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The Commoner,
.VOLUME , NUMBER 3g
J CURB6NT TOPICS J
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WHEN Governor Johnson's death was an
nounced by the tolling of a school bell at
Rochester, Minn., all public activities ceased,
banks, stores and offices being immediately
closod. Tho governor's body was escorted to
the depot 'by a throng of citizens and all along
tho line to St. Paul flags were at half mast
and buildings draped. The body, was placed in
tho state capitol building at St. Paul. An As
sociated Press dispatch says: "Norman E. Mack
of Buffalo, chairman of tho democratic national
committee, sent the following telegram to. Mrs.
Johnson: 'Am shocked and distressed to 'hear
of the death of your distinguished husband. Tho
stato has loBt its leading son, and the country
and our party one of its leading public men. I
extend to you my heartfelt sympathy. I have
just appointed a sub-committee of the
national committee to attend the funeral.'
Tho following members of the national
committee were selected by Chairman Mack to
attend the funeral: P. L. Hall, Nebraska; Roger
C. Sullivan, Illinois; Moses E. Wetmoro, Mis
souri; P. K. Ryan, Wisconsin, and the sergeant-at-arms
of the committee, Colonel John I.
Martin of Missouri."
MANY TRIBUTES were paid to the late
John A. Johnson. Governors Carroll of
Iowa, Hughes of New York, Hadley of Missouri,
Shallenberger of Nebraska, referred to Governor
Johnson's death as a national loss. James J.
Hill, the railroad magnate, said this: "He pos
sessed many of the qualities of a leader, com
bined with kindly disposition and a pleasant
appearance. His abilUy was illustrated by his
career, coming, as he did, from the lowest
stratum of the social structure to the highest.
And his life's work with its results were not
matters of accident. They were duo to his per
severance and ability. The 'state of Minnesota
has suffered a great loss -in the death of its
leader."
MR. BRYAN was at Douglas, Arizona, when
informed of Governor Johnson's death. He
said: "I have just heard with deep sorrow of
the death of Governor Johnson. His career
illustrates the possibilities of American citizen
ship and his death is a -great loss to our party
and tho country. His civio virtues won for
him a host of admirers, and his personal quali
ties converted biB admirers into friends."
PRESIDENT TAFT sent to Mrs. Johnson this
dispatch: "My heart goes out to you in
sympathy for you in your present deep sorrow.
Governor Johnson was a national figure of great
ability and great capacity for usefulness to his
country as he had already demonstrated and
his loss will be felt far beyond the state that
loved him so well. I sincerely hope that the
fond remembrance in which he is and always
will be held in Minnesota and elsewhere and the
record of his high and valued public service
may come as a boon to you in your sorrow and
may in time lighten the burden youv are now
called upon to bear."
ADOLPH C. EBERHART, lieutenant governor,
was inaugurated governor of Minnesota. Mr.
Eberhart was born in Sweden thirty-eight years
. ago, but came to Minnesota in 1881. He at
tended the public schools and was afterward
graduated from Gustavus Adolphus college at
St. Peter as a minister of the gospel. Soon after
his graduation Mr. Eberhart abandoned church
work and took up the study of law. He soon
built up a large practice. For many years Mr.
Eberhart has been interested in politics and has
worked hard for the success of the republican
party. Ho was at one time a clerk of the United
States circuit and district courts, and later wa
United States commissioner for the district of
Minnesota. In 1903 and 1905 he was elected
to the- Btato senate. In 1906 he was elected
lieutenant governor and was re-elected in 1908.
Mr. Eberhart'g name originally was Olson. In
iuauaaio, wnere ne iormeriy lived, there were
iau u uozen ors more Aqpiph Olsons, and much
confusion of identity resulted. So when the
future state official was married he asked the
court to permit him to take the name of his
-yife, a petition that was granted.
THE FUNERAL of Governor Johnson took
place September 23. Business in St. Paul
was practically suspended while the body was
carried to the tomb. Tho pall bearers, F. A.
Day, F. B. Lynch, T. D. O'Brien, E. T. Young,
A. C. Weiss and J. C. Wise, carried the casket
to the hearse, through the double line of hon
orary pallbearers composed of ex-Governors L.
F. Hubbard, John Lind, S. R. VanSant, Knute
Nelson and Governor Eberhart, Chief Justice
Start, Governor John Burk of North Dakota and
President Cyrus Northrup. At St. Peter, the
governor's old home, the body was then taken
to the Presbyterian church, where Governor
Johnson was once a member of the choir. The
funeral service was begun at 2 o'clock after
the citizens of St. Peter had taken a last look
on the face of their former fellow townsman.
The interment was in Greenhill cemetery, beside
the bodies of Governor Johnson's father and
mother.
A FEDERAL grand jury in session at Council
Bluffs, Iowa, returned indictments against
James C. Maybray and eighty-four associates
charging them with conspiracy to defraud by
illegal use of the United States mail. Only four
of the indicted men are in custody. The names
of the others are not made public. It is claimed
that Maybray's victims lost in the neighborhood
of half a million dollars, sums for each victim
ranging from $1,500 to $30,000. Maybray's
scheme was to get up ,fake horse races, and other
alleged sporting affairs. One Missouri banker
lost $30,000 on a fake horse race." An Associat- '
ed Press dispatch says: "Victims in "eighteen
states, the territory of Alaska and the Dominion
of Canada', are named, indicating the wide range
of territory over which Maybray and his asso
ciates are alleged to have plied their vocation.
As a basis of operation they used, accordirig to
the indictment, the cities of Council Bluffs, '
Davenport and Burlington, la., St. Louis, Little
Rock, Seattle, Denver and New Orleans, to
which places, it is alleged, victims were taken
by the numerous 'steers.' In setting out the
specific instances in which violations of the pos
tal laws are changed, the indictment includes
copies of many sensational letters alleged to
have been exchanged between Maybray and his
associates, which refer to alleged 'deals,' and
name various sums of money as having changed
hands as the result of the operations of those
mentioned in the indictment."
THE LIST OF names of Maybray's victims in
clude men of prominence in all parts of
the country. The list is as follows: A. A. Van
Cleave, St. Louis; Dr. C. C. Vanderbeck, St.
Louis; George A. Qulnby, Denver; M. Jackson,
Minneapolis; Louis Pendell, Marquette, Mich.;
W, H. McGrath, Pine City, Minn.; M. Meuer,
Bristol, S. D.; C. E. Hay ward, Garden City, S.
D.; William H. Stine, Chicago; Joe P. Walker,
Denver, Thomas Cale, Fond Du Lac, Wis.;
Adolph Yeske, Harding, Mont.; D. C. Harring
ton, Sioux Falls, S. D.; P. W. Whalen, Port
Arthur, Canada; Alexander De Lain, Pernbine,
Wis.; T. W. Ballew, Princeton, Mo.; Hans Ander
son, Ketchekan, Alaska; A. J. Olson, Memphis,
Tenn.; Dr. C. J. Harrish, Jr., St. Louis; Joseph
W. Leisen, Menominee, Wis.; Ed. Jones, Sham
okin, Pa.; C. M. McCain, Denver; J. M. Turner,
Chicago; F. Ellison, Kamloops, Canada; Z. Pier
pont, Marysville, Mo.; R. L. King, Fowler, Colo.;
Edwin James, Blue Springs, Neb.; J. C. Bow
man, Denver; R. W. C. Shull, Minneapolis;
George I. Brown, Norton, Kan.; F. G. Allspaugh,
Terre Haute, Ind.; J. E. Harrington, Sioux Falls,
S. D.; James Servais, Port Arthur, Canada;
George F. Castle, Britt, la.; John Blegger, Siaux
Falls; H. Ford, Vancouver, B. C; R. A. Frazer,
Helena, Mont.; Frank R. Baker, ; J7 H.
Secrest, Iowa City, la.; F. R. Marts, Polk City,
la.; James Webber, hamokin, Pa.; MaxLlnden
banm, Louisville, Ky.; N. A. Ketchell, Denver;
Ed. Stenger, Hermosa, S. D.; John Hermel
brecht, Bancroft, Neb.; A. Harrington, Minne
apolis; F. X. Roethle, Neenah, Wis.; M. S.
Mansfield, Winnebago, Neb.; John Corbin, Chi
cago; Cecil F. Walker, Denver; Samuel Sutor,
Cass Lake, Minn.; W. H. Bedford, Bolckow,
Mo.; Ralph P. Mattingly, Nashville; George S.
Bedford, Greeley, Colo.; John Kozelek, Chi
cago; O. L. Cramp, San Francisco; J. B. Titter
ington, Dallas, Texas; C. W. Field, Minneapolis;
A. F. Cook, Memphis; James Tierney, Streator,
111.; S. McMairn, Toronto, Canada; Joseph A.
Young, ; J. B. Cavanaugh, McAlester,
Okla.; E. S. Bessey, Oklahoma City; J. P.
Schuermann,- Leoti, Kan.l Henry Stoggsdill,
Cabool, Mo.; William Burke, St. Louis; H. A.
Berthold, Aurora, 111.; E. L. Collins, ; S. A.
Johnson, Streator, 111..; John H. Sizer, Seattle;
C. T. Woods, ; Charles D. Alberts, Sioux
City; Lee J. Schniff, Kansas City; W. S. Wag
ner, Aurora, 111.; T. E. George, San Antonio,
Texas; J. W. Springborn, Cleveland; William
Dwyer, La Crosse, Wis.; Eugene Schmidt, Los
Angeles; F. E. Ray, Woodward, Okla.; C. Nel
son Pratt, Toledo, O.; C. A. Nason, Alma, Mich.;
Henry Rusmert, Douglas, Wyo.; Thomas Agern,
Fergus Falls, Minn.; John Gozelek, Chicago.
THIS IS THE way the New York World de
scribes Mr. Taft's western speeches: "We
learn from Mr. Taft's speech at Winona that
'the Payne tariff bill is the .best tariff bill that
the republican party has ever passed.' We learn
also that the wool schedule 'is too high' and that
It 'ought to have been reduced,' but that a com
bination of the wool growers and w "1 manu
facturers 'was sufficiently strong to defeat any
attempt to change the woolen tariff, and that
had it been attempted it woujd have beaten the
bill reported from either committee.' We learn
also that through the tariff board the president
expects to obtain data 'upon which a new, and
proper revision of the tariff might be had,' but
that it will probably take the rest of this ad
ministration to accumulate such data. We learn
also that after the Payne tariff (which is 'the
best tariff bill that the repul lican party has ever
passed') has been in operation for two or three
years 'we can tell more accurately than we can
today its effect upon the industries of the coun
try and the necessity for any amendment in its
provisions.' The average reader is likely to be
hopelessly bewildered by the contradictions and
conflicting statements of Mr. Taft's speech, but
it must be remembered that there are two Tafts
on the platform. One Taft is the republican
party's lawyer. He has a bad case and a sinful
old client who has been caught with the goods
more times than can be enumerated. The other
Taft is a straightforward, honest-minded states
man who is trying to do his best and is having
a good deal of trouble with some of his asso
ciates. When both of these Tafts talk at once
there is bound to be confusion."
AN INTERESTING story from Alabama is
told in a Birmingham dispatch to the
Rocky Mountain News. The dispatch follows:
"The statement made by Judge Thomas G. Jones
of the United States court for the middle dis
trict of Alabama that this state narrowly missed
an armed conflict with the federal government
in 1907 because-of the conduct of Governor B. B.
Comer in defying the mandates of the United
States court, came as a big surprise to the ma
jority of the citizens of Alabama, few of whom
realized the gravity of the crisis. The state
ment, which was made in a bitter arraignment
of Governor Comer by Judge Jones, has served
to direct public attention anew to the conflict
which has raged for two years between the
officials, and interest is rapidly being fanned
to fever heat. According to the signed state
ment of Judge Jones, Governor Comer carried
the controversy before President Roosevelt, with
the statement that 'if the president did not call
downhis Judge here, he would have trouble in
Alabama.' The reply of Roosevelt, according
to Judge Jones, was that if Governor Comer
made any trouble in Alabama 'the president
would see that It did not last long.' Judge
Jones alsp says that' he-. -received assurance
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