Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-22

FARGO. N. D., October 22.-Untted
States Senator Martin n. Johnson trepub-
lican) of this state died last night from
an attack of acute nephrits at his hotel
In this city.
A week ago he submitted to a second
operation for nasal trouble and was
thought to be doing we'll. He had been
sufferer from kidney disease for years
and had complained for several days,
but reports yesterday were reassuring.
He was suddenly attacked late in the
afternoon and death soon followed.
Was a Farmers Boy.
Senator Johnson was t1fty-nne years
| old. He was born on farm in Racine
county. WIS, and was son of Rev. Mel
son Johnson, native of Norway. Sena-
| tor Johnson was graduate of the Wis
consin University and came to this state
! in 1852, devoting his attention to farming.
| He was a member OF the constitutional
| convention. In 1850 he was candidate
| for United States senator and tied the
republican party vote in caucus, but was
| defeated in the joint session. In 1880 he
was sent to Congress and was three times
nominated by reclamation. He was eight
years in the lower house
Senator Johnson's death leaves a va
cancy to be filled by appointment by Gov.
Burke. democrat.
He Succeeded Hansbrough.
Senator Johnson took the oath in the
upper branch of the national legislature
March 4 last. succeeding Henry Clay
Hansbrough. He was present practically
every day during the long debate on
the tariff bill. notwithstanding the fact
that his health was far from good much
ne hA Th0Vo fIo,e. ~
speculation among those who were not on
the inside as to whether Senator John
son would ally himself with the republi-
can insurgents. led by Cummins, Bever-
ing time came the North Dakotan stood
firmly by Senator Aldrich on every vote
for high protection.
| He did not take part in the debate very
some insurgent insinuations that the
Aldrich tariff makers were not true re-
| publicans. He grew witty, and, with
homely figures of speech, drawn mostly
| from his experience as northwestern
farmer, sought to worst his opponents
His voice was powerful and his manner
extremely earnest, commanding attention
He did not stay In the Senate long
enough, however, nor did he mix suffici-
emily in the activities of the body to
enable his associates to realize exactly
the niche he would have filled there had
| he lived.
Hate for Hamilton.
| Senator johnson had an antipathy for
| Alexander Hamilton which amounted al
most to q hatred Of his memory. This
! feeling broke through the surface one
day in the Senate when a bill was intro
duced to provide a site for the erection
of q monument in the District to Hamil-
| ton. Briefly he told the Senate that he
would fight such a bill to the last ditch
| He held the belief that the moral char
acter and political motives of Hamilton
were such that his countrymen should for
| get him for all time.
Receiving no sympathy from other
senators In his antipathy for the first Sec
rotary of the Treasury, he apparently
not deliver the speech he promised upon
the subject. The bill itself is still pend
| ing in committee.
Never Made a Kick.
| Along with the rest of the new senator's
| Johnson was assigned to comparatively
unimportant committees, but, unlike some
of them. he did not kick about it, at
least not publicly. but seemed resigned to
| the will Of the men who run things. He
was chairman of the committee to investi-
gate trespassers on Indian lands. which.
perhaps, has met once Or twice in it's
existence. His other committees were
| agriculture and forestry. an important as
| signment; expenditures in the Post Office
Department Five Civilized Tribes, indus