The Press Agrees

Editor Helber has it hard, so far as politics are concerned. Mr. Townsend dropped him a line and suggested that he was not Congressman Smith, but that he was a neophite from Jackson, a lover of good things, fair play and he hoped that the action of Smith and Roosevelt had not caused Helber to lose faith in Townsend and he hoped he could have the benefit of his personal and paper support. Mr. Helber curtly answered Townsend that he would give him no support and owed him none. That he felt that the disgrace of the state administration was so pronounced, that he would not support Bliss, either. That's one vote the Judson combination drives off. Helber concludes his reply by saying that "it is a shame and a humiliation to be a republican at present in Washtenaw county." He need not limit the time to the present, nor the location to Washtenaw. He should have cut out all after the word republican. Still, we fear there is much of shame and humiliation over there in Washtenaw. ---Adrián Press.

Justice Charles D. Long, of the Michigan supreme court, whose death occurred last week, cannot toe numbered, probably, among the greatest jurists of the state supreme court, yet he was a man of sterling worth and great power for work. When he was first nominated for the high judicial dignity which he held for fifteen years, he was named, probably, more on account of his record as a soldier than any preeminence as an attorney. But he was a man of ability and power of work and through these was able to rise to the demands of the position. The surprising thing about his record on the bench is that he was able to do so much suffering as he constantly did from severe wounds received in the civil war. One of these wounds never healed and his condition was such as to demand the almost constant attendance of someone to wait upon him. But he had an indomitable will and deserves great credit for his accomplishments.

The third Michigan congressman marked for slaughter because he had had the courage to show some little independence of thought and action white on duty at Washington, has gone down to defeat for renomination, but he was strong enough to pull the machine candidate down himself when he went. Edgar Weeks, as was well understood, was not to have another nomination any more than was H. C. Smith and "Tip" Aplin, but one Williams, of Lapeer, was to receive the mantle in his stead. Weeks was killed according to program, but Williams was not covered with the Weeks mantle. One McMarron, of St. Clair county, who was a candidate just for a little advertising you know, walked off with the persimmon, with the aid of Weeks, thank you, and no obligations to the machine.

Some months ago the house of representatives made unseemly haste to pass the Nicaragua canal bill without any proper consideration. It was supposed at the time that this was simply a bluff to gain a little cheap notoriety with the expectation that the senate would do the real legislating on this important subject. This the senate has done, and the house has fallen in line as was supposed it would do. Thus, not only is the house bill turned down entirely, but the Panama route is selected in place of the Nicaragua route. This is one more indication of the decadence of the house and the paramountcy of the senate in all matters of the most importance in legislation. This is in large measure a direct result of the oligarcical rules by which the house has tied itself hand and foot.

At this distance it looks as though the action of the democratic state convention of Nebraska amounts to a practical turn down of Bryan. The democratic convention was given every opportunity to nominate Bryan for governor, but it did not take the hint. Then the populists named him, but even then the democrats did not show any sign of getting In the bandwagon. Then Bryan declined and a democrat was placed at the head of the democratic ticket who was accepted by the populists. If this be the true significance of the action of the democratic convention in Nebraska, It indicates progress and that the greatest obstacle to union of the democratic factions is passing.

Admiral Dewey in his testimony before the senate Philippine investigation committee has exploded once for all the notion that has disturbed many honest people, that he, the admiral, made an ally of Aguinaldo and that the American government broke faith with him. The admiral's evidence absolutely puts to rest the issue. Dewey says he neither recognized him as an ally or made any promises to him. He gave him arms with which to fight the common enemy, but this was simply an incident of war and carried no promises uttered or implied. The admiral's characterization of Aguinaldo absolutely strips that individual of all the halo of a Filipino Washington.