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THE ARGUS DEMOCRAT AND YPSILANTI WEEKLY TIMES.

PUBLISHED BY The Democrat Publishing Company.

D. A. Hammond, President. Eugene K. Frueauff, Vice-President. S. W. Beakes, Secy. and Treas.

PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY for $1.00 per year strictly in advance. Entered at the Postoffice in Ann Arbor, Mich. as second-class mail matter.

FRIDAY APRIL 28, 1899.

NOT GUILTY.

Yesterday a jury declared ex-Senator Quay not guilty of the charge of conspiring to use the funds of the state of Pennsylvania for his own unlawful gain and profit. Immediately after he had been declared not guilty, Gov. Stone appointed him senator. The collapse of the conspiracy case against Quay is a surprise because of the claims made by the prosecution. But in view of the evidence brought out no other verdict was possible. Quay may be said to be completely vindicated of the charge on which he was tried. And this too without the introduction of particle of evidence in his behalf. The case was submitted to the jury on the evidence of the prosecution alone and jury of his peers pronounced the senator not guilty. In other words the prosecution utterly failed to sustain its case. It had no case. The other case against the senator will probably be heard of no more. Relative to Gov Stone's appointment of Quay to the senatorship, it may be said that unless the senate recedes from its record in every similar case in its past history Quay will never take the seat by the governor's appointment. The senate has repeatedly held that such a vacancy as exists in Pennsylvania, where the legislature has been in session and failed to elect, is not such an one as is contemplated by the constitution shall be filled by appointment of the governor. The senate must needs reverse itself before Quay can be seated. This it may do but is scarcely likely to do.

HELP!

New is the time for the people of the city to show their patriotism by responding promptly to the project of purchasing the armory for the soldier boys. The project is a most worthy one and it is hoped the public spirited people will heartily respond. The boy will be back to Ann Arbor very soon and unless something is done and at once the company will have no home to go to. Every body is proud of the company and there is no better way to show this appreciation than by making the organization a gift of a fine armory. It will cost but $3,000, and in a city with the wealth and patriotic spirit of Ann Arbor it ought not to be at all difficult to raise this sum. Several hundred dollars have been pledged already and a committee is out actively pushing the good cause. This is a labor of love and it should not be allowed to extend over too much time, but should be closed up promptly. The exiglencies of the case require, if anything is to be done, that it shall be done with dispatch. Let your patriotism therefore take a material turn in this instance and thus show the boys on their home coming that their response to country's call is substantially appreciated by those who remained at home.

And now come the antis and propose to investígate the state military department. The idea is to make a report which will break the back of Gen. White and the whole Pingree push. It could be shown no doubt that the expenses of the military department for purchases were larger than necessary. But that is already well understood and, if it were established by an investigation, nothing would ever come of it. It is not proposed in good faith. The whole thing is a pot and kettle fight and without any farther significance.

That was a nice scene in the house at Lansing yesterday, when at the command of "Sky" Olds, issued over a telephone, the house reconsidered its action of the day previous in taking the Michigan Central charter repeal bill away from the committee on railroads. When "Sky" said it wouldn't do that it must go back, the members fell over each other in their eagerness to line themselves on "Sky's'' side. Who says "Sky" has lost his grip?

Another bloody skirmish has occurred in the Philippines in which the American forces loose six killed and 43 wounded. Among the killed are a colonel and a lieutenant and four privates. The conflict resulted as they all do, in the rout of the Filipinos who left 13 dead in the trenches. The significant fact in all the fighting is that the Filipinos are causing the Americans to pay dearly for all the ground they gain.

According to recent report Speaker Thomas B. Reed has made up his mind to drop politics and enter a law firm in New York city with his income guaranteed at at least $50,000. Reed has been a large figure in American political affairs for many years. That he is a man of great ability no one will deny. In many ways he has made strong speaker, but there was too much of the Czar in his methods to make him the best presiding officer for a deliberative body. He had gathered practically all the power of the house into his own hands. And in many instances he used it most arbitrarily. In doing this he sometimes rendered the country good service but he deprived the house of its deliberative functions. More than once he brought his own party followers to the verge of rebellion by his acts and nothing but the severest party discipline kept them in line. Notwithstanding all this and the farther fact that there was no love between him and the administration, he could have easily won the speakership again. Those who disliked him feared him. He was not in accord with the administration's policy of expansion and his withdrawal at this time will not be regretted in these circles. His retirement from politics, if he does retire, will apparently indicate that his long time ambition to be president of the United States has disappeared or that he considers it impossible of realization. The fact is he is too able a man, with a public record too long and too many enemies, and with an individuality too strongly marked to permit of his reaching that position. It is understood that during his public career he has not been a money saver. His retirement from politics will no doubt be greatly to his financial advantage. His ability will certainly command large fees in the law.

Now that the supreme court of the United States has settled for all time the question of the right of a state to compel a railroad company to sell mileage at a rate below the maximum which the company is permitted to charge, the only way for the state to secure a lower passenger tariff is by reducing the maximum rate. The court holds that the state has the right to fix maximum rates unless it is hampered by contracts. Probably this would exempt the Michigan Central from any reduction of maximum. The other roads of the state no doubt could be brought to a two cent rate. But in all probability the only way to reach the Michigan Central is through a repeal of its charter.

On Thursday the senate passed a bill reducing the legal rate of interest from six to five per cent and the permissible contract rate from eight to seven per cent. This is a move in the right direction. The rate has been trending downward for some time, the inevitable result of the decrease of profit from business. Most lines of business are realizing less profits today than a few years ago and there is no prospect of a return to the profits of those days. It is proper, therefore, that the legal rate of interest should come down. The tendency of lower interest is to stimulate new business enterprises.

Indications now are that the good roads amendment and that relative to an additional circuit judge for St. Clair have carried and those relative to a state printing office and a court of appeals have been defeated. The state is fortunate to have escaped the rat hole of expense, a state printing office. The intermediate court will come in time no doubt, but it scarcely seems that it is necessary now. The supreme court ought to attend to the business if it gives the amount of time to the work the state has the right to demand of its judges.

Senator McMillan thinks it will not be impossible to seat Boss Quay in the senate on the appointment of Gov. Stone. He admits that while all precedents are against it, certain exigencies may nevertheless demand it.