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Statistical Argument

Statistical Argument image
Parent Issue
Day
18
Month
April
Year
1889
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

A few yeare ago a pmart young rúan named Ford was aent to the legislature iïom Grand Rápida, and he made a great reputation with his "hanging bilí," as Lansing people called it. He was very bright, and made an able speech. His reputation sent him to Congress. Other representatives Lave tried it since and failed to make reputations. One is trying it now. The Detroit Tribune printed a whole lot of figures recently to show how the crime of murder is increasing in Michigan. It has precipitated; the struggle for the death penalty. Speaking of figures and statistics reminds us-of one curions yetsad circumstance which occurred during a senate debate in Lansing on the "hanging bilí." Jay Hubbell was then senator from the 32d. He made a long speech in favor of lianging human beings by the neck. Jay didn't know anytbing r.bout the subject, as he afterwards laughingly confessed in Üie hearing of the writer. Think of it ! A man, standing as a law-maker, sworn to do his duty, so careless of tb a sacredness of human life as to vote and speak for the death penalty without ha ving Btudied the subject. It is sad. The curious part of the incident, which is also sad, is that when Jay was making his speech, a Lansing clergyman sat near him and placed slips of paper within easy reach of the speaker, on which werewritten figures and statements favoring the death penalty. These slips Jay would piek up and use, expatiating upon thern in an entirely ex tempore manner, and growing all the time very red in the face, as was his wont when he is talking without any familiarity with his subject. When Jay had made a particularly astonishing statement froni a slip of paper, and paused for breath before the time to get redder in the face, a senator arose and politely requested him to teil where he found those figures. Jaywas puzzled for a moment. He didn't want to slop to confer with the clergyman; that would be too transparently ridiculous. So, with a tremendous rush of blood to the face, and bringing his fist down on the desk in tme demagogie sty le, he thundered: "I.got them in the ilatütics!" There was a suppressed titter in the nenate chamber. The bill was defeated. The population of the Samoan Islands is not moro than 87,000 all told. The nativos aro an crect, handsomo brown race, with straight black hair. The French ooininander who originally discovered Uio islands named the group Navigators' Islands, from the skül displayed by the peoplo in handling their canoes and boats. The Samoans were long ago converted to Christianity, but in case of volcanio eruptions, which still recur at intervals, they are rather inclincd to lapso into the worship of their ancient rcirthquake god. i Tho Pcnnsylvania Bailroad company has imported an English locomotive engine for trial. It has driving wheels Bil and a half f eet in diameter. It is built on tho compound eystem, having two high pressuro and one low pressure cyünder. The chiim made for it is that ít can bü run with nearly 19 per cent iesa fuel t';an American engines can. (

Article

Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Register