Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-05-26
HIRAM JOHNSON LEGEND"
STUDIED AND DISSECTED
Reputed Hercules Who Cleaned the Augeun Stables of Cali
fornia Politics. Simply Shrewd and Somewhat
UnscrupulOus Politician, " ritter Declares

what manner Of man is the real
Hiram Johnson Jerome Landfcld
undertakes TO dHSIrcr the question IN
an article in The Rcriep.
n isn't ddttcrinC picture he
drdWS.
Conservatives interpret JohnS0n's
success Al the primaries as the rcSUH
Of 0pDCdIS 10 the r1dicdl! and the
elements Of un-cst. Others consider
il rerdiCt Ot popular opinion against
Wilson and the League Of Nations,
and point 10 his pncifSt. Sinn Fem
and pro German tOllormG,
Ldndfcld 0ilors WCight 10 boh
these claims. bWt giUcs IL as his opih-
ion that johnson orccS his largest
support TO the prCrnlence Of ichdt may
be- termed the "Johnson Legend.
He continues:
WIDELY spread over the country Is
w the belief that Hiram johnson is
the Hercules that cleaned the Augcan
stables Of Californian politics and in
troduced in that commonwealth ad-
vanced welfare legislation and model
system OF administration. 1t is this
belief that has drawn to the senator
thousands of good men and women who
have become impatient at the sIowncss
Of progress and skeptical Of most men
prominent in public life These people
are convinced that they can find in
johnson n leader that will brush away
the cobwebs at a streke and usher in a
new and happier day.
TN CALIFORNIA Hiram w. John
i sons political career has been brief
but spectacular. and those most opposed
to him and his methods will not deny
him the credit of large achievements.
Prior to his first appearance on tn" polit
ical stage in 1910. when he was elected
governor, he had been a rather incOn-
spicuous lawyer. His legal equipment
was considered mediocre. and his abili-
ties lay rather in the line of certain
dramatic cloQucnce and the power of
vitriolc attack in addressing jury than
in clear reasoning or constructive argu-
ment,
JOHNSON made his campaign for
- governor on lH' lNSh' VI ll' NbUllfIl u
paCihC in poltiCs. and il il upon this
that much Of his fame outside his native
state rests As n matter of fact. the
Southern Pacific was already out of
politics. had been out Of politics for two
years, when he started his campaign
The facts are open to every one. Had
the Southern Pacific not given up it's pO =
ltcal organizations throughout the
state, johnson would have had no
show at all. But the legend of South.
crn Pacific political control was still
strong. and Johnson played upon it in
vitriolc attacks. lie indulged in
spectacular "shadOw boxing over
the grave of the self buried giant. 1t
is a matter Of record that. not long
before. he had sought employment with
! the Southern Pacific and had been
/ turned down.
d EFERENCE must be made to one
~ other issue in this election that has
| been misrCpreScnted in the East, the
| issue of woman suffrage. 1t has been
nubliCty asserted that johnson was an
advocate OF suffrage aud was largely
responsible for giving the vote to tho
women Of California. Nothing could
be further from the case. The conSti-
tutiOnal amendment for suffrage was be
fore the electors at the same election in
which he was running for governor. but
in all the speeches he made up and dowr
the state never once did he say one worC
in favor of il. On the contrary, he kept
discrcetly silent. except in private con
versation, whore he could voice his con
tempt in safety. Though repeatedly
urged to make II public declaration OF
the subject, he declined 10 do so.
The campaign resulted in his election
together with a Legislature entirely PUB
servient to him. With this in hand, h,
started to build up a political machine
unique in the annals Of American poll
tics. Its unique character lies in thu
fact that. while it exercised a contro
even more complete than that of Tam
many, and utilized the corrupt forces o
vice and graft as exemplified in th
ward heelers of the underworld and th
waterfront, it was built up "in the nam
Of the Lord" and counts among IL
supporters many of the most prominen
and forward looking men OF Cali
fornia. How was IL possible 10 achicy,
such an anomalous resultf BY patron
| age, pure and simple, albHt sometime