The republicans of this county are losin...

The republicans of this county are losing a little of the confidence they have recently expressed of puiling in a man or two on the county ticket. They find the Washtenaw democracv united and pulling harmoniously together. An old time majority may be looked for in the fall. .-. Things have come to a pretty pass in Colorado under the government of the demagogue Waite. Tarsney, a brother of our own Tim Tarsney, the lion of the Saginaws, was treated to a dose of tzir and feathers there last week because his actions as adjntant general displeased some of the excited populace there. Ann Arbor deserves a new postoffice building and, if any new public building is ordered in any city which is not now blessed with one, it looks as if Congressman Gorman would secure one for Ann Arbor. Everyone should do what he can, if opportunity offers, to help along the new postoffice building for Ann Arbor. It is wit iin the bounds of the possibilities that Mayor Pingree, of Detroit, may be the populistic candidate for governor this year. He will aid, if he accepts the populists' nomination, and this seems to be the only nomination he can get, to inake the coming campaign interesting. He has been a spectacular mayor and he would make a spectacular candidate. It is a great pity that the jury in the Ellis casecould not have agreed. An innocent man should not be pnnished and no guilty man should be allowed to escape. As it is, opinión will be largely divided as to the attorney general's responsibility. Some one is responsible tor the attempt to defraud the will of the people, and the most reprehensible attempt should be severely punished. Senator Hill has met with poor luck lately in blocking the tariffbill, vrhich will now soon be out of the way. It looks as if congress would adjourn before the season of the year comes when the McKinley bill was passed. The republicans certainly have no reason to howl concerning the slowness of legislation. The Wilson bilí has not been as long in incubation as the McKinley bill was. The democrats in their state convention pul up an exceedingly strong ticket yesterday. There is no doubt of Spencer O. Fisher.'s strong qualifications for governor nor of his running qualities. Edwin F. Uhl, of Grand Rapids, an old Washtenaw boy, by the way, and one of the ablest men in the state, and John Strong, the sturdy, honest ex-lieutenant governor, of Monroe, are just the right sort of men for United States senators. The rest of the ticket is a good one. The platform strongly indorses the administration, reiterates the Chicago platform's tariff declaration, declares for religious liberty, calis for the restoration of the public domain to actual settlers, demands practical and direct laws against trusts and monopolies, declares in favor of bringing the United States Senate nearer the people, demands new laws as safeguards against fraudulent election laws, endorses [Grover Cleveland, declares for arbitration, free silver, the per diem pension bill and strongly denounces protection. The recent statement to the press, prepared by Col. Conger, of Akron, comment upon which appears elsewhere in this issue, should contain matter for the thoughtful consideration of every democrat who has to do with the making of the democratie tariff policy. It is not the prominence of the man which gives such importance to his words, but the fact that they are the "opening guns" ia Thomas B. Reed's campaign for the presidential nomination in 1896, and the further fact that the people are undoubtedly behind this position. It all means that the republicans have learned the lessons taught by the elections of 1800 and 1802 and that it is cide to persist in the same policy any farther. It means that they realize the fact that the only thing that has saved them from political ruin, is the treachery of the Gormans, the Smiths, the McPhersons and Brices among the democrats. Tariff reform is therefore to be the slogan of the republicans in the coming presidential campaign. It means that if the democrats fail to carry out their pledges to the people in the matter of tariff reductions, the republicans propose to steal the thunder and ride back into political favor on that issue. The words of Col. Conger should therefore be regarded in the nature of a prophecy by the democrats and the party should take warning before it is too late. Let the leaders of the democratie party at Washington give ear anl proceed to obey the twice repeated commands of the people. The signs of the times seem to indicate an intention on the part of Thomas B. Reed to carry the tariff war into África. The recent utterances of Col. A. L. Conger, of Ohio, in favor of tariff reduction are generally believed to have been inspired by the Maine Statesman. Col. Conger says that he was educated for a high protectionist, but that he has learned something from a long business connection with manufacturing industries of various kinds. He declares that while he is a protectionist still, he believes in revisión downward. The McKinley act with its scores of wrongs and inconsistences, he says, lost for the republicans the campaign of 1892, and it is not right for McKinley and his friends to undertake to commit the party again to a proposition which will surely lead to defeat in 1896. He points out specifically a number of the grievous injuries worked by the. McKinley monstrosity and says that the country wants no protective tariff that fosters trusts. All this indicates not only that there is to be rough sailing for the tin soldier McKinley, but that sorae at least of the Republican leaders are beginning to read aright the hand-writing on the wall. Having been driven from official position like Nebuchudnezzarandhaving been feeding on grass (crow) for two years they are coming to a realizing sense of these sins against the people, and they propose to get in out of the rain if possible. They are beginning to sense the fact that tariff robbery of the many for the benefit of the few is doomed and they propose to save as much as possible from the wreek.