Pingree's Canvas

One of the fortúnate things about Pingree's campaign for the governorship is that it was started too early. The band wagon will at first attract children and lovers of novelties, but after following it awhile they see it is all useless noise, cheap tinsel, and loada nowhere worth following. One of the strange features of his campaign is the way it seemed to carry off tlheir feet that conservativa part of our voters, the farmers. This was donO by the mayor's talk against corporation. The farmer is having a hard time with the present low prices of his produce and is looking about to see how times cao be improved. Some now say as they did four years ago : "Things can't be any worse, so let's vote for a change." Woolwas then 20 ceata and wheat 80 cents. They voted for Gorman and otlher free traders who forced throngh the Wilson bill, thereby lowering wool to 8 cents and wheat to 50 cents. Thus things did get worse. Now they say after our recent high state tax : "That can't be higher. Let's put in a feller who will shake up the corporations." But they have wnly to look to the mayor's administraron of Detroit to get an eye-opener on taxes, for vten Pingree first became mayor hie found a city debt of $000,000. Now hO has raised it to $4,000,000, and the people who formerly believed in paying as they went, now find ttoemselves under a debt they will not see paid in their life time. When the mayor went into office tbere was a horde of office holders in the city departments who did Httle work for large pay. Instead of cleaning them out, others were put in their places and the number largely increased at the tas payers expense, until they form one of the most complete machines to be found in any city. In the oíd days Detroit did nöt spend much money on lawyers and in expensive litigatiom, but of late years a large gang oí attorneys has fattened on the ■ contlnuied suits brought, against good advice and sound judgment. Farmers, business men, laboring men and even long headed politicians are not in favor of big taxes, useless employees, expensive law suits, band wagon politics, and all that makes Pingree prominent. They are going to have plenty of time before the convention to eize up the mayor's administration and to conclude that they do not wamt Michigan plunged into enormous debt, never ending litigation and invested with a burdensome lot of political hangers on. McKinley seems to be getting a lot of tihe New York delegates. In connection with that it is amusing to note how the friends of T. S. Platt wlio owns several raih-oatls in that state and controla the U. S. Express company, and of Gov. Morton, who is manytime s a millionaire, charge that money is being used against them. The simple fact is that the people are resolute in want ing protectiou's ehampion in the White House. They do not want to run any more risk about free triade. Therefore they turn out and see to it that New York does not throw away their vote on impossible candidates. Many republicans are wondering whether Mr. Pingree will take the democratie nomination after he ïails to get the republican one. He is not lair to honest republicans who have a right to know his purpose on that potat. It is expected that he will, and he does not deny it. The prohibitionists hold their county convention here to-morrow, at the court house, to elect delegates to their state convention, which meets at Lansing April 15-16.