The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1909-09-24
and finally the governor was appealet

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 a talk and gave
him plainly to understand that the
strike must be conducted peaceably
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 a right to do so
without interference, and the state,
if necessary, would back him up.
The governors attitude was so sin.
cere to both sides that the strike very
soon ended in peaceable manner
without the interference of state
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 were unnecessary
after the first election and the cam.
paign literature consisted of a post.
card carrying his picture and the lie.
gend, Zone Good Term Deserves An.
other"
Campaign of 1908.
The third campaign was merely a
repetition of the same story, although
his plurality was reduced somewhat
The republican leaders decided that
Johnsen's nationality was the balanc
ing point that made his reelection in
evitable and decided to put up a
Swede against him, and so nominated
Jacob jacobson. Their choice was
undoubtedly wise, as Mr.. Jacobson
polled much larger vote than Cole
| was able to get and cut down John
sons plurality to 28,139, while Taft
carried the state by 86,442 and Eber
hart for acknowledgement, who had
encouraged Johnson to make the first
| race for governor, was elected by 55,
S74 on the republican ticket.
Presidential Possibilities.
Governor Johnson's first election in
a republican state was not taken seri
ously by the democratic party at
large, as he was an unknown man and
it was thought that his election was
merely an accident. When he was
reelected the second term by such an
abnormal majority, it was just at the
time when the national party was
thrown into CONSERVATION by the over.
whelming defeat of A. B. Parker and
the party leaders were looking for a
new man who could harmonic the
warning interests of the Bryan, or sill
yer, and the Cleveland, or gold, wings
of the party.
In such crisis the name of John
son spread through the land and 1t
was not long until good fight was
started for the presidential nomina
ton in 1908. He was handicapped
however, by the fact that he was still
an unknown man outside of the north.
west He became convinced himself
after the urging of his political man.
ager that he might become a pres
idential possibility. He set out to &C
complish this by the same old meth.
DDS that made Johnnie Johnson lead
er among the young men of st. Peter
and made editor Johnson a leader
among the older people, a few years
later. He began travelling through.
out the country on the Chautauqua
circuit making his strongest appeal
through the south, which section was
more or less dissatisfied with both
elements in the party. He went
among the people as John Johnson the
governor and not as John Johnson, a
political aspirant.
He talked to them of his policies
along lines that the people at large
were pleased with and on topics en-.
tirely foreign to political matters
The result was the same as it had
been in his earlier years at home
Everyone who heard him became his
friend and spoke of him as friend
and acquaintance and felt that they
knew him and sympathized with him
Mr.. Johnson's friends and managers