For Senator, Omar D. Conger

Onthettk ilay of November, 1879, th Tintte, in au artiele on the senatorial que tion. saiil : " On behalf of tito rcpufoliean ..l Si. ('lair coiinty, and of the entile Ml cntli congiegaioniü district, and sa beta) of thoiisands of republicans in everv s( tion of 1 1 1 atate, ra wyfriat tor Untte States senator, tanoond ZaHiariah Ghn dier, Hou. OfflM I. t'ongr." The eleetion o a wiwtor to weoeed Mi r.alilwin is qiu'süon DOW lx:forc tlic pe ].le of tlic tatr, and especlally befcw tli república metnben i-lcct of lt'isln turo, nnd for that positiou wc agftbi noini iiate Mr, Conger, itli n inpport rtronge a ml more entlinsieti( tlian onc ycar aj;( During all the time that bas elapsed slnc Mr. Baldwin's appointraent to till the un expired term ot Senator ciiandler. th 7V,,,. . luu rrMirrtty i""""1 rr ''¦" ger8 cMiididiicy for tlio fnll ti-rin, nnd tli Mitciil ion of Mis fiiends to lnl)or for lii eleetion when tlie proper time slionld ar rivc. Tliat time lias now come, añil the reasons Urged Cor Mr. Conser's kppDlM ment as ITnfted BUtea enator one yeai agO have liccn cinpliasiod and niulliplii'i by liis eminent services l.i Ilic conntiy HM to tlic repubfftam party rinoe ttiat time,aiu bia lirilliant record iu tlie House of Kepie -ciilalivcs. in the Kepublican National Convention. and on the stump, dnring tht campaign. Let us review luicfly Mr. Oonger1 lic record. His i'xperience as a legislator dates froni the birth of tlie republican party. His nnniR appeared as ii candidato fol the state senate upon the tirst republican ticket ever noininated in this country, although comparativcly a young man at th;it time ; and lic was known and acknowledged as one of the most talentec and thoroughly reliable leaders of the re publican party of Michigan at the time wlien the party was organizecl under the oaks at Jackson. Froni that day to this his judament and advice have been sought liy all of his associates in the leadership ol the party In Michigan. Mr. C'onger was electcd to the state sen nte in the year 1854, and re-elected twice in succession, serving for slx years. Dur ing his service in the state senate he was the i.cknowledged leader of that body. He was elected president pro tem. of the tenate daring his last term aa senator. He tra elected a member of the constitutional nmvention of this state in 186C, and became the most prominent, active and influential member of that body. As a lawyer, hl tlu: i'xniainntion rf a witnéíss or a ploa before ¦ jury, in the days when he was actively engaged in his profession, he had few f au y eqoala In the state. He has been elected to congress from this district seven times In succession, making a greater uumber of years of continuous service in that body than has been accorded to any other man of eithcr party in Michigan since the state was organizcd. In congress Mr. Conger oceupied a prominent position from the outset. He wal made a member of the committee on oommerce OB taking his seat in the house for the first time, in 18C9, and heldjit until the demoerats obtaineil control of the house in 1876. Dtuing the six years of his service on this committee he was a memlier of the sub-comtnittee appointed to prepare tlie nveraml harbor appropriation bill, and did more tliau any other man to secure to Michigan and to all the cities and statos along the great lakes, the approprlaÜOBi iiccilcil lor tlie improvement and protection ot tlicir liarbors, and of the lakc marine interest. The project of the Saml Beach harbor of refuge, which has already .ivcit many livcs, and thousands, perhaps milliona of dollars worth of property, was originated and carricd throogta by Mr. ('onger. The rcsolutiou for the enlargement of the St. Marv's canal was also introduced by Mr. Congcr. and the flrst appropriation for the work was recoramended by the conimittcctlirough his labor and influence. We iniglit continue almost indcflnitely the record of important le;islation proposed and carried tbrough by Mr. Conger, liuL we would only be repeatlng in detail what neariy every cltlzen of Michigan knmvs in a general uay. Of the lamber interest, it is woll known, he lias alwa3-s been the earncst ehampion ; so lunch so, indeed, that lie has come to be acknowlodged by lumbermen everywherc as tlieir especial friend, and the advocate of tlieir interests. Mr. Conger was never dcfeated in any election in which he was a candidatc for offlee. Through all the vicissitudes of politics for the past twelve years, the seventh congressional district has remained more even, tirin and stcadfast than any other dktrict in the hole northwest. 'J'his is hut the briefest possible outline of Mr. Congcr'a public career. It might be enlarged on almost indetinitely, were that necessary, but it is not. Ilis eminent (itness tor the position of senator is acknowledicd by all, and the only objection UTged to li election is that hia services are loo valuable to be spared from the house. In reply to this we ask. is It justice to Mr. Conger, bil constituents, or the state, to iisr tli e repntution, position and influence he has securcd as ¦ legislator to prevent his promotion? Is this the way the republlcan party of Michigan proposes to reward il iiMi-t gallan! adrocatet and defenden? What woiilil 1' tboughl of n gorernmewl lh:it would reflIM promotion tO A Coloiiel who huil oonspleuonslj and repealedly dh tingulshed lilinself In dnds oi mrooaiful bravery and valor on nianv Beid of battlc, tor Um reasmi tuol lifc services could nol be ipaied trom his regiment, and promete abore bin men oi less experience and dittlnction? Such n poUcj would bavt lefi Generala Graat, Shennan and Bheridu, miiO all oui' dlatinguiahed lokUers, In subordínate poeittoua, mul lost ui Um rcm cause in wliich they wero engaged. Such u pollcy woftld discourage (m merk in every calllng by removing one of the greateal incentives in exertion. Such a policv does not prerall aiul has not prcvailed in Other statcs, wlicrc membenoi OongreM have distinguished themsilves in tbc house. Indeed, it has becotne tl ie MtaMbhed practico to promoU memben cl' the house of representativos to the tenate, the followlny belng a lew of the more recent instances. Mr. Ferry, of Michigan, Mr. Wisdom, o1 Bflnneaota, Mr. lllaine, of Maine, Mr. Dawos and Mr. Hoar, of Mawachatetta, Mr. Cotikling. ot' New Vork, Mr. Sherman, of Ohio, and Mr. LogaB) of lllinois. 'L'he democratie party lias followed the same practico in the promotion of l'eudleton, of Ohio, Beek, of Keutucky, Ilill, of Gooren, Voorhees, of Indiana, I.amar, of Mississippi, Vanee, of Xoilh Carolina, Hereford, of WoM Vii-Rlnia, and other-, And, of eoursc, no one will forget Oen. Garfleld's elecüon to the wnate by the Ohio legislatura lul winter, while stil] a niember of the house, and its aeknowledgcd leader. DM the reimblicansof Ohio say (en. Gartield should not o to the scimtc beciiuse his services had been so eniinenl and valualile in the house ? Sincc the eloction the report lias been ¦ff - ' - ¦ "¦ - ' "' ¦ " "h " Michigan with marked persisteney, that Mr. Conger was expeotlng a cabinet position or seekiiiR the qwakenhtp of the house. Neitherof these reporta has had Mr. Congert sanction. 'J'he speaker o1 the next house of representativcs will not ie choscu until December, 1881, am' should Mr. CongQI then bc a íni'inber ot that body he would probablv not relusc M eniinent i position.should it be ofteiedhim To-day Mr. Conger is a candidato fOT l'nitcd States wnatoi froin Michigan, and for BOtbtng else, and he has been a candidato for tbis posiiion ever since Benator ('handler's dcath. This has been well undewtood throughout the sevonth district all the time. Whcn the question of the noniination of a candidate fiw representatie eanit up last nimmer Mr. Ofer was not a eaudidate; and it was only at the nrgent solicitation of promtnenl republieans In all parts of the dietrict that he consented to a renoniination. It was lirged in favor ol his renoniination that should the seventh district put up sonie other man it would be taken by republieans in other parts of tht -tate as au indication that Mr. Conger had lost the supKrt of his own inmediato constituents. Th result was tlmt on the tirst ballot in the convention he received the solid voteof evory county in Hisdistrict but one: nd tl! witli tlie universal underitandlng that be would be a candidate foi enator beïbre the legisiatnre this winter. In snpporting Mr. Conger we rest our lainis solely and alone upon the superior nicritsof our candidate. We belicve ho bas rendered himself eminently worthy ot promotion to the senatorship by his long and bithfttl service to his party aial eountrv: by hfa eniispicuous ability; by the spotles8 purity of his public and private cliaraetcr; by his untiring watchfulnos and defepK of evcry interest of the ieople of this state; by his OBMHU Mg devotlou to the grand principies of the republican party thrnmgh long years of public service; by his vast acquirement of knowledge of public affairs; ly his dash, boldness and cffloicnoy in debato on the floor of ra gross; and by his ambition and tborbugh honesty in the discharge of every duty dcvolving upon him. His friends in this state believe that he, more than any other man, bas thoroughly earned the right to favorable consideration by the republican members of the legislature. If the intelligent republieans of this state or the nation were called upon to-day to name the best known and most distinguished and illustrious statesman of Michigan, we believe there would be a unanimous verdict in Mr. Congcr's favor. Can the republican party of this state aftord to ignore or lightly cast aside the claims of one of its sons who is to-day the acknowledged parliamentary leader in congress, and who has earned, in the faithful discharge of his duty to his party and country, the distinction he now enjoys as one of the foremost men of the nation. The action of the legislature will determine this question. tiet Uiat acllou be entireiy stripped of every consideratioa but the actual merit of the caudidates and we will be more than satistied. This we believe every good republican has a right to