Los Angeles herald., 1910-03-15

son entertains such broad and pro-
gressive ideas on public matters when
his fathers views are so perverted?
To every one familiar with the two
personalities it is no secret that the
adage, Like father, like son." is not
at all applicable in this case.
1t is said by his friends that Hiram
w. Johnson owes his superior qualities
to his mother From her he has de-
rived those noble characteristics which
have so endeared him to the hearts OF
the people He has inherited, too, the
natural talents, the keen acumen ana
virile executive ability of the father,
but, guided by the keen sense of right,
by the high moral intelligence-inher-
tied from the mother-he has MAIN
tanned a steadfast loyal character ana
has not permitted the talents inherited
from his father to go astray or be di-
verted from their intended use. The
mother, well known to public men, pos
sessed one of the most gracious ana
magnetic personalities imaginable,
which made her queen among her
sex. 1t is not to be wondered at
therefore, that at the age Of 40 Hiram
Johnson attained the rank of one of
the ablest lawyers in the state. AL
though never a seeker after public Of
fice-in fact his candidacy for the nom
ination to the governorship has been
thrust on him-he has since his earll-
est voting days vigorously opposed the
methods employed by the political Or
ganization which has dictated govern
mental policies in California.
When, with San Francisco at white
heat over the disclosures of graft in
administrative circles, William H.
Langdon became the candidate of the
order-loving element in that city for
the office of district attorney Hiram w.
johnson stepped into the battle with
all the energy and spirit at his COM
mand, and before the civilized world
had recovered from the shock of the
attempted assassination of Francis w.
Heney Hiram w. Johnson offered his
expert services to the state as a sub,
stitute for those of the intrepid pros
ecutor in whom the decent element of
San Francisco had placed it's hopes,
with the result that Abraham Ruefs
conviction speedily followed.
In San Francisco Fight
In the municipal campaign in San
Francisco last fall, when good but
weak men of once acknowledged in
fluence were wasting their time ex-
planning why it was not wise for them
to stand before the masses and appeal
to their civic pride in behalf of the
candidate of the reform element, it
was Hiram W. Johnson who sprang
into the fight. on his own initiative, re-
gardless of the consequences to him.
self, and organized corps of the ablest
speakers and workers that could have
been mustered in that city in it's hour
of crucial battle and defended the
graft prosecution, scored the apollo
gists for the existence of such power
full civic criminals and shamed the
timorous erstwhie champions of de-
cency for their supineness.
In fact for many years Hiram John
son has been actively engaged in every
important progressive political under
taking in California--not once, but
hundreds of times, in direct and pow
erful opposition to his father who, as
is recognized, has subserved the inter-
ests of the machine" the existence
of which Hiram Johnson hopes event.
ually to rout from our state.
1t is indeed a strange but none the
less realistic battle of father against
son, and promises to afford many
startling denouements before the cam
paign is ended. Yet the son, saddened
as he may be by his position and en-
barrassed beyond measure by his IA
theirs opposition in behalf of the cor
poration push which has disgraced
our state-has the supremely consol-
ing knowledge that he, the son. is
right, and that in his political con-
quests, supported by every decent ele-
ment of citizenship, he will redeem the
family name from every stigma which
his fathers attitude toward public in
terests may have placed on it.