Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-03-31
JOHNSON RESIGNS;
AMBLER is SILENT
Continued from rnrs nn.

ne,s,,shation until after ! have had talk
| WIN him, said Amber Tho eneaker
/ Sa'ied ga ,d attention TO the fact that johnson
| ,n MS letter to the Governor and The Al.
,,o.uey teneral did not define his attitude
/ toward Ambler i'm the future.
The resignation of johnson brought ,o
lsht some Of the inside" information
/ about the break between the C;nycrrnr a,,I
/ Senator penruse '''
Mr. johnson was seem i'm Norris,oo.r
! 'ouay Following a meeting of the Roerd
I w directors of the Penn Trust ,'op,ranv
/ OF which he is q member when his at
/ tentloh was called to the charge OF MIR
nII,Wh mat political purposes inspired his
! action and 10 the insnuation that he had
| received his price" MIR johnson shrugged
MS shoulders indifferentIv.
guess that's what any man I'm pnb,ir
NE IN his position would have said" he
iemarked The people OF the county are
| with me- he said "uu ask them about
IT, AS FAR as am concerned the incident
vs. closed said all had to ray In my
The former Insurance Commisslorer
would not reveal what his attitude would
ne on the candidacy Of Speaker Amber
TOT AUDITOR General, but hinted that he
had made no decision as to which side
or the fence he would be on
LIES" SAYS BROWN.
Both the Governor and the Attorney
General. in answer to Tohnson's letters
tatlN denied Johnson's assertions. At
lorneN General Brown bluntly branded
most of the assertions of johnson .lies
and asserted. in his turn, that the letters
were evidently inspired and prepared by
others several days ago at the Hotel
Stenton, in this city. for political pur-
poses johnson held long and quiet
conference With Senator Penrose at the
Stenton last Friday night
II hope he received a sufficient mira
and took no promises for his self.stulti-
hcation.' the Attorney Generals answer
concluded.
In sending his resignation to the Gov
ernor Mr.. Johnson inclosed n copy Of
letter which he wrote TO the Attorney
General This message TO Mr. Brown
recltes in detail the latter's alleged polt-
tcal activity. II is as follows:
Hon. Francis Skunk Brown.
Attorney General of Pennsylvania.
Harrisburg, Pa
am in receipt of the following letter
on the stationery Of your department.
bearing date of March 81. 1916.
To Hon. Charles johnson.
"Norristown, Pa
NY dear sir.
~ beg to suggest the Importance Of
obtaining declarations or interviews
trict who are favorable to the Governor
and the stand which he mas taken for
the reunitnE of the party. etc. These.
from Republicans and from Progress
sives. who left the party and have since
returned, will be most effective. They
viii be given publicity throughout the
state.
please give this your present earnest
attention and send such declarations to.
gethcr With any other matter which YOU
deem to be of interest and that will he
helpful to me.
with assurances of my regard and
good wishes. am.
Very truly yours
"FRANCIS SKUNK BROWN"
Although my name and address had
been filled in on the typewriter and the
signature is your own, the letter Is
plainly mimeographed copy, and haS
doubtless been sent TO every other state
official. who responded to your summons
to Il meeting leld in the Governors pri.
vate Office at the Capitol, ON March l6
Although have taken an active part in
politics for many years. have never
seen anything comparable with that
meeting or with your mimcOgrapheG
order of March II.
The men whom you called together in
the Governors room are paid by the
people Of this Commonwealth TO trans
act the public business in their various
departments and not TO advance the
interest of any man or clique in Penn
sylvania politics.
In spite of that fact you told us in
so many words that we were holding our
jobs by the grace of CO. ernor Brum- |
baugh and that any Onr of us who
would not or could not denver his dis
trict for the Governor at the presi- T.
dental primaries in May would find his !
position with the administration decd- I
ediy uncomfortable.
For lG years | have served this Com |
monwealth in various capacities Dur /
ing all of that time have never before |
been told that the price of holding office /
was personal service and not public I
service. II has never been intimated TO /
me heretofore that the control Of the 7
voters of my county was what would .
be expected of me rather than the effi- [
cent management of the public trusts .
placed in my hands.
The presumption shown in attempt /
ing to purchase Brumbaugh votes with .
salaries paid by the State of Pennsyl- .
vania is probably without precedent in .
American politics.
l desire to inform you that I will
not take such orders. I will not en-
deaVor to persuade or inveigle prominent |
men in my district into making the
declarations / have been asked to pro-
cure, that these declarations may be
circulated, as has been alleged, at the
States expense through the States
publicity channels,
Inasmuch as you are the recognized
personal and political adviser Of Gov
ernor Brumbaugh and, as such, must
be acting in harmony with his wishes
and instructions, 1 have this day for
warded to the Governor my resignation,
IA copy of which ! inclose.
Very truly yours
CHARLES JOHNSON
Insurance Commissioner
SAYS GOVERNOR
In the Governors acceptance OF Mr.
Johnson's resignation, he said
81 am greatly surprised that you
should have taken this action without
lne word OF conference with me concern
ing Il or concerning the matter you refer
10 in your letter TO Attorney General
Brown, a copy of which you inclose'
you know full well you and / have
never had one word. directly or Indirect
~, in reference to the subject matter OF
hat conference, nor was | in Harrisburg
when the meeting was held. To say the
east you have grossly misunderstood, II
not misrepresented In toto. what | learn
was the spirit and purpose OF
hat meeting.
"It may not be amiss TO say to you !