Varions rumors have been floating abont ...

Varions rumors have been floating abont concerning the proposed action of the new board of publio works ' garding the appointment of a Street commissioner. These rnmors have been crystallized iDto the statement by the reporter of the Detroit Evening News, who is also secretary of the republican county committee.that Daniel J. Ross, a member of the board is to be the next street comimssioner and that Mayor Walker has been working to that end. The Argos hardly places credence in these reports, whioh the News reporter may well wish to become fact for obvious party reasons. In saying this, the Argus bas in mini the uniform good judgment the membeis of the new board have dlsplayed in their past publio career. The Argns will not listen to a word derogatory to the character of the proposed new street commissioner and it has no degoratory remarks to make conuerning him personally. If Mr. Ross were not a member of the board of pnblic works, his appointment would snrely not meet with this approval of the Argns, of whicb ho has always been a friend, and whose esteem he has always held. Bnt Mr. Ross is a member of the board and as 8nch Bhonld be iueligible to appointment by the board. His resignation before appointment shonld make no difference with his inelibil ty. An alderman, nnder the charter, is made inelligible during the term for which b.8 i elected to auy office, the emolnments of which are to be paid out of the city treasury. The reason for this prohibition in the case of an alderman, applies with the sameforce to a member of the board's acceptanoe of a place from the hands of the board. A member of the joard is prohibited from being interested in any contract Vs ith the city. The street commissionership is a speoies of contract, under which the inonmbent contraots to docertain Work for the oity ior a oertain oornpensation. Now it does not alter the. justice of the case to say that the charter does not expressly prohibit the appointment in question. The spirit of the charter is olearly against it and ooramon sense wonld clearly point out the impropriety of snch appointments. If the appointment shonld be made as rumor and the Evening News has it, it would mean that hereafter the position of member of the board of public works would be sought by prospective candidates for street commissioner and would lose it the honor which shonld belong to it and make it a prey for intriguers. The Aigus is inclined to think also that the mayor has been misjudged, for he surely must know that one of the main factors in securing him so large a inajority last spring vvhen the city went republioan on the balance of the ticket, was the disgust and displeasure - whioh the people entertained towards the board of pnblio works, growing out of Mr Clark's attempt to use his position on the board to secure ■bis own appointment as street oommissioner. Both the mayor and the board wonld surely hesitate bef ore bringing down upon themselves the same public odium. That attempt and its result is too fresh in the mind of everyone and the opponents of the old board are surely estopped from nsiag the same tactics they so recently denounced. And Mr.ftoss himself has shown in his past life in this community too good ! judgment to permit the thought that he wonld defy public opinión. It is for these reasons that the Argus states that it believes the rumors will be shown to be nnfounded. McKinley is still ahead in the race for the republican presidential nomination and unless his boom gets a big ; set back soon it will prove strong enough to give him the nomination. McKinley is the idol of the republicans today as Blaine was in 1884. And yet there are many othar republicana who would poll more votes for president just as there were many other republicans who wonld have polled more votes iu 1884. The reason for this is that McKinley represents extreme protection and straddles the money qnestion, which if the demoorats put up certain candidates wonld lose MoKinley the votes of many conservative republicans, who care nothing for booms, have dncided views on the monetary qnestion, dislike a straddle, and will not oommit themselves to an extreme protection policy. McKinley represents extreme repnblicanistn. And in these days extremists are not any too acceptable to the conservative voters, who are rapidly growing in numbers. The large Pingree meeting at the opera house the other evening was good evidence of the furor which the mayor's guberoatorial oandidacy is raising throughout the state. He is the most picturesque candidato Michigan has seen in a long time and he is hustling the old party managers, who have led the party ro so many victories in this state to keep him from getting t'ae nomination. Levi P. Morton will receive the unanimous support of the New York delegates to the republican national convention, under the instrnctions o the state oonvention held Wednesday. ' Boss" Platt was in absolute control md heads the state delfgation. Pingree is kept busy deolaring his repnblicanism. In his speeches he seems to have adopted the phase, "I am a republican" as David B. HUÍ is famous ior his utterance "I am a democrat. '' The Cubans are still putting up a good fight. May the end come soon and Cuba take its place among the republics of Amerioa.