Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1908-04-14
G0NEkIt3R JOHNSON

AS GOvern0: Johnson of Minnesota is
an av0wal candidate for the democratic
presidential nomination, the following
brief sketch of his life and achievements
and the policies for which he stands,
taken from booklet issued by his
campaign managers will he read with
interest:
John a. Johnson was born in st.
Peter, Nicollet County Minnesota July
20, 1861 of Swedish parents. His child
hood and youth were passed in great
poverty. At thirteen years of age, he
was compelled 20 leave the public schools
of his native city, in order to support
himself and the parental family.
Though his formal education was thus
early cut short, his self-education never
stopped. A student at all times, wide
reader and a Thoughtful one, Mr.. John
son, after some years of obscure toll as
IL drug and grocery clerk and railway
time-keeper, became at the age of
twentyfour editor of the ST. Peter
Herald. He soon became known as one
of the ablest of Minnesota journalists
and was recognized as one of the leaders
of journalism in IL state remarkable for
the number, vigor and influence of it's
periodical press. AS Il county editor, he
Was gradually drawn into politics and
in 1893 was elected member of the
Minnesota Legislature, and his first
public political work was as IL member
of that body. From the first, he was
identified with various measures, which
have since become law in Minnesota.
Quiet, unassuming and accomplishing
his ends without violent effort, he did
not attract any special notice during
his career in the legislature, but he was
laying the foundations of a knowledge
of craftsmanship and politics that fitted
him well for the opportunity that came
in 1901, when the Democratic nomina-
ton for governor of Minnesota was
literally thrust upon Kim. Two years
before. the democratic nominee for
governor in Minnesota had been defeat
ed by a plurality of nearly 5G, 4S1. Only
once i'll forty years before this time had
the democrats elected Il governor in
Minnesota. So uniformly had demo
cratic candidates gone to defeat in this
normally republican state, that as Il rule
party leaders who accepted the demo
cratic nomination to office took it far
more from sense of party loyalty, and
from feeling that they should do what
they could do to keep up the party
organization, than with any hope of
success Even those who from their
friendship and acquaintance with Mr..
johnson realized his capacity for max
ing friends and cnlisting supporters did
not dream that he had any hope of sue
cess. But. much to the establishment of
his friends, as well as his enemies, the
republican candidate was on the defen-
sive from the very start and, notwith-
standing the tremendous handicap of u
presidential year in n republican state
with all of Theodore ROoScvelts poDu-
larity with the rank and file of the
voters regardless of party, johnson was
elected by q plurality Of about 5000;
while Mr.. Roosevelt carried the state nv
u plurality of $4,000. Rarely, if ever,
has has there been such striking
demonstration of personal popularity
and vOte-getting ability.
Then followed two years of such sue
cessful administration of the Office of
governor that Johnson re-nominated in
1905, carried the state by plurality Of
nearly 10000 and this too in the face OF