Address

The Democratie State Convention, ïeld In Lanaing on the 28th of Februiry, placed in nomination the Ilon. íolin B. Shipman for Justice of the Supreme Court, and George P. Sanford and Henry Whiting for liegents of the Jniversity. Subsequently, and on the ame day, the State Convention of the iational party also nominated the same gentleman for the positions men;ioned. This ticket is therefore the .icket of the Democratie party and also of the National party. t the election in November last the üemocratic vote was 78,71C The National vote 73,413 Making a total of 162,129 The Hepublican vote was 126,397 Opposition majority 25,732 The Bepublicans are in a minority of 25,732 votes besides the 3,133 votes or the Prohibition ticket. It is tlius manifest that the ticket resented by the Demócrata and Naionals will be elected if the members of tliese parties give it their support. The importance of doing so is very jreat. Indeed, to omit this duty at the H'esent time, when victory is certain to follow a cordial support, will be, it is submitted, botfa a great mistake and a great folly. If, through the apathy or disinclination of Demócrata, the Republicana ahould again succeed, the injury to future prospecta of the party will likewise be great. In the nation the Hepublican party succeeded, by fraud and craft, in procuring the Lnauguration of their Presidential candidate, though he feil 2r0,000 votes short of a majority. In this State the same party, in consequence of the diyided action of the opposition. likewise succeeded in electing all our State oflicers and members of Congress, though the vote of that party feil about 30,000 votes short of a majority. No longer able to succeed by fair argument, either in the nation or in this State, that party employs every device to créate divisions and awaken jealousies in the opposition, and hopes to succeed by management where it has failed in deeds. The leaders of that party have often tauntingly said that they could out-manage their opponents. They hope to maintain ascendancy n ot by the wisdom and economy of their administraron, but by the dexterity with which they deceive the voters and manage the party caucusses. We do not underestimate the imp3rtance of the interest immedtately involved in this eleetion. The LJniversity of Michigan is of thegreat"ot i7uiiii. U ïis. Qua at the verv üist of educational institutions in tni world it lias not only added to out own State a large number of thoroughiy educatec eitizens in all the walks of life, augmented greatly the real power ant prosperity of our people, and inspiiec a taste for the highest culture and civilization at home, but it has increaset our fame abroad. It has added lustre to Michigan wherever leuning is prized. It has been one of the causes of the respect shown our nation by foreign peoples. ïhis institution founded by a Democratie administration and reared by its care, has alvvays been ardently cherished. It is only recently that it has been involved in the turmoil of party politics. The allexacting demanda of the llepublican party spirit have for some time insistec1 that the University also should be subject to party control and its offices be used to reward party services. 11 would sacrifice our dearest interests to party prejudice. To increase the danger and add to the difliculties, persona quarrels have been fostered in the management when there was no difliculty in the way of expelling them. The interests of employés have been the object of greaber solicitude than those of the institution itself. The University can undertake nobody's quarrela and nobody's vi'idication bnt its own. And it is just grounc of objeetion to any man that he brings with him into the institution to personal or private quarrel, no matter upon which side he may be. This magnificent institution must have no contest on its hands save the contest for ing and the battle with ignorance. The management of that institution must be non-partisan, non-sectarian and free froni all taint of personal 01 private interest. All the Regents of the University at the present time are Republicana. A due regard for its interests and the interests of education requires that they should not all be of one political party. It is confidently believed that the interests of education itself will be greatly promoted by the election of the Democratie and National ticket. Your attention is therefore invited to the importance of electiiig this ticket on account of this great interest. There is no foundation for hoping that the management will be heieafter tree froni party and personal turmoil if the Republican nominees be elected. The relations of certain influential Republican leaders to the University troubles are such that they will always be able, and they will always be disposed, to renew and carry on their contests, so long as the Regents are all under such powerful party obligation. Itjis clearly evident that the elamorous demands of a powerful and persistent Itepublican leader, made upon Republican Regents, would necessarily secure complete, or at least partial, eompliiince, in order to maintain party harmony and avoid party rupture. Party exigency would mould the action of Regents who were charged with the severe duty of maintaining party unity, as well as that of governing the University. The interests of party would override the interests of the University. All this (langer can be avoided, and can only be avoided, by the election of the opposition ticket. To your eonmiittee the present seems a time when no one who is a f riend of the cause of good government or of the Democratie party should hesitate or waver. If only the present election was involved the active support of the ticket nominated by the Democratie convention would seem the part of wisdom and the course of duty. But great as this interest is, much more is involved in the present election. The class of Republicans recently voted down and repudiated by the Republican masses, such as Logan, Carpenter and others, are regaining power and assuming control again in that party. The election of 1880 is destined to be a conflict between absolutism in the Republican party on the one side and all the opponents of this corrupt oligarchy on the other. On the one sido will be :i con test with the people, ayainst the people, for a f avored few. Large nuinbers of liberalninded Ilepublicans, it is conüdently elieved, as well as all Democrats anil Nationals, will array themselvcs igainat the party of absolute power. The importance of carrying the )iesent election is therefore great- far eyond its iramediate result. ïhe best nterests of the country are involved. )uï adversarles have, by their laws md administration, by their management of public affairs, brought upon he country immeasurable evils. They ïave driven our flag irom the oceans, sijuandered vast sums, burdened the eople, paralyzed our industries and oppressed the industrial classes. Uu IHc other hand, their laws have jeen partial to certain classes and temióos to others. They have promotd and fostered the acciimulation of arge fortunes in the hands of capitalsts, to the detriment of all other kinds of property and of labor. The country s to-day sulïering severely from the nanifold evils inflicted upon the people by partial legislation and corrupt ulministration. The Republican party is solely responsible for all these burdensome evils. They liave fostered corrupt rings, which have plundered the people ; they have prostituted official patronage to purchase and reward partisan services; they have corrupted the people by the lavish use of large sums of money in elcctions ; they have kept alive sectional animosity and party hate to blind the people to the grevious wrongs they have rnfiicted; they have surrouiided the polls with armed soldiers and organized and controlled Legislatures at the point of the bayonet. And their long career of political corruptiou and wrong-doing bas ended in the climax of infamy which seated a defeated candidato in the Presidency through fraud, and peijury, and forgery which can no longer be denied. The fact that the Democratie party bas, in the present canvass, an ally of great strengthand energy.equally with itself to overthrow the llepublican oligarchy, is well calculated to inspire all with courage. Even if the union ticket were not originally sought, all will agree that, now it is made, every effort should be put forth by the Democrats to render the vote of the party as large as possible. Without going over with arguments on this subject, as reasons will arpear te all who rellect, the discussion of the issues is relegated to the peoph; themselves. Patriotic work will not only give our cause a victory at this time; it will bring to us thousands of thinking Republicana who are disgusted with the ascendency of stalwartism, and insure the victory in 18S0. Let every man do liis duty in this The contest in Michigan is watched by the people of the whole nation with anxiety. Every Republican victory this spring will be an encouragement to Grantism. It will echo the tramping of the "silent man on horseback," with his compact and audacious band of stalvvarts, steadily marcbing to the subversión of our free institutions and the establishment of imperial power; while a victory for our cause will be hailed with deiight by patriots everywhere.