The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-08-06
Rom IsctircS.

Congressman Rom" Johnson of the
Ironton district has resigned To the
congressional committee the re-nomi-
nation given him at the May pri-
maries Without stating specifically
his reasons for so doing, he says In
his letter to the committee that he
would not be able to serve full
term If reelected and that he
steps aside at this time in order that
his successor may be chosen without
the expense. of n special election.
Those who know his real motives
are not surprised that Mr. Johnson Is
willing to iretire from congress at the
end of n Single term. 1t cost him Il
small fortune to secure the nomina-
ton, for which he made several con-
tests before he was successful. With
the reallzhtionr-of his ambition. how
ever, he drained the dregs of disap-
pointment. Although not aligned eY-
actly with the insurgents he was some
what Independent and like many.oth-
er men who enter congress fun of
hope and enthusiasm, he tried to "do
things" as the saying goes.
But when Mr.. Johnson got to WASH
ington he found that there are only
three or four men in congress who
'do things" and that all the others
must bend a suppliant knee to that lit
tie coterie, If they belong to the Re-
publican majority, or else be classified
as insurgents who, according to Speak
er Cannon's recent manifesto, Fought
to be shot
Such Is the blight of Cannonism up
on that much vaunted Representative
branch" of the federal congress. Men
of character. conscience and zeal en-
ter its portals with pride and hope
and determination only to go down
before the gavel of czar called Can
non as unheard and as unheeded as
victims once were crushed under the
Juggernaut car.
Mr. Johnson may have a still deep
er reason for stepping aside at this
time than that which appears In his
letter of declnation or which he may
have confided to his friends Insur-
gency is abroad in the land. 1t Is
spreading among voters who have
caught the spirit of some members of
congress who are leading a forlorn
fight against Cannonsm, Aldrichism
anu ldlllSHl Mltllln llelI party MT.
Johnson may scent the battle from
afar. At any rate he wisely chooses
to retire upon his own responsibility.
There are other candidates for con-
gress In Ohio who for better reasons
would do well to follow his example;
but as they show no inclination to do
so 1t rests with the voters i'm their dis
tricts to relegate them to the scrap
pile upon, which stand-patism and
stand-patters must be heaped before
any of the reforms can be accomplish
ed for which insurgents are contend
ing in their efforts to reform their
party from within.
1t would be better for these insur-
gents and for all such voters to heed
the advice of Eugene Foss, that Mas
sachusetts Republican who tried so
many years to reform his party but
failed to make headway against the
senators of his state, Crane and Lodge,
two of the chief props of the Taft ad-
Mr.. Foss swung over
into the Democratic ranks year ago
and was elected to congress at spe-
cial election this year in which IA
600 Republican majority was turned
into majority of 5000 in his favor.
Addressing Republicans of tho
Rochester, New York, district during
a special election some weeks later,
Mr.. Foss said to the so-called "insur-