Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-09-21

When the Democrats nomination
or governor was rendered him in 1904
Johnson, believing there was a chance
for victory. in spite of Tie large Repub.
lican majority in the state. accented
the offer. When the votes were count.
ed it was found thar Johnson had been
elected with plurality of 5000 ut the
same time the state was giving Roosc-
welt a. plurality of l61 900
Honored by Pennsylvania University.
Two years later he was reelected
and last fail again was chosen as the
governor CT Minnesota lie was men.
toned in 1908 - the Democratic candi-
date for pre- sidsnt and had a large fol-
loving III tie north centra! states.
Among the many things accomplish
ed during the Johnson administration
III Minnesota We're the creation ut ~
expert fax commission. the increase
on the assessed valuation Of the United
States Steel corporation from So 900. =
100 to $3.50 900 900, The reduction Of
railway freight rates. the introduction
ri the 2-crnt passenger fare on rail
roads, domestic insurance reforms aud
many other reforms that were needed
;ud uf benefit TO The state
In 1907 Governor Johnson was
awarded a degree of l.. l. ID by the
University of Pennsylvania
Following the insurance scandals of
1906 he was chairman Of the interstate
conference to investigate the insurance
problem and was also member and
vice president of the international pol
icyholders committee the same year.
Wan of Great Patience.
The complacency with which John
son viewed The proceedings of the
Denver convention was characteristic
of The man. Standing ont prominent.
Iy as candidate for first honors. he
saw that Bryan had swamped the con
vcntion Johnson heard The news
with cquanimity.
The convention then set about find
| ing a running mate for the Nebrasl an
| and the Alinnesotan was prominently
mentioned. He had previously stated
| that he would not accept n SeCoad
| his friends and tele@rams were sent 10
| him from Denver which reached him
at St. Paul, where he had been visit
| ing and at Minneapolis. lie replied
that he positively declined to accept
| the place Minnesota had presented
| him as the candidate for president and
| he would not accept second honOrs.
The governor was a man of great
patience and fCrtiude. During the
hours following the last operation
when a corps of surgeons and physi
| clans were struggling to save his life
he complained very little. I'm fact i
was said he displayed great hopeful
ness and endurance. The doctors spoke
Of his wonderful nerve and he joked
freely with them about his condition
/ To one surgeon the governor said:
We had a close shave, didn't we
| Mac?"
| Governor Johnson was upon the Op-
Grating table for two hours and fifty.
| three minutes and at noon, as soon as
he had recovered from the effects oil
! the anesthetic, his first words were 70!
| Mrs. Johnson. who came to his bedside
when she heard that her husband was
! conscious.
| DR. H. H Witherstein of this city
also a state senator. is known Ia have
! given the governors private secretary
| Frank A. Day. a gloomy view of the
case. saying that it was "one of the
most trying operations of the kind he
! ever witnessed"
Human Life of Johnson.
Much has been written of the noiit.
Zeal career of John y. Johnson. gov
ernor of Minnesota, but very little has
been said OF the man himself. little
that is descriptive of his personality,
his earlier career. his traits and habits
| in short, nothing that gives con-
crete idea of the man himself
A story is told of him at ST. Peter