Los Angeles herald., 1910-11-06
JOHNSON'S BITTER
ATTACK On EDITOR
STARTS BIG ROW
Republican Veteran in San Fran
cisco Writes a Scathing An
SWer-WiII Vote for Bell
.SHINDY AMUSES DEMOCRATS
Family SquabbIe Between G. O.
P. Factions Intensified by Ver.
bal Assault of Candidate
.SHlNDY AMUSES DEMOCRATS

One OF the most beautiful features
of the present campaign to Democratic
eyes is the lovely shindy that is on
between the two wings of the G. o. p.
in this state. The most recent express
sion Of it is found in a letter from a
San Francisco Republican which is be-
ing extensively circulated in San Fran
cisco and the northern part of the
state and which we publish herewith.
1t will be recalled that on the night
| of August last the Republican candi-
date for governor delivered a speech
in Los Angeles, in the course of which
he took occasion to pay his respects to
the editor of our Republican morning
contemporary, Gen. H. G. Otis. The
language of Mr.. Johnson's reference to
the editor of his own party was too
''unparliamentary'' to admit of it's be-
ing reproduced in The Herald, which
rather prides itself upon observing
the amenities toward it's journalistic
confreres In fact it was too strong
to be used in any way save in a family
row, and therefore it was reproduced
and featured by our Republican even
ing contemporary, the EpreSS, as it's
contribution to party harmony in the
ranks of the 6. o. p.
Now Mr.. Johnson's philippe against
the veteran Republican editor has been
taken up by a veteran Republican and
United States soldier of San Fran
cisco, who makes HIS contribution to
party harmony in the ranks of the g.
o. p. in the form of the following
letter:
AN OPEN LETTER
San Francisco, Nov. 4, 1910.
To the Republican state central
committee and to every Ameri-
can citizen in California;
I am a veteran of the Civil war
and lifelong Republican. [ have
just read a part of the campaign
speech. recently delivered by Mr..
Hiram Johnson in Los Angeles and
referring to General Harrison Gray
Otis, which is as follows:
"Ie sits there in senile dementia
with gangrened heart and rettinS
brain, grimacing at every reform,
chattering inipotently at all things
that are decent, frothing, fuming,
violently gibbering, going down to
his grave in snarling infamy. This
man Otis is the one blot on the
banner of Southern California; he
is the bar sinister upon your es-
cutcheon. My friends, he is the one
thing that all California looks at
when in looking at Southern CGli-
fornia, they see anything that IS
disgraceful, deprav ed, corrupt
crooked and putrescent-that is
Harrison Gray Otis"
SCORES JOHNSON
This is the language applied by
candidate for the high and dignifed
office of governor Of California to
an American soldier, to a citizen
of our country who risked his blood
and his life for his country's de-
tense in the darkest days of our
civil war, and whose bravery and
honorable service brought him dis
tinction and glory and the tribute
OF his country's praise even before
Johnson was born. This is the Ian
guage addressed by Mr.. Johnson to
a general of the army Of the United
| States who not ''in senile demen-
tia but with this judgment and
calm consideration of maturer age
and with the Undoubted right to
let younger men go to the front,
only a few years ago again patri-
otically offered his service to the
nation and under the stars and
stripes again served with honor and
distinction in active warfare in the
| Philippines, WHILE YOUNGER
| JOHNSON REMAINED IN CAL
IFORNIA. Such language as this
venture to say no Respectable
man would care to apply to a dog,
far less to an honored soldier or
the republic, 1 would not care to
be responsible for such language
to the meanest and lowest cur on
earth, yet Mr.. Johnson does not
hesitate to apply it to distin-
guished officer of the army Of our
nation. 1 may not myself agree
with all the policies that General
Otis has advocated as a private
citizen I may myself perhaps not
altogether agree with some Of the
views which he holds and has ex-
pressed as an editor, but l hope /
may never live to see the day when
any difference of opinion will per-
nit me to say in the declining
DAYS Of one who has offered his
life on the altar of his country's
honor that with gangrened heart
and rotting brain he is going down
to his grave in snarling infamy,
that anything that is disgracetul,
depraVed, corrupt, crooked and
putrescent-that is Harrison Gray
Otis"
What a lesson in patriotism,
| what a tribute to gallantry ana
valor and honor! What an incen-
tive to sacrifice of blood and llmb
and life in our countrys serVbce'
and, mind you, these words were
not uttered in defense of a great
principle, OR EVEN IN SUPPORT
OF EITHER. SIDE OF AN IN
DUSTRIAL DISPUTE; they were
used merely in painting and anX-
ious quest for personal political
office, and is it in the least sur
! prising that such intiammatory
language from so prominent a
source should be absorbed by eX-
cited fanatics and followed by dy-
namlting and murder?
LESSON IN PATRIOTISM
If the people of California can
indorse such sentiments and such
language by electing tho man who
uttered them governor of this
state, then lat these words as ap-
piled TO a distinguished general or
our army by a governor of the
state of California be printed as
lesson in patriotism on the first
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