Willmar tribune., 1909-10-06
o]( 81 (oQo] ][o][ &c
E| TH0s. LAWSON 4
81 TRIBUTE TO - Is
/ JN0.A. JOHNSON \

Id unu'A' Ju|1A0u|' III
lol9o9l[ l[ol[ l[ol[ [o] % ][o]
Thomas w. Lawson was an intimate
friend of Governor Johnson. Upon
hearing of his death. he wired the
following, which is one of the finest
things that has been said of the dead
governor.
Yesterday and yesterdays when
the suns red-brown halo blended my
hollyhocks and sunflowers to nodding
evening gods, he used to loom,
soulful, heart-loving inspiration. From
my gardens twilight quiet I have
often visioned him, this tall, swaying
pine of the west, and the visioning
peopled my world with times and
things and men long, long since dead
and dust, and these times and things
and men glowed the heart and soothed
the soul and clarified the mind and
made for love Of good and for shame
OF petty meaness and sordid hatred.
when say this I linn the man.
sphere Of John Johnson without being
better. He was indeed a man, made
in-the-image-Of-his-Go man. Wives
looked upon his wife and blessed him;
mothers gazed upon his mother and
prayed their sons might be in his
mold; and the children and the dogs
and the flowers and Gods good earth
beamed and laughed and warmed
when his presence came.
Such a Good Man.
"Ah! But he was such man, such
good man. I saw him on the field,
in the tent, and in the orchards, where
the great, ripe juicy golden plums of
man-wealth hung low and vainly
screamed for plucking, and 1 sat with
him by the hour in his Office of state
while his mind romped in freedom
and his long legs crossed and uncross-
ed themselves over the corner of the
desk upon which the freemen of a
great western empire laid honor-offer-
ing.
Il have ridden with him the hot
days through, in the dusty, nerve rack
ing railroad train, and I've been with
him when he listened to the fealty
message of the leaders of his party
which cOOed about that crown and
throne which is the dream of all red
blooded Americans; and I've brought
him the taunt of his great rival, and
yet in all never once saw that child
1sh merry twinkle leave those wonder
fully lOve-begetting eyes, and l never
heard disc0rd in that voice of trus:
and faith and charity and good will
to all. All! But he was such a man,
such a good man.
"John JOhnson's vision was all out
ward. He had no mirror, and had he
one he would have held it to reflect
the beauties and the goodness of his
fellows.
Story Of Boy.
'The other evening Erman Ridge
way, his good wife, and myself were
in the bus with this great man on our
way to hear him lecture. We'd had
jolly good dinner and he was snug
gled into the corner muffled in his
big fur coat, and we thought he want
ed to be alone to tell over his great
speech, when, as he neared the church
where his lecture was to be delivered,
he said, I'm nervous tonight, Law
son. for I'm going to make my lecture
boy and gave him back to his old
uAOCACA AAu A1CAC4s L "duI yOu "
hear it, but know I'll cry and make
these eastern people will wonder what
my great state was thinking of in
electing such governor"
"Twas big audience, big in In.
telligence, big in sympathy with this
and Governor Johnson told his story
and the tears trickled down his cheeks
and his gentle voice was gentler than
it's wont, but we, his audience-yes,
all of us-men, women and children,
we cried, just laid back and let 'er
60 in one of those heart-relieving,
Observation-Disclosures sob.
bing outbursts, and at the close of tho
story said to the big, strong mannish
governor of New Jersey, who had sat
with bowed head as John Johnson,
the man, told the simple story of
how Governor Johnson, of the great
state of Minnesota gave their boy
back to the old father and mother,
Governor, notice that you, too, for.
got that Governor Johnson was of the
enemy
Eyes, yes, I forgot everything but
the story and the man who was tell.
ing it, and he tried to sneak away the
trail the story had left on his cheek,
and if all democrats were like Gov
ernor Johnson there'd be no enemies"
Runs Race Joyfully.
God was good to John Johnson. He
endowed him with all those riches
which make for happiness here and
hereafter. Birthed from the womb of
the common people, Graded in that
greatest of all world luxuries, poverty,
he came to the starting line moral
Hercules, bursting with love of moth.
er and alteration of wife, bristling with
affection for humanity and charity and
forgiveness for his enemies, and mus
cled with superb honesty and ven
GRAFTON for God and nature. The
starters bell was to him a joyful 60
AS he ran he saw no mire, no bould-
ers, no bitches, only Gods great blue;
he felt only Gods warming sun-rays
and as he ran for Them, not himself,
tits no wonder that his track was fast
and his feet winged.
God was good to Governor John
son. He took him as he took the
sainted Lincoln and all his very chos-
en-, while yet they ran, while yet their
fellows cheered, while yet their souls
were radiant with the intoxication of