Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1909-09-30
the LATE GOVERNOR JOHNSON.


Probably the passing Of TO maj
in ciyil puhlic life sincethe death o
Abraham Lincoln has caused a
much sorrow On ,hs part II people
Of al classes ana elected as muci
kindly mention from tie newspaper
as that q John A. johnson. COVER
nor Il Minnesota.
And shat was the cause Of II all
Why Was this man who but few
years ago was country editor il
ST Peter 50 universally loved ano
respected
Nns was j, that he could three
times be elected on the democratic
ticke; governor Of a state that gave
immense Hajorities each time 10 the
republican candidates. other than his
opponent, from president down to
constable?
1t has been said that his success
was due to the fact that he was Of
Swedish parentage. living in a state
largely settled by people Of Scandi-
navian birth or extraction, and that
the Scandinavian Americans are
clannish. But this cannot be true,
because his opponent last fall. Mr..
jacobson, was Scandinavian born
in the old country. if we mistake
not. while Johnson was of Ameri-
can birth Furthermore, clannish-
ness was not shown by the Scandi-
navian voters Of North Dakota last
fall. when they helped to defeat for
governor one of the best men in the
state, man born Of Scandinavian
parents Charles A. Johnson, of
Ward county. No; Governor John
son was popular because of the
thorough frankness and openness of
his character. There was nothing
OF the hypocrite about him. After
he had been chosen governor the
friends Of his days If poverty were
the same to him. Once he said to
man in humble life who had been
a schoolmate Of his in st. Peter. and
who had addressed him as Govern
or at their first meeting after
johnson had been elected executive
of Minnesota: Now, Aleck, no
more Of that. To you I'm John, and
nothing else. .
Then, too, the American people
formerly Anglo-Saxon, but now a
mixture Of all races honored him
for the respect and devotion he gave
to his true-hearted mother. His
father was a blacksmith, who, being
heavy drlnker in Sweden, thought
that by coming to America to
new scenes and surroundings he
might escape from the enemy that
had enslayed him. For several
years he was victorious, but finally
he was yanquished, and he died in
the poor house. But the good,
honorable Swedish mother was un-
daunted. She had her little ones to
care for, John being the oldest. At
about ten years Of age he quit school
to take a ten-dollar- a-,nonth lob in
a grocery store, so that he might
help ms mother to support the little
ones Who were more helpless than
Then. in few years. he
obtained clerkshlp in drug store.
al somewhat better wages than he
mad been receiving. The mother
was, and had been for years, com
PEELED to take in washing. Too
often We find American-born chill
dren Of foreign-born parents who
are disposed To feel ashamed OF the
broken English and the foreign Gus
toms Of their parents, forgetting
that all Of the original white settlers
pf America came from across the
ocean. But not so with John John
son. The poorly. spoken English of
ms mother made no difference TO
him, and he was always proud TO be
seen IN her company. After his third
election "A friend asked him what
moment he considered the pfoudest
81 his life, thinking his reply would
refer to some one Of his numerous
political successes. But the govern
or, studying a moment, said: 81 be-
lieve it was when had my wages
raised as drug clerk, and was
able to go home and tell my mother
that, thereafter, I would make
enough to keep the family. and she
wouldn't have to wash for living
any longer" During his first cam
paign for the governorship of Min
nesota. some miscreant made public
throughout the state the fact that
his mother had been washerwoman
and his father a pauper. He was
asked by a reporter as to the truth
Of the report. A denial was expect.
ed. He answered: Yes: that is