Replies To Doherty

REPLIES TO DOHERTY.

Prosecutor Joslin, of Adrian, who introduced the resolution declaring for primary reform in the Detroit convention, in an open letter has come back at Senator Doherty for his assertion that "Nearly every man who was fighting for the primary election resolution in the Detroit convention was a disappointed office seeker" with a decidedly tart letter, in which he hands the boss of the state senate a few cold facts which he may do well to ponder Among other things the Adrian attorney states is the following picture of conditions in the republican camp, which will be very generally recognized as true to fact:

Under the present arrangements, a man without money or without an "angel," who aspires to any high office at the present time, has his candidacy treated as a joke, and we look at such a man as having no chance of winning. The wealthy candidate has to employ a manager and spend money liberally all over the state. Not that the wealthy man wishes to do it, but because it is one of the requirements and he has to conform to the rules if he expects to win, and here are a great many republicans like myself who have participated in these campaigns and have fought under existing conditions, not because we wanted the boodle campaign, but because we had to take the conditions as they were.

Mr. Joslin tells the senatorial boss that he believes those who oppose changing to a primary election to determine candidates for the various offices are unwise party leaders, that he believes either the advocates of the present system will be retired or the republican party will be retired. He desires the party organization to return to regard for the wishes of the people in these matters. Mr. Joslin is undoubtedly correct in his position that the people very generally want primary reform, Republican conventions have several times declared for this in spite of all the efforts of the bosses. Democratic conventions have taken a like stand. Any such endorsement on any issue which the bosses favor, would be heralded from one end of the state to the other as an expression which would have to be heeded.

It is reported from Lansing that a strenuous effort is to be made by the political bosses in the legislature to line up the country press against primary reform by such methods as may be necessary to accomplish the purpose. One of the schemes proposed is to make use of the auditor general's department through the numerous contracts to be given out to bring the republican papers in line in opposition to the proposed general primary election law. There may be some papers venal enough to bite at this proposition, supposing it to be possible to influence the auditor general's office to place its patronage at the disposal of the bosses, who oppose primary reform, which we do not believe possible, but we venture the assertion that there will be very few papers that can be thus controlled. But whether they be few or many, the important thing for the people to observe is the methods the bosses are depending upon to prevent primary reform. They are the same methods which they generally use, corrupt methods, bribery and purchase of support of their cause. Knowing their cause to be vicious and opposed to public opinion, they are ready to resort to their usual methods to overcome honest public opinion.

The question is not so much Did Judson show Green a telegram from Senator Alger? as Did he attempt to palm off a fake on the doughty general?

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Gen. Fred W. Green counters on Boss Judson in great shape. He says Judson tried to bribe him with the United States district attorneyship and showed an alleged telegram from Senator Alger to the effect that Alger would not appoint Wedemeyer, but would appoint, or have appointed, any man whom Judson might name. When this temptation was put away, the doughty General says Judson offered him $2,000 to stay by Judson. This he claims also to have refused. Of course these are startling charges, but they are a strong indication to the people of Washtenaw of the methods that have been in vogue in county politics. If the present ruction can be taken, therefore, as the harbinger of better things in lines political in this county, the people have reason to rejoice. The people generally will care much less about the personnel of this fight than about the possibility of a return to decent politics. The money debauch in political matters in this county during the past decade is a matter so unsavoury that there is nothing in the previous history of the county with which to compare it, and all clean citizens will hope that there will be nothing like it in the time to come.

Frank C. Pingree has asked to be adjudicated a bankrupt. This is another echo of the work wrought by that Napoleon of finance, Frank Andrews. Thus does the crooked financing of this man bring to naught the work of a life-time. And there are many others who will suffer even more, on account of the wreck of the City Savings bank. The poor who had all their little savings in that bank are left probably in an even worse condition.