River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1908-04-02
GOV. johnson
IS A Candidate
He is A RECEPTIVE CANDIDATE
BUT NOT AN URGENT AG-
GRESSlVE ONE.
He Plainly Announces that He Would
Accept the Nomination only for 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 as presidential can
dldate, 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 letter to Swan J. Turnblad,
editor of the Daily Posten, 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 So 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 a
dignified candidacy for the leadership
of his party, not, as he expresses it,
for the purpose of defeating Mr..
Bryan or anyone else, but an ac-
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, even 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 1 have
hitherto avoided any public or private
o1sGi
Matters have progressed SO far how
ever that 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 / could contribute
any service to the party and to the
nation l should be happy to be the
recipient of the high honor which it
would thus confer.o
Asked concerning the announce
ment, Governor Johnson stated that
his announcement meant just what it
said. That he would not seek the
nomina ton, 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 of
his letter and referred to it. "Let
me read this to you," he explained.
.'You will note that say will have
no organization and will make no ac-
tive campaign. / mean just exactly
what I say"
"But you will certainly have some
kind of an organization, some sort of
rallying point for your supporters?"
"Well," continued the governor,
''my candidacy SO far has been the
work of my friends. I suppose they
will continue to do so. Some sort of
room will be engaged in Chicago, but
no elaborate headquarters will be
opened. What work is done will pro-
badly be accomplished and directed
by Fred B. Lynch of st. Paul and by
Frank Day.
The johnson presidential move
ment started when Henry Watterson |
speaking for the large body of ma
tional Democrats who look upon the
name of Bryan as spelling inevitable
defeat announced he had discovered
Ozark Horse.o
The name was kept in allegiance
for some time and then Watterson
announced that the man he had in
I'm mind was "Johnson of Minnesota"
Mr.. Day will undoubtedly look af-
ter the governors interest in the
state while Fred B. Lynch will prob
ably have charge of the Johnson
headquarters in Chicago and look af-
ter the national end.