That M. C. R. R. Contract

The aldermen of tbe city of Ann Arbor were most beautifully hornswoggled Monday night into confirming Mr. Botterfield as city attorney. The sole valid objaction to Mr. Butterfield was bis position as attorney of oorporations with wbich the city was having tronble.or was likely to have tronble. The objection that the mayor had not kept his promises, had leally nothing to do with the oouneil, bnt is for the people to settle with the mayor himself in good time. Mr. Butterfield is one of tiie attorneys for the Michigan Central and as snch made the plea which indnced a cirouit jndge in Detroit to decide that it was the oity's business to keep in repair the overhead bridge over the Central which is such a money saver to that road. City Attorney Kearney in a carefnlly drawn opinión indicated jnst how the connoil conld avoid this expense, ranch to the detriment of the road. When Mr. Bntterfield's nomination first came np enongh republicana indioated their opposition to confirmation on the gronnd that he was the rail road 's attorney, to render bis defeat probable. To draw these men back into line, the Central railroad which is greatly intereeted in having a city attorney biased in its favor, wrote a private letter offering to enter into a contract with the city to keep the overhead bridge in repair provided the city wonld give np all its rightg which Mr. Kearcey so clearly pointed ont and tbe council, after confirming Mr. Butterfield, instrncted him to make a contract with the Central company along these lines subjeot to their approval. The Argos wants to predicfc right here that every alderman who votes for snch a contract will be sent into innocuous desuetnde. The Argus bas every confidence in Mr. Butteifield's honor arid integrity, bnt he is a biased man, and his bias is perfectly natural. The oontract with the Central under which the oity contracted to keep the bridge in repair, was made with a committee of the oouneil on which a Michigan Central railroad attorney was a leading member. He is a man whose reputation for bonor and integrity is not excelled by the reputation of any otber man in tbis city. He is thoronghly an honestman, and would today nndoubtedly defend the contract which seerns to the council and the citizens made in the interest of the railroad company. Sooh beiDg the case does the council want to trost the drawing of another contract to another railroad attorney. What good can come of such a contract? What rigbt has this conncil to shut off the growth of tbe Fifth ward at any future date or prevent steps being taken to increase our farmers' trade from tbe uorth? Tbey say that Dewey is a dude. Well, he is a dandy dude. Would tbat vre bad more of tbem. About the only war resnlt chronicled f rom day to day is the oíd refrain Dewey has takeu anorher gnnboat. It is dow 19 days since Dawey won bis great victory and was in position to take Manila bad he men to garrison it. And still no troops have yet left this conntry for the Phillipine Islands. Every time a ooast defense vessel indulges in a little target practce or flres a signal gnn, reports are sent broadcast of heavy cannonading heard off the Atlantic coast to the alarm of the denizens of the coaet cities. There is nothing in the constitntion to prevent the United States from establishing colonial covernments in the Phillipiues, Porto Kico and Cnba, nntil 8nch time as they are Amerioanized enoogb to be admitted into the sisterhood of the states. The Cbarieston which sailed from San Francisco Wednesday with ammnnition for Dewey will add another crniser to his fleet with the same fighting capaoity as thet Boston and a little less than the Oiympia or Baltimore. With the captnred gnnboats tne Cbarieston will put Dewey in better condition to cope with any fleet Spain may send to the Phillipines. Dewey in hiraself is as good as any battleship Spain can command. Representativo Sawyer says that Senator Burrows is being boruswoggled by the Pingree orowd. Mr. Sawyer probably knows. But, if report is correct, Mr. Sawyer himself tried to playa little game of hornswoggling on the Pingree orowd and fonnd the governor too ruuch au adept at the game to be oaught. So he probably feels that Burrows ienot adept enongh to play tbat kind pLa game witb Pingree. Prof. F. M. Hamilton, the alderman from the first ward, has a fine reputation as an eduoator and is an excellent bnsiiiess man, bat he is of too honest and unsuepieions a nature to make a good politioian. The Argns commended Mr.v Hamilton's first position tbat he wonld not vote to make an attorney of the Miohigan Central an attorney for the city. But Mr. Hamilton's vote was necessary for confirmation and he was shown a letter from the railroad company to Mr. Lawrenoe indicating their willingness to make a oontract with the city. Now this letter don 't bind anybody. It was not written to the oity. It is only a promise to prnmise anyway. Of oourse the railroad company is willing to make a oontract with the city if the city's interests under that contract are to be looked oot for by an attorney for the railroad oompany. We are afraid Mr. Hamilton woald be a poor man to run up against a gold briok game.