Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1909-09-23
COY. JOHNSON
CLAIMED BY DEATH
Beloved Chief Executive Of Minnesota Pass
ed to His Reward Early Tuesday Morn
ing-StOU of His Life Reads Like
Flction-A Great Man.

NOCueSIer, mlnn., Oept- Zl.-Oympa-
thy more than Statewide goes out today
to small group of mourners in this
little Minnesota town.
The death of Governor John A. John
son, which occurred at 3:24 o'clock this
morning at st. Mary's Hospital, follow
ing an operation performed six days
ago, has much of national interest.
After battling against death with de-
termined resistance for almost a week,
Governor Johnson's life had peaceful
ending.
The last thing Governor johnson did
before lapsing into Inconsistencies one
and half hours before his death, was
to take his wife affectionately by the
hand and weakly whisper: "Well,
Nora, made a good fight, but guess
I've got to CO."
Then as the last gleam of intelligence
began to flicker, he pressed her hand
gently to his cheek in a parting caress
as he prepared to obey the divine will
GOVERNOR JoHNsoN's CAREER.
John Albert Johnson, three times
Governor of Minnesota, was born in ST.
Peter, Mimi, on July %, 1861. He was
the son of Swedish immigrants, Gus
tave and Carolina Johnson. His father,
blacksmith, was shiftless and addict
ed to drink, and died in the almhouse,
leaving the widow and six young chill
dren.
The mother took in washing to sup
port the family, and insisted that her
eldest son should go to the public schools
of st. Peter. The burden, however, be-
came too great for her, and at the age
of 13 John left the school and got job
at $40 month in a grocery store. He
stayed about six months, and then was
was employed at a soda fountain in q
local drug store.
He had acquired a taste for reading
In his school days, and in his leisure
moments always had a book in his
hands. His employer noticed this and
encouraged him in the pursuit of knowl-
edge until he had become acquainted
with all the books in the public library
of St. Peter. He steadily progressed
in his various tasks, and at the age of
25 he was q sober, Industrious, respect
ed citizen. He had practically support
ed the johnson family, giving the other
children the schooling advantages he
had lacked.
At this stage he left the drug busi-
ness, and for a short time was employ
ed as timekeeper for a railway con-
struction company. Presently, how
ever, an editor was needed for the St.
Peter Herald, and johnson was chosen
for the position. He had had no news
paper experience, but from the start
was successful, his knowledge of human
nature standing him in good stead.
He continued as editor of the Herald
until 1898, when he first ran for office.
He was elected as a Democratic State
Senator from a strong Republican dis
trict. After he had served four years,
In 1902, he was defeated by few votes
for reelection.
He was soon at the front again. The
Republican party was split over corpor-
alton control and in 1904 a bitter fac
tional fight broke out. The Republican
candidate for Governor in that year was
denounced as a corporation man, and
johnson was nominated against him as
a Democrat. Roosevelt for President
on the Republican ticket got plurality
of 161, 900 in Minnesota, but Johnson
won the Governorship by 1890 plural
ity. 1t was a great personal victory,
and two years later he had greater
fOr xx<if fh Dnooaxyalf rNf Ao
his plurality was 1900.
In the canvass for the Democratic
presidential nomination last year Gov
ernor johnson was the strongest oppo-
nent of William ]. Bryan, and had he
entered the race before the friends of
the Nebraskan had perfected their or
ganization in the South and elsewhere
throughout the country, would certainly
have defeated Bryan for the nomina-
tion. Bryan's treatment of johnson
from the time the Minnesotan was
mentioned as a presidential possibility
and the bitter, though vain fight of the
Bryan men to prevent his endorsement
for the nomination by his own State,
had caused decided coolness between
the two, and it was believed that the
johnson adherents in the Northwest
would cut the Bryan ticket. Bryan
men then made appeals to Johnson for
help, and finally he consented to again
head the ticket in Minnesota. He was
again successful, this time with plu-
rality of 20,178, although his followers
refused to support Bryan, and the State
was carried by Taft by S5, 1922 plurality.
1t was the first time any man had beer
elected thrice to be Governor of Mime