Los Angeles herald., 1910-03-15
FATHER ARRAYED AGAINST SON
IN GREAT GUBERNATORIAL FIGHT
Grove L. Johnson, Powerful Adherent OF
Machine" May Take Stump Against
Hiram w., Lincoln-RoOsevelt
Faction Candidate
BY T. SHELLEY SUTTON

AT OF infrequently in the trend and
~ tangle Of politics there are start
AN ling situations and climaxes con-
stituting a real drama of which George
III. Broadhurst has taken advantage
i'm many of his late productions; yet it
is seldom that there arises such pc
culiarly unnatural and paradoxical
stitution as that which will character
ize the coming campaign.
Summarized, the situation is that of
father politically powerful and sa-
gacious, strenuously contesting the
most laudable ambition Of his SON
politically his opposite-to become the
governor of a great and prosperous
state.
Such is the situation in which Hiram
w. Johnson, Lincoln Roosevelt candi-
date for the gubernatorial nomination,
indorsed by the good government
forces of California, will find himself
in the coming struggle--or, rather, in
the struggle which has already begun.
While the name of Hiram w. John
son was being considered by the Lin
coin Roosevelt league for the Repub-
lican nomination, Grove L. Johnson,
his father, is declared to have said:
IF Hiram runs for the governorship, 1
will take the stump against him."
Yet is is predicted by political lead
ers that this attitude of the father
against his son will serve ito contrast
their political virtues and do more than
any one other factor toward electing
the Lincoln Roosevelt candidate.
"Man of the Hour"
At any rate, in California, Hiram w.
Johnson is 1.-The man of the hour" and
his nomination and election are consid-
cred by those well posted as to the
condition of affairs TO be assured.
The year 1910 probably will mark a
great epoch in the history of the state,
and 1t may be safely predicted that the
name of the chief executive to be
chosen at the polls this year will go
down in political annals as that of the
redeemer Of the state-if the machine"
is overcome and the good government
forces triumph.
Hiram w. Johnson is the strongest
representative of the anti-machlne and
good government forces. His father is
one of the machines stanchest sup
porters The son is regarded as a
model character and a man of remark
able attainments. A native Of Cali
fornia. a son of Grove L. Johnson, who
has represented the second district in
congress and for many years has been
q member of the state assembly from
the seventeenth district, Hiram w.
Johnson has begun his political career
early and benefited by his close knowl-
edge of machine methods. His fathers
political career served as an example
for the son, and the latter profited to
the extent that he has always identi-
fed himself with the purer and more
progressive element.
The elder johnson is a unique char
acter in public life. He is a vii-le,
forceful man, whose talents, it Is de-
clared, have been uniformly employed
in attempting to secure the perpetuity
of machine domination in state and
county An indication of his antipathy
toward everything and everybody iden-
titled with progressive policies and
anti-S. p. methods is in the fact that
he plans to take the stump against
his own son. even though that son is
representing the decent element and
the high ideals of the people whose
rights the S. p machine has bartered
and sold as political porridge at every
opportunity.
Son Refuses Answer
Notwithstanding their differences
politically, the son. with iudicious filial
affection, has steadfastly refused to
discuss his fathers attitude either
toward him or toward the public When
that subject is mentioned, his consist
ent position and only answer has been:
HE is my father. I cannot discuss
that subject with any one"
This estrangement, however, pro-
vides material for an interesting study.
In the minds of many there arises the
Question how dOaS ~ baDnan that the