Allegan, Eaton And Grand Traverse

counties are moving for an early vote on local option. Thomas A. Edison, the wizaid of inventors, has been studying 'or a long time the problem of converting the combustión of coal into eleotricity, and claims to have succeeded. If this is so it will immortalize bis fame as much ii not more than any previous invention he has made. The Baltimore and Ohio Express, with all rights, privileges and franchises pertaining thereto, has been sold to the United States Express Company, for a period of thirty years. The purchase price is said to be $2,500,000, of which $1,000,000 is cash and the remainder United States Express stock. Whii.e every other nation upon the globe is fidgeting about how to raise nioney to pay ita interest and keep up appearances, the United States is mainly bothered with the question what to do with the millions of surplus in the treasury. This is one of the inheritances of republican financiering. But it is better than the collapsed treasury republicans found when they took charge of the nation's affairs. - Chicago ínter Ocean. Bishop William Logan Harris, one of the most highly esteemtd members of the Methodist Episcopal church, died at his residence in New York city, Tuesday, Sept. 2, aged 70 years. He had been ill for a nuinber of years, and subject at times to severe attacks of heart disease, and this trouble finally culminated in his death. He was a man of great energy, and an immense worker, and had a large body and commanding appearance. He was known and had friends in almost every church and station in his church. He was admitted to the ministry Sept. 7, 1837, by the Michigan conference, and by a peculiar coincidence he was to have opened that conference the Sth of next month. just fifty years to a day after he became a minister. The man of whom the colored race has the most reason to be proud, Frederick Douglass, has lost none of his republicanism under the temptations which have been held out to him more than once by the democrats. Thewords of this eloquent representative of his race should command the earnest consideration of every friend of liberty in this country. Writing to a friend, Dr. William H. Johnson, of Albany, N. Y., he says. I have come home as I left home, firmly believing in the future of our country and of the colored race and of the republican party. I have no more patience now than heretofore vvith those that teach the colored citizen to believe that the occupation of the republican party is ended ; that there is now no difference between the two great parties ; that the colored man has no more to hope from the one than from the other, and that we should now throw principies to the wind and go just where we can get the largest share of the spoils. The black man was hatched into freedom and political life in the republican nest and under republican wings, and it is a foul bird that will soil his own nest or despise the wings that have sheltered and warmed him into life. I fear we shall have to wait a good while before the democratie party, with its antecedents, its war record, its dependence upon the Solid South, shall make itself acceptable to any considerable number of colored voters. I would rather be with the party of freedom and progress in defeat than with the party of the Glenn bill in victory. Yours truly,