Little Falls herald., 1913-11-14
BROTHER HODGES RELATES
SOME POLITICAL HISTORY.

SleepY Eye heIdlN: AAIoA oil, Wv
editor of this paper is not sorry he did
something to bring John A. johnson
to public notice.
ST. Peter Tribune: Brother Hodges
is too modest by half. If there is any
credit attached to bringing out Gov
eruor johnson it belongs to the editor
Of the Sleepy Eye Herald, for he was
tn. first man to advocate his nomina-
tion. and we happen to know whereof
we speak, too.
Sleepy Eye Herald: The Herald
Diepatch man desires to thank. Brother
Loehl for what he says in the above
Yes, we did start a boom for John A.
Johnson four years before he got the
nomination. We were called fool by
'on.c of the Republican brethren for
>ur persistence in the advocacy of
Johnson 8 popularity and his ability to
AIRY the state. This is not all. just
,fter the Duluth convention in June,
when the Hearst and Parker factions
tore asunder the harmony of the con-
'ention, we had a lengthy talk with
he late L.. A. Rosing about the rossi:'
h:Ety of the party whiting on johnson
'wcause of the free and independent
,.t:tude Of Senator johnson, while in
th,' senate. We suggested to Mr.. Ros-
iug, who was the chairman Of the
state democratic committee: to. call q
secret meeting of the leading democrats
" the state to hold conference and
# possible unite on a good, strong can
iidate for governor. A few days after
returning home We wrote Mr.. Rosing
about the proposed conference, suggest
ing the names OF. about forty leading
democrats to be invited to the meet
ing. Not hearing from Mr.. Rosing, we
egaic wrote to him in week and
'rgcd the advisibility of calling said
'orference. He Immediately wrote us
that he would do so and in the course
# q week he wrote letters to about
city leading democrats Of the state
asking them to come to St. Paul on a
given date. We met in Judge Thomas
. Brien 8 office in tho old Globe
building with such men as John Lind,
L. A, Rosing, Pierce Butler, Capt. Har-
zig, F. A. Day, Senator Glotzbach, Sen
,tcr Gausewitz, Carlos Avery, Judge
Brown of Winona, Mr.. Gallernau Of
'ifferent parts Of the state. A lengthy
discussion as to who would be thu best
md strongest candidate for governor
vas carried on for over two hours. A
lumber of ballots were taken and out
# twenty-four votes present johnson
,nly received four votes on the first
'sllot. Captain Harris, Mr.. Rosing.
Judge Pond, Judge Brown, S. M. Owen
md others receiving votes, the four
cer spaper men, Day, Avery, Phillips
and the writer championing the cause
II the governor. Finally q vote was
taken that gave johnson 9, and then
Frank A. Dsy got out of patience and
started for the door and told the crowd
tkat johnson was the only man that
.'ould be elected and If the conference
lid not endorse johnson, he (Day)
could be left out. The writer was per-
sistent in his desire to see johnson en-
aorsed, and went to the phone and
called johnson up at his St. Peter home
and told him be was the choice Of the
conference and asking him to accept,
which he did. Judge Thomas OBrien
was at the phone and heard what we
sad. We then told the conference
what Mr. johnson said and the vote
was made unanimous to endorse him.
After the conference We came home
snd wrote to over 200 newspaper
friends throughout the state to influ
ence delegations from their counties to
nominate johnson at the convention
10 be held in Minneapolis. Past his
tory shows that the newspaper bows of
Minnesota, many republicans, support
e7 the splendid candidate and he was
elected. We did this and whole lot
more. but the fellows who got in r."
saddle gave us no credit and. we never
got thanks. ...- ...... -. s~- ,... ;.
/: No. Brother Loehl, we're not sorry
we helped elect YOUR: former. fellow
towneman. Ry his election we we're
asked nv Mr.. Day to hecoma member
# tl,e State Board of Equalization and
COR five years we did the state of Min
'"eota great service. We were one
" the three or four members of that
so*rd that fo"eht for raise in the
"socssed valuation oe the mining inter
'sts Of Northern Minnesota. On, our
"otion the t'-et year it waa raised
''om 4sOOO0 600 to $75OO0.O
~ governor votsno aoainet orr motion
Vc were rlert, Of that hoard FOR for-.
cere ard ror'a rive the nrh,i.. In
: pnwritten histnrv If nerrsaa-v. The
] ;nA'ronntrv members alono w;th th@.
hampton Of the penr'et, p tights, Hon.