American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1916-12-28

anu won lame as a fancnor while ne was carving a niche
for himself at the bar.
AS a constitutional lawyer he has no peer in the United
States and as an orator ne stands pre-eminent in that
wholesome, healthful form of o~ratory that is a refresh
ing departure from the old declamatory type.
Borah talks the language of common sense.
Johnson Unlike BOrah.
Then there is Hiram Johnson. He is as unlike Borah as
Taft is dissimilar to Debs.
Johnson will be a fearful figure in 1920. At the last
election ne cast a shadow across the continent and threw
terror into that ordinarily unperturbed coterie of Old
Guard leaders.
In 1910 Johnson rose to the distinction of a disturbing
element.
Sometimes when you lay your head on the pillow at
night after a hard day and you are cOntented in the safety
and seclusion OF your home, you close your eyes in peace
and comfort and begin taking those long, easy breaths.
Then, somehow, the pinfeathers poke their sharp ends
through the pillow slip and no matter where you turn your
face, those pinfeathers keep pokng through and prick you.
Ever had that experience?
Well, that's Johnson all over again. He never gives you
any rest when he's campaigning. He usually strikes
where you're not.
Napoleon never would have reached the throne of
France had ne not revOlutiOnized time. In those early
campaigns against the Austtrians in Italy he defeated
armies much greater than his own by marching faster
than armies had ever marched before and striking the
enemy from unexpected quarters.
Johnson a Napoleon.
johnson is NapOleonic in his campaigning. In 1910
with a reputation that hardly extended across San Fran
cisco bay he ran for the Republican nomination for cover
nor. The Old Guarad in California didn't want him and
ana everything In Its power to make that campaign a weak,
ineffective effort.
Johnson toured the state from one end to the other in
an automobile and everywhere he went he told the folks
ne would kick the Southern Pacific out of politics if he
was elected governor. He knew how to talk to the people.
He didn't have big audiences and he didn't get much pub
licity, aside from that which the old Southern Pacific ma
chine stirred up against him.
And this machine was in such bad odor with the people
that they surmised this fellow johnson must be a regular
guy or the railroads wouldn't be so deeply concerned about
him.
From his election to the present year, his record has
been one OF promises kept to the people. Although he re-
fused to take a stand on suffrage the women of California
believe he gave it to them. The direct primary was eff
fectlve before ne became gOvrnOr-or he might have been
them a voice in seIe1 lsh Of candidates. ndi aeep' H IeT has a |" m n sSve
!ous facility for taking credit for all that is good and max
ing the other fellow bear the brunt of all that is rotten.
So He Does 1t.
AS governor, johnson passed laws to destroy all parties,
tne republican party, OF course, being the Individual he
was after. The people thwarted this legislation twice by
Then, seeing he could not wipe out the Re-
publican party by legislation, he decided to control it.
when the time was ripe he did that very thing. He had
passed a law permitting the candidate of one party to
governor, ne sought the nomination for United States
as a Progressive, in which party there remained
a handful of votes. He was not opposed there.
Then he also sought the Republican nomination, and by
a series of clever political maneuvers, as adroit as any
coup, he won the Republican nomination.
He had whipped the Old Guard on their home grounds.
Johnson mad a big program mapped out for himself in
1910 when he became governor. Succeeding legislatures
turned out innumerable laws that extend popular
government, humanitarian treatment and other things
hat the people wanted. He knew just what to say to the
people. "Folks-just folks" is a common expression of
his.
Johnson has carried out the biggest part of his program,
out he still has a great deal of work ahead of him. par
lcularly III the matter of election laws. The Califor-
ia laws are a ~frightful mess. And the growth of the
along many lines has made it necessary for a great
OF new legislation to be enacted.
1t may be news to you to know that while he was elected
United States senator in November, he does not intend TO
axe office until next December. He has appointed w.
,. stephens as lieutenant governor to take the place of
he late John Eshleman, but Stephens is not the vigorous
eader that johnson is. He doesn't rule with the iron
list as Johnson does.
IohnSon u,nntS 70 rornL o4 L.. IL IL L