Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-09-23

was at one time clerk of the United
States circuit and district courts and
later United States commissioner for
the district of Minnesota, a member
of the state senate and he was elected
lieutenant governor in 1905 and 1908.
Adolph o. Eberhart was sworn in as
governor today by Chief Justice Start
of the supreme court.
Nominated For Governor.
In 1904 the Democrats of Minnesota
nominated for governor country edi
tor, the st. Peter Herald man. For
fifteen years Editor Johnson had run
the editorial end of the Herald, while
his partner, Henry Essler, had run the
mechanical end Both took hand at
the business end. Johnson became sec
rotary and then president of the state
editorial association So the other edi-
tors knew him, and they liked him.
Johnson had served one term as
state senator, and some OF the politi
clans knew him and like him too But
he was defeated for reelection, being
a Democrat in a Republican district
and when his party placed him at the
head of the state ticket he was plain
John Johnson, country editor.
Minnesotas normal Republican ma
jority is between 10000 and 10000.
The Democrats had little or no expec-
tation of electing Johnson. One reason
they picked him for the candidacy was
that he was Swede and would get
the Scandinavian vote, which in Min
nesota is considerable factor. They
hoped he, at any rate, would make a
decent showing. and most Of them
would have been satisfied with that.
But Johnson having accepted the NOM
ination. made systematic campaign.
His opponent, State Auditor Dunn,
was not altogether popular in his own
party. Dunn's unpopularity helped
Johnson, against whose record nobody
had anything to say. Johnson's popu-
larity increased as Dunn's decreased.
Something had to be done for Dunn.
Ten days before election some boom
erang thrower in Minnesota printed
and distributed a circular setting forth
that Candidate Johnson's father had
been a drunkard and had died in the
pocrhouse and that his mother had
taken in washing. You cannot find in
Minnesota today the thrower of this
political boomerang.
Some supporters of Johnson, too
much excited to know golden oppor-
unity when they met it face TO face,
were perturbed by this circular and
denial of the statements.
Il can't" was Johnsons quiet reply.
Story Quickly Went the Rounds.
I, ~.
what the circular said about his par
ents was true. A st. Paul newspaper
which supported him sent staff cor
respondent posthaste TO the little
town of st. Peter. The staff man in
vestigated the immediate antecedents
of John Johnson. The reportorial as
signment would have delighted any
good newspaper man. 1t is not often
that reporter strikes such human
interest color. The story of John
| Johnson of st. Peter. as published in
the St. Paul paper, quickly went the
rounds of the Minnesota press; also
| it went the rounds of the corner
groceries and the drug stores and the
country hotel Offices, where governors
are made and presidents are prepared
| from the raw material.
The St Paul reporter discovered
/ that Gustaf Johnson, blacksmith, had
emigrated from Sweden about fifty
years ago, settling in St Peter. He
| had been a heavy drinker in his native
| land and came to America in the hope
that he might reform. He did reform
for few years. He married Caroline
Haden, a Swedish girl, also an immi-
grant, She was utterly alone in Amer
lea. The blacksmith installed her in
a two room house near ST. Peter. For
few years the brawny arms OF
J Gustaf Johnson earned living for the
wife and the little ones who came