An Enthusiastic Mass Convention Of Those

who favor constitutional prohibition was held in Detroit Tuesday and a non-partisan state organization to be known as the "Citieens' Union," was effected, the object of which is to créate public sentiment in favor of temperance and adopt a prohibitory amendment to the state constitution two years from now if possible. Im speaking of that band-box class of politicians known as the mugwumps, Theodore Roosevelt made a neat hit in a banquet speech a few days ago when he said, " I want to point out to you an involuntary compliment that is paid us by our more recectly acquired antsgonists. They always claim, when they say that we have gone wrong, that we have failed to live up to the old republican standard, When the democrats do as they think right, as the highest praiee they can give them, they say they have gone contrary to all the traditions of their party." The temperance movement grows daily, and it would seem that the great and most serious evils of the traffic in intoxicating liquors must soon receive a check that will be feit all over the land, and for the good of t!ie nation and the world. It is a joy to recognire the fact that the republican party is awake to the necessities of the case and are Uking decisive steps in the nght direction. In New York city preparations re being made for a large public meeting May 25, under the direction of the antiealoon republican national committee. The meeting will be presided over by ex Chief Justice Noah Pavis and addressed by Senator EvarU, Gen. Stewart L. Woodford, the Hon. Theodore Roosevelt, and other prominent republicans. The object of this movement is aimed particularly at the saïoon politics. As stated in a New York ■dispatch : " It is feit that the liquor interest is using the political parties for its own aggrandisement, and that the corrupting and degrading tendencies of the politics of the country are in a jrreat measure dueto this cause. The organization of the anti-saloon republisans is destined to counteract these tendencies. The meeting of the 25th is expected to give a powerful Ímpetus to this general movement in the interest of purer and better politics locally and generally." Mant of our readers will remember Mr. G. P. Brown, formerly editor of The Register, who went to Chicago and established "The Sanitary News." He has had excellent success with his paper which has juat begun its tenth volume, and has removed his office to the main floor of the elegant Bxchange building one block gouth of the Grand Pacific hotel, where he would undoubtedly be pleased to see any of his old Ann Arbor friends. Of course, by this time, he has become pretty good authority on sanitary matters and the following, with reference to the sanitary uses of trees will be read with interest : " Trees which will attain a large growth should not be et near a house, as in their age and decay they are a constant menace to safety. A rule has been laid down that the root should be as far from the house as the height which the tree may be expected to attain. Thick belts of trees should not surrsund the house as they interfere with the free circulation of air and tend to keep up a higher temperature. The use of trees to secure a proper amount only of sunshine and shade should be closely studied and the effects prognosticated when trees are plan led. Vï have been hoping to learn of some good to the country that bas resulted f rom the inter-gtate commerce law, but have failed thus far. Undoubtedly something of the kind was needed badly enough, but it would seera necessary that man y modiöcations of the present law must be made before it can do the country at large any good. In this state it looks as f it was a écheme getten up by the r&ilroads for their especial benefit They had a lot of dead heads on their hst and did not have the courage to offend them by cutting them off, but now they can excuse themselres and lay the blame oh the law. If they were fair about thie and treated all alike there would be nothing to say ; but when they contrive to bribe the members of the legislature with their passes and cancel those that were fairly earned, put up the price of tickets to wholesale customers, and refuse favors to the public and those who are rightfully entitled to sueh favors, it shows a disposition on the part of the railroads that is cot generous and just to eay the least. The latest information in regard to the working of the new law is that the high freight rates and the advanced tariff duties which Canada has adopted on account of the law will combine to prove a serious blow to our trade with that country. The United States consuls report manufacturera and dealers going elsewhere for their coal, hardware, groceries, etc. If congress could have ben conteat with establishing and enforcing a few specific, plainly worded regulations for the guidance of the railroads and protecting the interests of the government, and left to the natural demanda of trade and traffic, and regulation by competition, much that it attempts to regúlate by arbitrary rules that do not fit well in the places for which they are designed, it seetns as if it would have been far better for the country. The Courier makes a very lame attempt to cover up its own miedoing, and to break the force of the charge that by its unfair methods it deceived the Business Men's printing committee, in the matter of awarding the printins of the "booming" pamphlet last week. It says The Register "charges the printing committee, composed of such men as A. W. Hsmilton, G. F. AUmendinger and Dr. Breakey, with collu8ion in awarding said printing to the Courier, it being the lowest bidder." The Register has made no such charges, much as the Courier would like to have it appear so. It believes the committee was deceived into awarding a contract to the highest bidder instead of the lowest, and in thiö it is quite sure Mr. Morton, of the Argue, and the president of the association will concur. The Courier is uofair in bringing Dr. Breakey's name before the public in this connection, for he was not present at the time the bids were opened, only Messrs. Hamilton and Allmendinger of the committee being there. Dr. Breakey, before he left the meeting, suggested that the matter be laid over one day, so that there could be no tnisunderstanding, and if his suggestion, which was also urged by the president of the association and those who made the bid, had been foilowed, no trouble would probably have arisen. The Argusand Register stated fairly to the committee as all were requested to do, the size, weight and quality of the paper they bid upon, which was of the proper size to make the pamphlet from. The Courier representativo said his bid was upon the same weight of paper, but adroitly kept back the size nntil af ter the bids had been awarded, and then stated the size of his paper which was twice ihat of the otherp, making the weight per sheet or ream, and the cost likewise, when reduced to that of the others, one-half. Under such circumstances the committee should have thrown out all the bids or required them to be changed so as to agree upon the weight and quality of paper. Reduced to that standard the Couner's bid wou'd have been the highest ot all. The Register was not over-anxious to get the work and would not have hesitated to congratúlate the Courier, bad it obtained the work fairly, but it does not like such treatment ; and it, nor the Courier, nor any other paper of spirit would feel itself rigbtly denied the privilege of putting the blame where it lies. Messrs. Allmendinger and Hamilton, although misled in. this matter, are men of honesty and good judgment and to-day respect the men who resorted to no deception, as will the members of the businet men's association and all who know anything about the affair, in spite of the Courier's prediction to the contrary.