The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-10-25
HONOR PAID TO LATE GOVERNOR
JOHN A. JOHNSON; UNWILLING THE
STATUE ERECTED TO HIS MEMORY
From Saturdays Daily.


to his political party, bronze
statue of the late governor was un-
yelled this afternoon in the presence
of several thousand persons.
The statue made by Andrew O'Con-
nor, the noted American sculptor, is
but slightly above life size and is
startling in its power and fidelity.
1t stands on a massive base of Min
nesota granite and is fanked by
four groups of statues which typify
phases of life and industry in Min
nesota.
The total cost was paid by a funu
contributed soon after Governor
Johnson's death in September, 1909,
by the people Of Minnesota and 9TH
er northwestern states, and by for
mer Minnesotans then residing in
various parts of the world. No con-
tribution of more than 81 was ac-
copied from any person. Altogether
several hundred thousand persons
of all political parties, joined in
providing this permanent testimonial
to their esteem of the man who was
born in poverty, struggled TO sup
port his mother and himself, won
fame as editor, legislator and exec
utive, and of whom in the demo
cratic pre-convention campaign Of
1908, Governor Cleveland, in the
last long letter ever written by him,
said: Il have lately come to the
conclusion that our last hope resls
upon the nomination (for the presi-
dency) of Johnson of Minnesota
His Delightful Personality.
But the people remember most
wildly the delightful personality, the
charming manners, the generosity,
the tolerance, the integrity of John
A. Johnson, and these things were
the burden of the tributes paid by
the. speakers today--C. d. O'Brien,
president of the Johnson memorial
commission, who presented the
statue to the state; Governor Adolph
o. Eberhart, Governor Johnson's
successor, who accepted it, and w.
S. Hammond, representative in con-
gress from the First Minnesota dis
trict. The veil was drawn from the
statue by Miss jeanette Lynch,
daughter of Fred B. Lynch, demo-
cratic national committeeman for
Minnesota.
Prominent in the great crowd in
the unwilling were several hundred
school children. To them, and to
other pupils throughout the north
west, Governor Johnson has been
held up as a type of American most
worthy Of emulation To them John
son has been likened to Lincoln,
each rose from poverty, each was
devoted to his mother, each was d.
MED education in the schools, yet
educated himself, each maintained
outspOkenly his own opinions, yet
was markedly tolerant of the opil.
ions of others, each was clean in
habits and speech, each was an eff
fective public speaker, with a seem
ingly inexhaustible fund of homely
pat, amusing but never offensive nor
offending stories; and Johnson re-
sembled Lincoln strikingly in stat
ure and in rugged countenance. Lit
tie in the life of either need be
omitted from the analogy, save that
Lincoln attained the presidency, and
Johnson was, apparently, in direct
line for it when he was stricken !;
and Johnson being a local man
of the immediate, not the remote
yesterday, has been far more vivid
far more real to these children
than Lincoln has been or can be.
Native of Minnesota.
He was born in 1851 at ST. Peter,
Mimi, then on the very frontier,
with Indians all about-savage, war
like Indians. There he spent a boy
hood shorn of the usual boyhood
joys, for all the time he worked
worked hard and uncomplainingly-
to help support his Woodworking
mother and himself. There he be-
came a clerk in store, then a
devil in a local printing office,
then a writer for the paper, then
editor of it, then owner, for his
nights he had devoted more to study
than to sleep. Then his fellow.
townsmen sent him to the state leg.
islature and the newspaper men OF
the state elected him president OF
the Minnesota Editors and Publish.
ers' association.
In 1904 the democrats nominated
him for governor and he was elect
ed by 5000 when Roosevelt carried
Minnesota by 10000. In 1906 John
son was elected again, his plurality
growing to 10000 In 1908 when the
state went for Taft, Johnson's plur
ality was $4,000 In 1908 when Gro
Yer Cleveland, Henry Watterson and
other leaders were arguing for the
iohiih"Iioh VI JOHuSOL LOT the preSl
dency, headquarters for Johnson
candidacy was opened in Chicago by
his admirers. and active work was
begun, but it was too late in the
campaign. In January, 1909, he was
inaugurated governor of Minnesota
for the third time. In September he
died after an operation.
Tribute From President.
Tribute to his character and goot
influence poured in from eminen
men of all parties, from Presiden
Taft at the White House. from Theo
dore Roosevelt in the African wilds
from hundreds of other men O
prominence. Governor Johnson
funeral was the largest and most i'm
pressive ever held in Minnesota. Me
mortal exercises were held in tn,
churches and schools The tribut
to the man has never been surpass
ed for spontaneity and sincerity 4
letter sent to the editor of a loca
newspaper suggested a memorial b,
subscription. Money began to pou
into the office for it. The memoria
commission was appointed by Gov
ernor Eberhart, Johnson's successor
70 fun