This Should Eliminate Stearns

THIS SHOULD ELIMINATE STEARNS.

If reports are to be relied upon, Justus S. Stearns, in a Grand Rapids interview, said in substance what he refused to do and say at the Detroit convention immediately after he had been defeated for the gubernatorial nomination. At that time efforts were made to get him to go before the convention and make his peace with his successful rival and promise his support and that of his friends. This he refused to do. And for this, if he was honest in what he had written and spoken during his canvass, he deserved commendation. But if later reports be true, he has finally stultified himself and advised his friends to support the man whom he declared during his canvass to be unfit to be governor of Michigan, giving the points of his unfitness. This is his alleged language:

"Gov. Bliss has been renominated by the republicans of Michigan and it is our duty to elect him with the regular majority or a larger one if we can. Gov. Bliss is our candidate and we must stand by him loyally."

If Bliss was not a fit man to be governor of Michigan before last week's convention, what has since made him fit? If the serious charges made against Bliss by Stearns were true, or Mr. Stearns believed them true, what evidence has come to hand now which causes him to abandon those charges and advise all republicans as a matter of duty to support him? If Mr. Stearns is convinced that the charges he made against the governor have no foundation in fact, then he should do more in the way of amends than to advise his friends as a matter of duty to support Bliss. He should make the "amende honorable" and say that he was either mistaken in what he posed to be the facts as to the governor's record and unfitness for the office of governor, or that he, Stearns, willfully and with the hope of private advantage, lied about the governor. It was wholly unnecessary for Mr. Stearns, in the pursuit of his ambition, to get the nomination for governor to say what he did about his opponent, if those charges were false. And if those charges are not false and Stearns is an honest man, how can he justify his advice to all republicans?

It will be remembered that Mr. Stearns said before he became a candidate for governor this year, that he would never conduct such a campaign as was made two years ago, and if he ever became a candidate again it would be because the people wanted him, that is to say, he would never again be concerned in such a campaign of corruption as that of two years ago. The people had a right to suppose, therefore, that he had repented of the sins of that campaign. But if his latest alleged advice to the republicans of Michigan was actually given, then it shows him to have been engaged in a campaign of fraud and deceit again this year. These things, taken in connection with his boodle campaign of two years ago, ought to eliminate him from all future consideration in matters of political preferment. How could the people of Michigan hope to raise the present low moral tone of political matters with such a politician in the leadership?

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The erstwhile republican candidate for governor, Justus S. Stearns, is entitled to the respect of the people in one matter at least. After his rival had been named for governor an effort was made to drag Mr. Stearns before the convention for the purpose of getting him to announce has acceptance of the ticket. This Stearns refused to do. He showed his manliness, too, by thus refusing. He has repeatedly said that Bliss was not fit to be governor, either when judged by his record or his character and abilities, and to go before the convention and say he would support Bliss after having made such charges would have stultified himself. He is to be commended for his stand. He told the truth about Bliss and the fact that Bliss was named for governor rather than Stearns by no means changed these facts.