New-York tribune., 1908-03-29
GOVERNOR JOHNSON'S CANDIDACY.

Governor Jobn A. Johnson Of Minnesota has
hecomo at least a receptive" candidate for the
Democratic Presidential nomination. He writes
tn the editor of Swedish American newspaper
in Minneapolis that he has no objection 10 peihs
put In nomination and voted for IN tne Deh'er
convention He would be highly compllmenteo'
he saws. IL Minnesota alone should support him
at Denver since TO be even thus publicly hon
ored he would consider lone of the greatest dis
tinctions which could come to me-. But ne
makes 1t clear that he will do nothing in the
way OF organization TO bring about this end.
and as if to emphasize the non-aggressive innoc-
NOUS character of mis-. candidacy he adds that he
does not enter the field for the purpose OF
defeating Mr.. Bryan ,Or any other man.
IT NAV be merely coincidence that Governor
Johnson announced his candidacy only a day or
two after the Democratic State Convention IN
North Dakota had instructed Its delegates 10
Denver for Mr.. Bryan One of the Minnesota
Governors most valuable political assets Is MS
popularity among the Scandinavian-Amer1can
voters of the Northwest North Dakota is, next
TO Minnesota the Northwestern state most dom
mated by the Scandinavian American vote and
If WAS to be expected that the Democrats OF
North Dakota would look with special favor on
th, Johnson candidacy. That they did not must
have been due to the uncertainty and mystery
In which the johnson canvass has so far been
enveloped.
To make formidable figure in a national con-
vention candidate must declare his ideas and
purposes He must stand for something positive
and must invite comparison with other candi-
dates The chief falling OF the johnson move
ment has been that it was wholly negative and
nebulous Colonel Watterson attempted to push
the Minnesota Governor to the front last sum-
mer as the most available Presidential nominee
for 1905 But nobody took the colonel seriously,
and not until Mr.. Bryan had completed arrange
ments for controlling the Democratic conven-
tions in nearly all the Western and Southern
states did the anti Bryan element In the East
awake to the value OF Governor Johnson's polit-
ical record or begin to turn to him as the one
Democrat who might divide the West with Mr..
Bryan and thus prevent the Nebraskans renom-
inaton at Denver. The Eastern leaders were
six months too late in picking substitute can
didate and TO Judge from the action OF the
North Dakota convention Governor johnson WAS
certainly two, or three months too late in admit
ting his willingness 10 make fight for the nom-
ination.
Even now Governor Johnson talks like a man
who does not really care TO make fight. He
says that he is I'm sense g candidate for the
purpose Of defeating Mr.. Bryan" Why then II
he a candidate at all? To get the nomination be
must beat Mr. Bryan and must beat him on the
date than the Nebraskan. Mr.. Bryan's support
ers hold that their idol Is far and away the
strongest man and most promising votegetter
IN the party. The candidates who enter the
lists against him must be prepared to set up
counter-clalms and to demoIsh the claims made
In his interest. Governor Johnson's only chance
Of success lies in appealing TO the anti-Bryan
interests and standing anti Bryan candi-
date. The New York Suns ST Paul dispatch
qualities somewhat the Bryan paragraph Of
Governor Johnsons letter 1t says:
They 1.-THE Johnson menl make no secret of
the fact that the forces which brought
about the nomination OF Grover Cleveland fin
1921 are solidly arrayed in favor Of Johnson's
nomination, and say this influence will be as
potent in 1908 il in 1892.
Such statement, II true. would put the John
| son canvass on practical basis. If Governor
johnson has any idea of displacing Mr. Bryan
he must do 1t by challenging him openly and
wrestling with him for the control OF the Denver
convention.