Evening star., 1924-04-11
JOHNSON is SILENT
ON CAMPAIGN PLANS
Makes No Mention Of Report Al
leging Curtailment of Activities
in View of Recent Returns.
NOT DISCOURAGED, HE SAYS
Will Continue Fight Against Re
dictionary Control"

Declaring his purpose is to rid the
republican party of "a corrupt and
reactionary control" Senator Hiram
Johnson of California. candidate for
the republican Presidential nomina-
ton. says, in Il statement published
today. that he is neither discouraged
nor despairing." He makes no spe-
cific mention of the reports that his
campaign is to be curtailed, at least
in view of the recent primary returns
favoring the nomination of President
Coolidge.
Senator JOhnsOn's statement issued
after a number Q! conferences with
friends and supporters. asserts that
he will continue trying to smash
the "unholy alliance between crooked
big business and crooked politics., so
that the republican party may be re
Iitalized and rcgenerated."
Senator Johnson's statement is as
follows:
"Of course, / am not quitting in
what am attempting to do po-
litically. ! began this contest from
within the republican party to rid
ii of a corrupt and reactionary con-
troll, and since ] commenced the ne
Cessity for such an effort, in some
fashion, by some one, has been dem
onStrated. The revelations of cor
ruption in high places, the silence
of those who should speak for the
people, the apologies for wrongdoing,
The defense by spokesman of the ad-
Jninistration for oil leases obtained
by bribery demand that the rank and
file of the party, yet undelivered and
responsive to no private interest.
should have at least opportunity, of
expressing themselves in detestation
and protest. .-s o..
UPholdS HomeIy Virtues. r
Above and beyond this 10 man
can render a greater service or per-
form a higher duty to the country
or fear in this era of exploitation and
intrenched dishonesty, when every
coward scurrieS to cover, every craven
crawls to power, apologists masking
aS opponents excuse, because they
assert it runs rampant in every
party; when a press, with few ex-
ceptions, uniteS to hide and conceal,
palliate and belittle corruption in
government; when ugly bribery ex-
cites not even conventional indigna-
tion in those whose duty 1T is to
speak a peoples voice, somewhere,
some one, however weak or feeble,
should publicly preach again, in high
ways and byways, the homeiy virtues
pf the republic.
The republican party is DOM
mated by the unholy alliance between
crooked big business and crooked
politics, This alliance must be
smashed and the party revitalized
and regenerated. The nation must
ba purged of. those in power who di-
vide their allegiance with special or
corrupt inter ests. The former is es-
sential if the reWlb blfcan party is to
sDryive-the latter necessary for the
preservation of our cherished insti-
tutions. - :, .-s..-
IN my humble way have been
trying to do. just this. and / shall
continue trying to do il. am
neither discouraged nor despairing.
Good Folk Responded. ~.
Good men and good women every
where, who seek. neither office nor
gain, who have no other thought than
their country's welfare, have splen-
didly responded. - Every financial
power. every organization, every Of
flse holder. local ard federal; money
without stint, the press, with few eX-
ceptions: every. avenue of publicity.
the grand army of political crooks
and crooked big business, with all
its ramifications; every individual