The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-02-16

SLrlng. IL is just thirteen years since
Hiram johnson started out Staying
dragons in California. He got big
cheer from the people then, mad no
doubt he could defeat any other man
for any California Office today, but
a census of dragons checking up
of the quick and the dead-is perhaps
more to the point.
Hiram has an oratorical punch
there's no doubt about that. He
speaks with a sort of staccato yelp,
with voice yappant, even ululant,
and his physical and muscular in
tensity endows the obvious and SUI
perfcial with an entirely fictitious
Importance. furthermore, he is hap
PLY free from any political convic-
tons or moral scruples, and this,
with great shrewdness in discovering
and echoing the prevailing platitude,
gives him rare equipment for
statesman. Added to all this, he has
one all-dominating personal trait. He
has vindictiveness, a capacity for
hate, and a range of bitter memory
which enable him to nourish more
grudges and go to greater extremes
in furnishing his personal enemies
than any other statesman of today.
W. may suppose that when Hiram
Johnson was in the titJn graue at
school another boy traded him a
classic which was supposed to be an
agate. If this really happened, you
may be sure Hiram has this boy
somewhere in card index, and he's
going to get him some day. That's
Hiram.
Hiram Gets Into Politics
Hiram was dug up, in 1910 by Bill
Kent, Meyer Lissner, Marshall Slim
son and a few other reformers who
wanted someone to smash the
Southern Pacific machine. Hiram
was a natural-born prosecutor, who
had made quite a stir in the San
Francisco graft prosecution, after
Heney was shot. He was brave. as a
lion, so they said, tho it was notice
able that he didn't come in until after
the outbreak of public feeling over
the shooting of Heney had made the
graft prosecution comparatively safe
and respectable.
ssKick the Southern Pacific out of
politics" was his campaign slogan.
California likes the noisy, bellicose,
hell-roaring type of politician. 1t
was no trouble for Hiram to show
goods. His heat, fervor, vehemence,
sweat and black, macerating passion
in assailing the railroad infamies we're
unparalleled and unsurpassed. He
went around shadow-boxing with the
Southern Pacific dragon all over the
state. Whenever he drove his pudgy,
clenched first into the jowl of the
monster, he got a cheer which Jared
loose all the shingles on the Southern
Pacific roadhouse.
When the 1911 legislature con-
vened, our great reform governor
offered a prospectus Of progressive
legislation which actually included
cetrain bills for ameliorating labor
conditions+the full crew train bill
employers liability, the industrial &C
cident commission, etc. Hiram John
son, during many years as leading
San Francisco attorney, had never
shown the slightest interest in sucf
matters. But now, all of a sudden
he was displaying a passionate devo
ton to them. How come?
Tom Finn can tell you how thai
came about. Tom is plain, every
day San Francisco politician, anc
nothing if not direct. In 1911, hs
was senator in the state legislature
with the San Francisco delegation II
the hollow Of his hand. Also, he wa'
politically a creation of organized la
Dor. which was then Gin the ascend
anti in the Sam Gompers fashion
Finn wanted a wish-washy "laboi
program" put thru the legislature
also he wanted the waterfront pat
ronage, which was a political dish hs
had been enjoying for years. And
on the other hand, Hiram johnson
wanted the balance Of power in ths
legislature. II Tom handed over the
San Francisco delegation, Hiram
would have the balance of power. St
they bargained. "Do / get my pat
ronage?" said Tom to Hiram. "YoG
do" said Hiram to Tom. "You ge'
the San Francisco delegation" sale
Tom to Hiram. And the "labor pro
gram" was thrown into the bargain