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Every man who has a vote should see that...

Every man who has a vote should see that... image
Parent Issue
Day
24
Month
March
Year
1899
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Every man who has a vote should see that his vote counts for the principles he believes in.

Recent doings at Lansing cause one to think the chief business of the politicians is in putting the other fellows in the hole. Appointments to important positions are made by the governor and rejected by the senate with an eye single to factional advantage. The public service is very secondary matter.

It is expected that the regular army will be recruited to its full strength, about 65,000 men in a month. It is said the men who are offering themselves as recruits are exceptionally good men and that there is a great rush for service in the Philippines. Many of the volunteers are anxious to re-enlist and become regulars.

The American Steel & Wire Co., which recently advanced wages from 5 to 10 per cent, has become a part of a larger concern with $50,000,000 of capital under the management of Andrew Carnagie. Mr. Carnagie believes that iron manufacturers need no protection but are able to pay the relatively high wages prevailing here and still defy the world on prices. Senator Hanna is of like opinion. He says no tariff can hereafter be depended upon to produce needed revenue for the reason that we are now exporting to Europe and other parts of the world goods covered by our tariff schedules. Under these circumstances foreign goods are not imported and revenue decreases. Because of this fact the Dingley tariff continues to produce a deficit, it's father's son, of the Kalamazoo Telegraph, to the contrary not withstanding. It enables the manufacturers, however, to sell their goods right at home for a higher prices than they get for them when they have shipped them to remote parts of the earth.

The following excerpt from the speech of Hon. T. E. Barkworth accepting the democratic nomination for supreme court justice is good democratic doctrine:

"My record in the politics of the state can be confidently appealed to by my friends. Believing in the people, jealous of any attack upon individual liberty, I have sought to submit to the arbitrament of constitutional right every question affecting through my action the social or industrial status of the citizen. If elevated by the suffrage of the people to this responsible position I shall endeavor to know no distinction of person but alike to rich and poor mete out even handed justice. But I shall surely recognize the rapidly crystalizing sentiment against further extending power and privilege to the artificial creatures who have so nearly outgrown their creator. Whatever the result of the canvass enter it with honorable desire for the welfare of the state and hope to emerge from it with an increased measure of your respect."

The action of the house at Lansing is expelling Representative Davis for one day because he refused to vote when his vote had been demanded, was extraordinary. So far as known, no such action has ever before been taken in the Michigan legislature should not exercise the power when occasion demands. It has and exercises the power of compelling the attendance of members. But what is the purpose or advantage of this authority if members cannot be made to vote after being brought in? Without such authority it might and many times would be impossible to do business. Power to force a member to vote is just as essential as the power to force his attendance. No doubt it should be used with great wisdom but is is a proper power to inhere in the legislature.  That such power may sometimes be used in a tyrannical and unjust manner is undoubtedly true, nevertheless that does not relieve the member of his obligation to perform the duties of the position he has voluntarily accepted. If he is unwilling to assume the responsibilities of the position, he should not accept it. The people have a right to demand action of their representative that they may credit them with and hold them accountable for what they do. They should not be permitted to dodge therefore. Although the action taken was apparently in jest the principal involved is a sound one.

Admiral Dewey cables that the Oregon has arrived at Manila and is, after her long voyage, in all ways ready for any action. She is indeed a peerless ship. She is a credit to our navy and her builder. The Union Iron Works people of San Francisco need no farther testimonials as to their ability or honest the world over.

According to an agreement entered into by the California legislature the last ballot for United States senator was to be taken on the 17th. It resulted in no election. Thus is the state left with but one senator. The Utah and Delaware legislatures also failed to elect senators. Pennsylvania seems no nearer an election than she was two months ago. The efforts to elect senators in these four states have completely paralyzed the energy of the legislatures without anything being accomplished.

The resolutions passed by the representatives last week, strongly endorsing the administration of Wesselius as railroad commissioner, was a bit of contemptable littleness for which the present legislature seems to be noted. Men who openly declared they could not endorse Wesselius voted for the resolution solely to put the "old man" in a hole. Before Wesselius was dumped he was regarded as a co-conspirator with the "old man" in all the alleged wicked jobs which the latter was accused of putting up. Presto, change. There is a complete metamorphosis. The leopard has changed his spots. The ex-railroad commissioner is a great and good man whose services have been of inestimable value to the state and members of the legislature and he is solemnly thanked by resolution therefor. Such trifling ought to be beneath the dignity of the house.

The following resolution was recently introduced into the British house of commons:

That the legislative power of bishops in the house of peers in parliament is a great hindrance to the discharge of their spiritual functions, prejudicial to the commonwealth and fit to be taken away by bill.

Out of 329 votes the resolution commanded 129. This is most significant. It indicates that the sentiment in favor of disestablishment is advancing toward a majority. An established church in the England of today appears like a strange anomaly. It is, however, a relic of other days when the rights of the citizen were not as fully recognized as at present. It is retained because of the conservativeness of habit, although not in consonance with the modern England. But sentiment will not maintain it much longer in the face of the advanced though which controls England today. Disestablishment is pretty certain to be a fact of the near future.

The treaty of peace between Spain and the United States was ratified yesterday by receiving the signature of the queen regent. The two nations are now at peace again. After copies of the treaty have been exchanged new ministers will be accredited to the respective capitals and the old relations of amity and friendship will be resumed. There will be many questions for the two governments to settle including the rehabilitating of the treaties which were abrogated by the war, by the negotiations of a new one. By the act of the queen regent the final act in removing Spain from the list of colonial powers is consummated. If her statesmen are wise this will be greatly to her advantage. She is in no way fitted to be a colonial power, possessing neither the statesmanship nor the means to enable her to meet the demands of the present age as to control of colonies. If her statesmen, now that the country is freed from the incubus of colonial possessions, will give their energies to the development of the peninsula and the elevation of their people at home, Spain will not have come out of the war with the balance against her which at first appears.