The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1909-09-29

W. IUO ~
porations; investigation of the lumber
trust; the employers liability law;
uniform divorce law; an initiative and
| referendum and the registration OF
professional lobbyists.
The Iron Range Strike.
In the summer of 1907 Governor
| Johnson came into contact with the
people of Minnesota in new line,
handling very difficult situation in a
wise and judicious manner that result
ed in making him a friend of both
sides. A strike of 10000 foreign
workmen in the iron region was be-
coming threatening. They were a
branch of the Western Federation Of
Miners and at the head was an Italian
socialist from Colorado, Teofilo Petri-
ella. Although the strike leaders in
sisted that they would keep the peace,
local officials and the business men in
the district feared the ignorant aliens
and finally the governor was appealed
to to send troops.
Instead Of doing so, he went him
self. He stopped first at Duluth. saw
the officials Of the steel company and
got their promise to avoid trouble If
possible. He went on to Hibbing and
hunted up Petriella, sat down with
him and had quite talk and gave
him plainly to understand that the
or the National Guard would be sent.
He went on to other towns and gave
the same admonition to strike leaders,
local authorities and mine superinten-
dents. He made a speech in Eveleth
in which he said that the men had a
} right to strike, had right to organize
and had right to induce others to
strike, but that any other man who
wanted to work had right to do so
J without interference, and the state,
if necessary, would back him up.
The governors attitude was so sim
| cere to both sides that the strike very
: soon ended in a peaceable manner
without the interference of state
J troops and he thereby avoided much
of the trouble that has arisen from
, industrial disturbances in other states
where the militia has been called out
Governor Johnson's conduct of his
office during his two terms was such
that campaign funds we're unnecessary
after the first election and the cam
paign literature consisted of a post
card carrying his picture and the le
gend, zone Good Term Deserves An
other"
Campaign 1T 1908.
The third campaign was merely q
repetition of the same story, although
his plurality was reduced somewhat
,, The republican leaders decided that
Johnson's nationality was the balanc
= ing point that made his reelection in
evitable and decided to put up 9
Swede against him, and so nominated
Jacob jacobson. Their choice wa.
undoubtedly wise, as Mr.. Jacobson
polled a much larger vote than Coli
= was able to get and cut down John
sons plurality to 29,139, while TAT
h carried the state by 86,442 and Eber
hart for Acknowledgements, who hat
J. encouraged Johnson to make the frs
race for governor, was elected by IS
S74 on the republican ticket. Gov
Johnson's third administration was
repetition of the other two in the wis
attitude he assumed on all question
that came up, most Of which are re
!. cent history.
Presidential Possibilities.
g Governor Johnson's first election il
). republican state was not taken ser
l. ously by the democratic party a
s large, as he was an unknown man an
l. it was thought that his election wa
r, merely an accident. When he wa
J, reelected the second term by such a
d abnormal majority, was just at tn
h time when the national party wa
y thrown into CONSERVATION by the ovel
!. whelming defeat of A. B. Parker an
If the party leaders were looking for
t. new man who could harmonic tn
1t warning interests of the Bryan, or 81
IS yer, and the Cleveland, or gold, wing
If of the party.
ia In such a crisis the name OF Johl
le son spread through the land and
ID was not long Intil good fight wa
ID started for the presidential nomin
h ton in 1908. He was Handicapped
however. by the fact that he was sti
e. an unknown man outside Of the nortl
re- west He became convinced himse
It. after the urging of his political MAJ
-. AGAR that ha might hecOme n Dre