Lessons Of The Great Strike

THE ARGUS DEMOCRAT AND YPSILANTI WEEKLY TIMES

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PUBLISHED BY The Democrat Publishing Company,

D. A. Hammond, President.

S. W. Beakes, Secy. and Treas.

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PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY for $1.00 per year strictly In advance.

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Enteredat the Postoffice in Ann Arbor Mich as second-class mail matter.

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1902.

DEMOCRATIC STATE TICKET

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For Governor - LORENZO T. DURAND, Of Saginaw.

For Lieutenant Governor - JOHN F. BIBLE, Of Ionia.

For Secretary of State - JOHN DONOVAN, Of Bay City.

For State Treasure - W. F. DAVIDSON, Of Port Huron.

For Auditor General - DAVID A. HAMMOND, Of Ann Arbor.

For Land Commissioner - ARTHUR F. WATSON, Of Cheboygan.

For Attorney General - W. F. McKnight, Of Grand Rapids.

For Supt. Public Instruction - W. N. FERRIS, Of Big Rapids.

For Member Board of Education - CHARLES F. FIELD, Of Hastings.

For Justice of Supreme Court - BENJAMIN J. BROWN, Of Menominee.

For Representative in Congress - Second District - FRED B. WOOD, Of Tecumseh.

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LEGISLATIVE TICKET.

For Representative in State Legislature - First District - BYRON C. WHITAKER, Of Scio.

For Representative in State Legislature - Second District - JOHN P. KIRK, Of Ypsilanti.

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COUNTY TICKET.

For Sheriff - JOSEPH GAUNTLETT, Of York.

For Clerk - PHILIP BLUM, Of Lodi.

For Register of Deeds - C. R. HUSTON, Of Ypsilanti.

For Prosecuting Attorney - JOHN L. DUFFY, Of Ann Arbor.

For Treasurer - CHARLES BRAUN, Of Ann Arbor Town.

For Coroners - BENJAMIN F. WATTS, Of Ann Arbor.

CHRISTIAN F. KAPP, Of Manchester,

For Circuit Court Commissioners - FRANK JOSLYN, Of Ypsilanti,

WILLIAM MURRAY, Of Ann Arbor.

LESSONS OF THE GREAT STRIKE.

It goes without saying that President Roosevelt made a great hit by his interference in the coal strike and thereby bringing about arbitration of the differences between the coal operators and their 150,000 miners. The first conference showed Mr. Mitchell not only an able man, but a gentleman. It showed the operators arrogant, selfwilled and so far forgetful of what is due the president of the United States as to flout and insult him to his face, while they refused arbitration and demanded that the army of the United States be sent into the coal fields to protect their property. The president was broad enough to take all this in a spirit becoming his station and trust to the effect the insolent conduct of the operators would have with the public to right the matter. And he was not mistaken in his confidence in the American people. The public had been a keen and interested observer of the conference and was justly aroused over the insult put upon the president by the coal barons. From that moment public sentiment went over to the side of the miners as never before and the tide began to rise which was destoned to compel the obdurate operators to bow to the inevitable. This sentiment became terrible in its insistence and the operators could not withstand it. They hastened to get under cover of a proposition to arbitrate. The result is the greatest struggle between capital and labor that this nation has ever experienced has been brought to a close by referring the matter to a commission of arbitration, which should have been done months ago. The great credit for bringing this about belongs to President Roosevelt, and it has vastly enhanced his personal prestige. He has convinced the American people that he is a safe man in a great and dangerous crisis.

Another gain that has resulted is the recognition of the principle of arbitration in a manner that is destined to give it great impetus. The result is, therefore, a great gain to the cause of union labor.

The unfortunate thing about the matter is that the cause of the trouble remains. And yet there is likely to come out of this fight in the near future some attempt to remove the cause of this great trouble. For, before any such thing as permanent peace may be counted upon, there must be some power in the laws to regulate and control in the interest of the public these great trust organizations which now are able not only to conduct their business in violation of law, but to the infinite injury of the public. These concerns being chartered by the public must be compelled to conduct their business in recognition of the public as a partner.

HOUSE-CLEANING NECESSARY.

The state of Michigan is suffering today from too much republicanism. The disease is one which always results whenever any party remains in absolute control for a long series of years. The successful party under such circumstances becomes the rendezvous for all the thieves and boodlers and men who have no political principles except spoils. This is just as true of the democratic party as of the republican, wherever it is in long continued control. In New York during long continued democratic ascendency all the scoundrels in politics joined that party. In Philadelphia today every thief and scoundrel is a stalwart republican. And so in Michigan long and unopposed republican control has fastened upon the people as corrupt and vicious a lot of political rascals and thieves as ever disgraced any state. These boodlers and bribers are in the republican party because it is the majority party and in control of all the offices and all the avenues to political spoils. There is no possible way to drive them out while that party remains in such overwhelming majority. The only way to retire this gentry to private life is to reduce the majority so low as to force the nomination of good men or suffer defeat, or by turning the control over to the opposition party. There is a chance to do that this year without any sacrifice of principle owing to the fact that the democratic party has laid aside all partisan issues and constructed a platform on purely state issues which every honest man in the state endorses. On this platform a ticket has been put in nomination which will compare favorably in character and ability with any ticket ever placed before Michigan voters. That a thorough 'house-cleaning is needed, few will deny. A glance at some of the men who have seats in the present legislature will furnish convincing proof. One republican member killed himself in a drunken debauch in a disreputable house. Another became well known to the public by bringing suit to recover money lost in a gambling den. Still another was convicted of rape. A senator is under indictment for bribery and subornation of perjury. Still another has fled the state for the state's good and to escape arrest for perjury. This is by no means all. There is a much longer list of state officials who have been convicted or are sojourning in foreign lands. But the above list is sufficient "to convince that a house-cleaning is demanded.

The number of republicans of this city and of Ypsilanti who frankly told Hon. L. T. Durand, the democratic candidate for governor, while he was here last week, that they intended to vote for him indicates an amount of sloughing beyond compare. There was nothing like as much in the campaign of 1890, when Governor Winans was not only elected, but the entire state ticket with him and the legislature. If the same ratio of change exists throughout the state, there will certainly be a complete turn over This disposition to vote for Mr. Durand is by no means confined to the city. Many republican farmers who were introduced to the candidate told him they intended to vote for him while many others contented themselves by going no farther than to say that they would not vote for Bliss.

Read the Argus-Democrat.