River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1909-09-23
His Political Greed.


His Political Creed.
His political creed is summed up in
an address made in the summer of
1907 before the University of Pennsyl-
vania. He expressed himself as hat
ing trusts and tariffs, standing for
more complete railway regulation,
against permanent colonial positions
and a more definite adjustment of
state and federal powers and a partial
adherence to public ownership. His
strongest opinions were on the tariff
and in a magazine article written in
1908 he said, "Of the political issues
which stand out before us today, I
believe the tariff question to be para
mount. The present tariff system is
an established falsehood, which even
system have been forced to admit,
and have decided, publicly at least,
that the tariff must be revised.
What their plans may be we are
left to judge from the fact that this
is not their first such public decision
and in spite of their former promises
their continuation in power has
brought no changes. I do not advo-
cate free trade; the time may come
when our country is as thickly pop
ulated as are the nations of Europe,
when uninterrupted interchange of
commodities will be not only desir-
able but necessary. That time is not
yet, but our present tariff system is
an absolute contradiction of the be-
nificant proofs of democracy and Of
equal rights upon which our govern
ment is founded and our experience
has been such that securing promises
that the system will be altered after
the election will not suffice.
Was An IdeaIist.
Mr. Johnson's personal character
was considered exceptional. He was
an idealist. This was his greatest,
strongest and his most desirable at
tribute and it caused him to attract
the delighted interest of Henry Wat
terson of the Louisville Courier-Jour.
nal and made him public sponsor for
Thomas w. Lawson. Big ideas and
large movements appealed to him with
irresistible force and he was more sue
cessful in his attitude towards things
as whole than in minor details
His profound and instructive devo-
ton to spiritual things was shown in
his 1907 Thanksgiving proclamation
in which he said: Gin the great civic
awakening, in the regeneration of the
public conscience, we have reason
for belief that in the day that is dawn
ing there will be less worship of self,
less love of power, less lust of gold,
and that we return to honesty and
only good will lead and we will go
inevitably to the walk of virtue, the
way of happiness, the path of glory"
Johnson's family life was another
thing that endeared him to the peo-
pie. He was married in 1894 at st.
Peter to Gilmore Preston and their
home life has been as nearly ideal as
that of a public man could be. Mrs.
Johnson was his most devoted COM
panion, advisor and friend and his adj
miration for her has been such that
he has not hesitated to publicly ex-
press himself on all occasions on the
subject.
During the past summer while
making a chautauqua address in
western city he chose to take sides in
favor of female suffrage, basing his
opinion on the fact that he believed
that the one woman he knew best,
Mrs. Johnson, was the equal of any
man living. During the last winter
Mrs. Johnson was in poor health and
was compelled to undergo an opera
ton at the Rochester hospital, during
which time the governor gave up all
other public and private duties to re-
main at her bedside and Outing his
last illness she showed reciprocal
affection by remaining~at his side al
most constantly from the time of his
operation until he passed away. Mrs.
Johnson has been quite domestic in
her tastes and has expressed herself
frequently as being opposed to the
governors views on female suffrage,
as she believed that a woman's duty
was to her home. No children have
been born to bless the union.
A Great Man Gone.
1t may be said in connection that
the real key to his success was his
personal charm which got and held
for him the regard of everybody. 1t
was significant that politicians never
turned upon him and blamed him for
their political wrongs; they often had
greviences against some of his lieu
tenents but they always made it IN
derstood that Johnson was all right