The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-05-25
Evening Concert
Swan and Skylark -

was the one thing that seriously an
noyed him during the campaign.
The other day he came to Column
bus, but it was a different Johnson
who entered the governors Office. He
looked worn and embarrassed. 1t
was his first visit to the executive
Office since Governor Harmon was in
augurated. And he came not as a
bailawick, but as supplicant for aid.
Mayor Johnson had gulped down
his pride that he might urge, in per-
son, the appointment of James Rey-
nolds, former member of the legisla-
ture, for state labor commissioner
with salary at $4,000 a year. Wan
ing influence at home had suggested
to Mr.. johnson that If he could land
for a friend an important appoint
ment, even at a comparative low SAL
ary, it would aid in his rehabilitation
at hcme, and he played the string out
to the end.
Middle Of the Road for Harmon.
But he failed. Governor Harmon
informed him politely that the ap-
pointment was not to go to Mr.. Rey-
nolds. He might have gone on and
explained to him that no man identi-
fled with the Johnson administration
would get place under the state ad-
ministration and that he might also
have added that no active opponent
of the Johnson administration would
get a place. 1t will be a middle-of-
the-road policy with Harmon in these
appointments, and he will pick men
who have mixed in no factional quar-
rels in Cleveland. The governor Is
playing the game and he Is learning
more about it every day. He has pas
sed the tyro stage, though as poll
tician he was somewhat uncertain
when he took office.
Mayor johnson went back home to
face the traction situation anew, but
without state aid for the friends who
are helping him in the fight.
The governors finesse as a poll
tician is shown in another instance.
A few days ago Harvey Johnson, COL
ored, a desperate hold-up man and
house breaker, who had terrorized
the people of Columbus all winter,
was caught and railroaded to the big
prison with life sentence tagged to
him. The prison had just been reorgan-
ized, Democratic officials took charge
in every department. new guards
were appointed and the odl regime
went out. Then Mr.. Johnson proceed
ed to escape His case was so no.
torious that it attracted statewide
attention. Before it was discovered
whether he was just hiding in the
prison or had gone away entirely, the
critics of the governor were declar-
ing the wholesale discharge of old
Republican employees was dangerous
to the law-abiding people of the state
and there would be many more es-
capes.
But the governor had fortified him
self against just such situation. He
had persuaded Orrin B. Gould, Re-
publican, the outgoing warden, to
continue his connection with the pris-
on as a member Of the prison board
having to do with the charge of
guards and other attaches. Thus the
governors critics were at once con-
fronted with a lewiston Of RESPONSE
ibility that was silencer. While 1t
is charged. though vigorously denied,
that a majority of the inmates Of the
big prison are Democrats, the COVER
nor had calculated Republican
might get caught at something some
time or other and get in prison and
then break out in the interest of his
party, and he fixed it so the Demo-
cratic administration wouldn't get all
the blame.
All of which goes to show that the
gentlemen who go around trying to
beat one Judson Harmon out of the
Democratic nomination for president,
three years hence, will discover they
are trailing q fox.