Henry Johnson

Death stalked through the streets of Washington at midnight. Stopping before a house on S Street, he entered. He approached a bedside in an upper room around which a woman and her two young sons were gathered, attending their husband, their father. Just 30 minutes afterward death claimed his due--probably the foremost politician the Negro race has produced in the U.S.

In reconstruction days, in 1870, a son was born to two ex-slaves living in Augusta. There must have been considerable white blood in him, for even in infancy he was no darker than the knave of spades. It so happened that his surname coincided with the name of the reconstruction President. His father thought that he ought to be given the name of the great Emancipator as well, and his mother insisted that he have a good honest name like Henry. So he was christened Henry Lincoln Johnson.

Henry grew and acquired ideas. He decided he would have more of an education than could be obtained in the little battered Negro schoolhouse. At 18 he took an A. B. from the University of Atlanta. Four years later he took an LL. B. from the University of Michigan.

But his education was not finished; it went right on in politics. Four years later he was delegate-at-large from Georgia to the Republican National Convention that first nominated McKinley. Every four years since then he held the same post, although in 1920, and again a year ago, unsuccessful attempts were made to unseat him. He gradually became dominant in Republican politics in Georgia, where he essayed the dual role of lawyer and dispenser of patronage. All attempts to unseat him were fruitless. He was a very able, rough and terrible debater. Besides, he had the gift of eloquence as only a Negro can have it.

In 1912 President Taft made him Recorder of Deeds of the District of Columbia. He filled the post with ability until 1916. In 1920 he became Republican National Committeeman from Georgia, a post he held until his death. President Harding again nominated him for Recorder of Deeds, but the Senate refused to accept him.

About that time a number of Republicans attempted to oust him from his political power in Georgia in order to set up a Lily White Republican organization there. They failed. They made trouble for him and split the state organization into fragments. But Mr. Johnson stayed on top.

Two years ago he had an attack of apoplexy. He recovered and went on. Last week another stroke came upon him. He struggled, but he died--only 55--of cerebral hemorrhage.