Senatorial

J.E. Be AL. DearfHr: At therequestof many prominenl Republicana, I eonsented to the use of my mime aa a candldate lor United States Senator. Slnce that announcement was made I have recel ved the strongest assuranoe Of succes ; but flndlng that there lsa s-ntimeut In favor or a selectlon from the WWtem part of the state; I have declded to wlthdraw froni the caudldacy at thl time, Wlleviug thata sectlonal contest would be detrlmental to the best lntereste of the Republican party, and thatthls act Ion on my part wlll proniote the continuance of the ex. Istlns; harmouy so essentlal to success. JAMES McMILLAN. Detroit, Dec. 6, 1886. The aboTe manly letter we regretted to receive as we have feit all along that in selccting her next senator, Michigan ahould look for brains rather than accidental location of candidates. It is tme that, other things Tieins; equal, the westcru p:irt of the state haa a strong claim for the senatorship. They have had nelther of Michigan! representatives in the U. 8. Senate fora long time and are now entitled to it. Mr. Stockbridge has a claim un tliis account, as well as because of hls former sacrifices for the party's good. Mr. Incey, also isworthy from his.abllity and experience in legislative matters. Both are clean men froni whom our fa" Penlnsular State would not receive cause of regret. But the llfe of Mr. McMillan, and especially his management of the last campaign has shown his distinguished ability, stralghtforwardness and fitness for the higher honors which the Republican party would do itself proud in according him. Some day, we predict, it will be done. Tlie Michigan Christian Advocate while cominending the article on "Methodism in Politics" in Coubier November 21, says that Methodists are free to vote as they please - except as betwetn prohibición and tícense! and quotes in support of such a dictum the obligations of tlie church discipline, in substantial extracts that the reader would understand to be the only disciplinary provisión applicable and suggests also the consultation of other "organs." Now, The Courier believes itself well informed on "the attitude ot Metbodism to prohibition," able to read the discipline, and wlien mistaken glad to be corrected. (13 the Advocate as liberal ?) The Inadvertent error that tlie N. Y. A,dvocate was the only "official'1 organ was noticed after the paper was printed, too late to rectify at that time. It was not intended to elight the claims of the Michigan Advocate to a eni-official character, nor its "ton thousand'' subscription list, recent "new dress" and general ability. But all the same the Advocate evades or does not apprehend - as does the N. Y. official organ - one point of The Courier's article, t'. e., the distinctimi and the difference between prohibition and the poliücalj.prohibltion party. The Advocate does not deny that an attempt was 111:1de to use in a political way the pastors, and through thera the Methoodist church of the state, and though not directly yet inferentially justifies it. Now, as tho Advocate undertakes to say that Methodists are not free to vote according to tlieir judgment and conscience, will it please answer these questions f First. Is not the substance of its quotation, fi-oni a Resolution adopted by the General Conference In 1884 - and not a statuary provisión - deriving its chief force frora the repetition froin the paragraph 011 "Temperance'' among the constitutional declarations of the discipline ? Second. Do you not omlt even frorn thls somewhat contradlctory resolution tlie statement that 'We do not presume to díctate to our people as to tlieir politica] ifflliations" and that "We favor tlie organizaron of Law and Order Leagues wherever practicable?" Now, these organizations have their object to enforce laws already existing, and not to make new ones, do they not '! Third. Does not the declaration of the discipline on "Temperance" following the sentencc which is called the "Motto" in the aforeaald resolution read as follows, viz.: "We heartlly approve of all civil umi ( hristi 111 etforts to save society fiom the munifold and grlevous evil?, re8ultingfrom inteinperancé, and earnestly udvise our people to co-operate in all ineasures,wliicli niay seem to.them wisely adapted to secure that end." The Advocate Is a good religious paper but if a worldly politlcal organ should omit such important clauses from a statement purporting to be fair, it would be accused ol garbling. We suggest to the Advocate that its ïnany friendshad understood itwasmostly Clired of its ambition to be a political organ and believe there is far more credit and usefulness in its chosen fleld; even if yet, it is but a semi-offlclal organ of a great church liberal enough to include nu mbers of all political partles- that it can be neutral if not independent in politics- and tliat the ma?ses make the ofgans and not the organs the massns. In tnotbei column is an extract from an able article by BUhop Merrill on the Temperance issue, which sensible ideas we commend to the Advocate.