New-York tribune., 1909-09-22


ed in 1876 and 1905
And this man who leaped TO the front rank SO
suddenly was still young His face. smooth shaven.
showed a firm chin that his character in no way
heied Tho keen gray eyes we're prepossessng,
but network of fine wrinkles about them testi-
aed to the struggles his early and made hint
look every year of his age. He lacked only
inch OF being SIX feet tall, with the large frame
and snewy strength OF his Viking ancestors. His
shoulders were slightly stopped. but broad and
strong He quiet and d.gnifed but affabe,
with a happy faculty of making friends. He had
vibrant voice of singular charm. and on the
platform his eloquence and sincerity never failed
20 hold his audiences.
Governor johnson was really native product. a
man who grew up with his state. When he
born Indians still threatened the peace OF his
neighborhood and in his life he passed through
every stage of the regions development He was
one of those who, IN character. appearance
and personal history. reminded their friends of
Abraham Lincoln. One acquaintance summed his
character in a sentence when ne said: He's an
aWrul good mixer, but he isn't much of 1Oller.
When still youth Johnson became interested in
army life. and at the age of twenty became
member of the national guard With all the zest
Of his ardent temperament he applied himself to
the interest OF the state militia. and within six
months doubled the size of the company. For at
tention to detail and general efficiency he pro-
NOTED to the Office of captain. Shortly after this
he became interested in the politics of his home
county, and his personality soon made itself felt.
Gradually he increased the sphere his activities
and silently he worked for the success of the Dem
ocratic party. In strong Republican state his
efforts were of little weight, but he kept work
ing just the same Finally he received recognition.
and rewarded by being elected 10 the State
Senate.
FIRST TASTE OF METROPOLITAN" LIFE
This was his first stay away from his home
town. and in the mild dissipation of the Iegisla-
tive session in the capital city Of Minnesota he
received his first touch of metropolitan life.
1 his frat in no 0li Cai
arena. and his rapid rise the Governors seat.
/ followed by mis- Presidential boom. had not only
made him the most talked of man in his own
state. but In the country at large, and his nomi-
| nation for President in the next campaign had
| been freely predicted.
! Governor Johnson's personality never better
shown than in the settlement of the iron range
strike in Northern Minnesota in 1897 Radiatir.
! northwestward from Duluth is an immense stretch
| of territory, rich in iron ore and containing
| heterogeneous population. made up of all
/ tionalities. These the miners of the Mime
sofa iron range, the richest iron producing country
in the world
Labor strife broke out on "the range" The
| miners organized by agents of the Western
Federation of Labor circulated among them. Con
ditions became tense and strained Meetings were
held, and the miners. armed and prepared for the
most serious kind of trouble. threatened to pre-
! cpitste condition that might have been without
parallel in the history of labor disputes in
| America.
! The Governor was tmportuned to call out the
| militia II argued that armed state force
could alone prevent boodshed and terrible tragedy
| The Governor did not act hastily He thought the
matter over. and decided 10 visit the scene of
| trouble himself This was an entirely new de-
| parture in the settlement Of labor disputes The
| idea of executive mingling among who
| were on the point of committing the most out
| rageous violence was so novel and dramatic that
| the attention of the entire country attracted.
The Governor visited the disturbed region. He
. talked with visiting delegation of the miners and
held consultations with representatives of the Steel
Trust. Ffrmness was combined with the utmost
| urbanty of manner. You must not precipitate
trouble was his command TO both of the warning
factions For days he labored TO bring about a set
tIement. and was finally successful, So much 50
that. without violence of any kind, of the worst
strikes and one threatening the utmost violence
settled amicably. Through all the trouble the
Governor never lost his poise his urbanity.
FOR STATE INCOME TAN
AS Governor. Mr.. Johnson looked on party af1la-
tons literally. He retained the appointees of his
! predecessor where they efficient His owr
! appointees. proved peculiarly satisfactory to all
parties particularly in his second term, when he
passed the politicians I'm selecting three mon
| TO he tax commissioners. Not only did the Re
| publican Senate confirm his appointments, .ui
| the House. with official powers In the "a Sc
offered a rising vote of voluntary approval He
popular with his Republican Lesis-
Iature. He favored a state income tax and an
inheritance tax and extension of state control over
electric railway lines, telegraph and telephone COM
panies He was incined toward municipal owner
4 ship and favored the initiative and referendum
He was active IN insurance affairs and suggested
! to President Roosevelt that his Commissioner of
/ Insurance of tho District Of Columbia call "a na-
| tonal conference of insurance commissioners gov
| ernors and attorneys general. 1t met in Chicago
in 1905. Governor Johnson presiding. 4 committee
| appointed by him drew up d set of laws that were
| adopted almost in their entirety by Minnesota a.
t~r1--
his request
In national politics he opposed Capitalization OF
power and favored tariff revision. Government
ownership of railroads he opposed except as a
last resort. He was the choice of his states dele
cation to the National Democratic Convention last
year for President. and favored by many in
fuential Democrats throughout the country,
The failure of his boom in 1908 by ended
his Presidential possibilities. \ conference Of
friends held in Washington afterward. de
! cided TO prepare to the Minnesota Governor
for President in 1912. The plan unfolded then vas
to make him Governor for 4 third term. followed
by election to the United States Senate In accord
ance with this plan he accepted Il third term as
| Governor after it had been positively announced
that he would not do and won by plurality of
/ over 9o,eoo, though Mr.. Taft carried the by
| over 5000 Most of the Republican state ticket
| was elected as we'll, including A o. Eberhart the
| Lieutenant Governor, who now becomes Governor.
At the Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition this sum
mer he created much comment by telling an audi
euce that the West shackled to the East and
that il was time for that section to rise and throw
| off its bonds.
| Nervousness was not IN his makeup. His was a
| philosophy Of the Abraham Lincoln kind. The
Governor had sense OF humOr. He com
panonabe and loved good story, but he did not
| laugh with abandon. His laugh was that of a
man whose nature did not break out into storms
Of mrth and did not feel the lighter JOY of life
| Since his residence the Capitol of Minnesota
he made many friends. but neither himself nor his
TEev Ift-a6