Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-10-11
JOhNSON'S PERSONAL CHARAC
TER.

TER.
Grand Forks ;mc-: /" recognize
! ia!~.. and malicious charge III poll
:ilr.l campaign i often the llralI> I'll
drynliylny il INT" the >cmhI;'ntr 81
truth. Yet there are instances III winch
j, !, necessary t" deny, lv~t silence, too.
give the >crnllanrr ii truth One news
paper III the state, which has boaslcd
tina, ii Wa, bought i'll other campaigns,
11a> charged tllA, {. \. johnson, the
republican candidate Tor governor, has
no, the high moral character requisite
in the man elevated to the chief nagl>-
,ra1r Of the commonwealth. The
charge Ia, been repeated by inucndr by
another paper. which has thus sought To-
give a ,rmbIancr Of truth to a proven
ialsrhood.
The voters are entitled to some facts
relative to his public service and hi,
private life in order tina, they may
Judge for themselves whether MIR.
johnson is a man whose character
would bring rcproach Or honor to the
high Office which he seeks In the re-
publican rally in this city "Wednesday
might some llgh, was thrown on the
subject J. W. Dcvnc. who conducted
1he primary campaign for Mr.. 'uch
:u,an, and who could not. therefore, be
charged with personal favoritisn, but
who has lived in Mr. Juhnson's city
for years. stated that in all things which
were for the bcttcrmcn, OF the city of
Minot and its people. Mr.. Johnson was
always found ON the side of right He
had served the city as mayor at a time
when it took the highest kind OF manly
courage to stand for the right and,
while he did not secure the ideal city,
his work was the foundation stone OF
what has since been accomplished He
worked for the commission form of
government in order to rid the city of
the chief executive, who is now his
greatest maligncr He has served in
the legislature and no intmation has
ever been made that he did not ably
fulfil his duties without the sacrifice OF
! single virtue. Mr.. Dcvinc stated that
his home life was ideal and that this
was one OF the things for which his
neighbors admired him.
Attorney Fleetham vi this city, who
has been one OF the pillars OF the
temperance cause, especially in the
early days. and whose ideals of All up
right, manly character are such tina,
those who measure tip to them should
be sufficient for the most critical, stat
ed in his speech at the Wednesday
night rally that Mr. Johnson was all
that he could ask as a clean, moral and
upright man. He is All elder of the
Presbyterian church, and lives his re-
ligion quietly and uno>tentatiously
In a conversation with the editorial
writer of the Times a few weeks ago,
Rev. H. S. Waller, who for some time
was pastor evangeli, for the Grand
Forks Presbytery, and who is now fill
ang the same position in the NIinot
Presbytery, stated that he had made
some inquiries among the people at Mi
not who would know but who would
not be biased, as to Mr. Johnson's pri-
waite character. and that he was con-
WINGED he was man above reproach.
One man told Rev. Waller that he had
gone through three campaigns with
Mr.. Johnson and had never heard him
utter a profane or vulgar word and
had never known him to taste intoxi-
eating liquors.
Such testimony ought to refute the
1nuendoes and charges of men who ad-
NIT their support was sold in the mar
ket, and that is the only class who
have ever made them. The Times is
not believer in the use Of such mat
tiers in a political campaign. 1t lowers
the dignity of the high office of gov
ernor and sends out broadcast the idea
that the state has none but such. men
to offer. Neither are we believers in
1esorting to such things as the fact