Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 170, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 July 1915 — LAKE COUNTY BACK OF MAYOR JOHNSON [ARTICLE]

LAKE COUNTY BACK OF MAYOR JOHNSON

Crowd of His Supporters Invade Rensselaer and Meet Republicans— In Race to Stay. Mayor R. 0. Johnson, of Gary, and sixteen of his ardent supporters for the nomination for governor, came from Lake county today to meet republicans in this city and remind them that Mayor Johnson is in the race to stay and will appreciate support from this county. Mayor Johnson announced his candidacy to republican newspapermen at a meeting of the editors at Gary several weeks ago. Now he is getting ready to make an energetic campaign throughout the state and his friends believe he has the qualities that would supply the needs of the state when the successor for two terms of democratic failure is chosen. Mayor Johnson is the man who wrenched the city of Gary from the cotnrol of Tom Knotts and his machine crowd at the election a last fall. He had an uphill job'for a time, for it was necessary to fight for every inch of ground gained, and finally to be prepared at the polls to fight for every honest vote. He won a signal victory and after assuming the office of mayor he-fjegan cleaning house. Slot machines, gambling resorts, houses of ill fame and all sorts of vice were put to route and saloons were forced to obey the laws or get out of business. Maybr Johnson has not relaxed in his vigorous fight for a decent city and has followed a policy so consistent that even those who are in favor of granting some latitude to law enforcement are Johfison admirers and supporters. “This is not simply a Gary boosters’ meeting but is representative of all Lake county,” said one of the supporters of Mayor Johnson today, and he continues as follows: “You see Mayor Johnson’s popularity soon spread beyond the bounds of Gary and to all parts of Lake county and wherever he is known there is a feeling that he is the proper man for governor. This meeting was hastily arranged but our crowd is from all over Lake county and they are here to let you know that Lake county will get solidly behind his campaign.” Among those who ware here with Mayor Johnson were the following: Oapt. H. S. Norton, George Manlove, Edward Robson, William Forbis and Homer Carr, all of Gary, the latter the editor of The Tribune; D. E. Boone and W. J. McAleer, of Hammond; L. E. Barnes and John Killigrew, of Hobart; Ernest Shortridge, Charley Daugherty, August H. W. Johnson, John Clauser, E. C. Davis and G. M. Foland, of Crown Point. Mr. Foland is the Lake* county chairman and one of the livest wire politicians in Indiana. Also Newton Hebroff, of Indiana Harbor. Mayor Johnson and party made a call at The Republican office and later went to the court house to meet some of the republicans. Attorney Moses Leopold and Chas. C. Warner helped escort them about the best city in the tenth district and make them acquainted. Mayor Johnson is a large man, with a winning personality and will doubtless cut quite an important figure in the approaching primary for the nomination of a governor for Indiana.