan and leadership
that would make effective an oposi-
tion IN this country. In our admira-
ton of the brilliant and picturesque
qualities Of Henry. Of Kentucky, we
mad all forgotten that almost femi-
nine instinct Of his about men. And
so when he mentioned the uninspir-
ing name of John Johnson most of
us hardly took the trouble to recall
whether 1t was in Minnesota, Iowa or
Dakota that the Republicans could
not always be- sure of winning against
popular Democrat of Swedish ex-
traction.
But Mr.. Watterson knew. From
his editorial observatory his shrewd
ahd eager gaze had swept every hori.
zon. Thus, while all the rest were
submitting themselves in reluctant re-
signation to a third-time Bryan, the
cunning hand Of Watterson plucked
from the hitherto mediocre mass of
Democratic of1icialdom the man of
hope.
AT the psychological moment, when
the mighty Republican party is divid-
ed against itself, and when Bryan has
just left us with q fresh impression
OF his helplessness, Governor John
son appears on these coasts. It is the
first time he has been seen in the
presidential limelight.
He attended the Gridiron dinner.
He made a speech. A barnyard
rooster never goes through that ex-
perience without losing his tail feath-
ers A mere prairie phenomenon
would have been found out Any
word Of buncombe would have made
the gridiron sizzle.
A new man has arrived. Common
saw him and jumped across the table
to greet him. Foraker wrung his
hand. Harry New. Republican chair
man that he Is. ran to meet the man
coming from Minnesota to greater
thingsy Roosevelt-Taft editors like
Nelson of Kansas City. pressed around
him. And as for Democrats-men
groaning under the Bryan yoke and
looking for deliverance-they fatty
went wild.
Here is Democrat without dema-
gogy. A leader whose head L. not in
the clouds. A sober thinker with the
saving grace Of humor. A right-doer
whose temperature is perfectly nor
NAL. A man of action without stren-
uosity. A young man Of seasoned
judgment. A man OF the people who
looks we'll in evening clothes. The
possessor of that greatest gift of the
gods. sense-which means Judgment
and taste-but all the while a virile
son of the West with every red corp
uscle iptact.
This is not one mans enthusiasm;
1t is the unanimous verdict Of a set
Of men trained to size up other men
and cold-blooded to the point OF Gym
icsm The supreme bench OF the
United States is not less subject to
emotion than these singed cats Of
journalism. IT is something to be a
Democrat who Is a two-times winner
In strong Republican State, but
that does not matter so much to
them. They rub elbows and sit at
meat with president, cabinet minis
ters, ambassadors and all the rest.
But John Johnson. modest, self
poised, keen-witted, clear-minded and
good to look adjoining to Washing
ton with an official record behind him
without flaw at time when every
eye is training for Democratic tim
ber-well, they all think he'll do.