Michigan State News

The State Supreme Court declares unconstiluti i ;:1 llie ciurailotive votin law passed by the Legislatura of two years ago. The law ni deslffned to secure minority repreaentation ín the lower branch of the Legislature from Detroit and Grand Rapkls. In Detroit seven Repn-sentatives are elected. The cumulative voting law allowcd tho elector to cast seven votes for one of these candidates if he wished instead of oneforcach of the seven. Under this act the Republieans succeeded in foor Representatives in Detroit this f all and one in Grand Rapids. The caiivasser refused, howcver, to t''vc l'le Rt'publioans certificatcs of cleetion and a test case waa carried to the Supremo Court. In deCiding against the lavv the court holds tliat it is ïiot withln the power of th Legislature to allow an elector to cast more thun one vote for any candidato nor to give to the choice of an elector more than a single expression. Such a law, saystht court, In conclusión, would be but Icgalized ballot-box Rtufünjj. TWO-CENT FARE LAW VALID. The Conttltutlonality of the Act Upheld by Ihe Sdite Supreine Court. The Supremo Court lias decidcd that tbe 2-cent fare law eiiaeted by the last Iiegislaturc. and whicb lias been unanImously disrejfarded by all the railroads opcrating under its provisions, is valid and must be enforccd. The law provides íor a sliding scale of passenger rites. Roads rarning Icss than $2,000 per mile ffross worc allowed to charge 8 cents as lierctofore. Iloatls earning over $2,000 and loss than $3,000 were required to curry pasocngers at iy cents per milc, aml roads earning over $3,000 were cut down to 2 cents per mile. Under the law tlio Chicago & Grand Trunk was one of the roads required to malïc a 8-ccnt rati', and this company bronght a test case to tlic Supremo Court on the groiind tliat the sliding scale arranjjement was unconstitutional. The court wns unaaimoua in its decisión, nplioMing tlic ]-.iv. State Teachers' AMoetatlon. The fourtli annual meeting of the State Teachers' Association was held at Grand Rapids, and the following offlcers were elected: President, Orr Schurtz, of Charlotte; Vice-Presidents, J. V. Siminons of Owosso, C. T. 'Grawn of Traverse City: Seeretary, E. M. Russell, of Battle Creck; Treasurer, C. L. I?emis, of Ionia. During the past year seventy-two institotes were held With an attendance of 6,507 and an expense of 811,390. The total teaching force in tlie State was 10,075. Henil li in Michigan. Rcports to tlic State üoard of Health by sixty-two obscrvers in different parts of the State for the week ended December 27 Indicated that ivhooping cough, cholera morbos, inflammation oi thebrain, scarlet fever and typlioid eTer increascd, and diplitheria, cholera iniantum and indainmation of the bowela decreased in arca of prcvalence. Diphtheria was re portod at twenty-one places, scarlet fcver at . thirty-sevcn, typhoid fever at sixtecu and measles at thirteen places. simt by a Marshal. The tovn of Minden City, Huron County, was lire sce.ne of a shooting aftray in whicli Arcliie Moonoy, proprietor of the Ilnnl House, would probably lose bis life. .lohn Cole, wbo was marshal of tbc place, was taldng a dranken ïn.in to jail wuen Mooney interfered, Colo drew liis revolver and fired three shots, two of tbem taking effect in Mooncy's breast. Itwasreported tbat bolh Mooney and Cole bad been drinking I.crt in I)iïut. A Soo minister left bis pulpit in disgust tbc other eveuing. Suddenly stopping in tbc midst of a sermón, be saidi "TUere is flirting, talldng-, note-writin, gum-cbewing and visiting going on here, and I wilt stop tinti I you gel througb." He waited fiftocn minutes and tbe festivitics Increascd instead oi diminisbing. He Uien told the janitoi to lock up tbe ehureh and the audience went out. Law Stenogrher9 Orpanle. - The State Law Stenographers' Association was organized at Lansing fot the purpose of establisuing and maintaining a proper standard of efficiency in the profession. Tbe officers elccted were: President, Ilenry F. Walsh. ol Grand Rapids; President, Gcorge Gatrell, of Marshall; Sccretary and Treasurer, ('looide 0. Hlgbce, of Marquette. short but Neivy Items. Old Mrs. MeGiuley died of starvation at Lansing-, Hunters are thick around Wales, bul rabbits are only worth a cent apiece up there, even when ready for marUet. Governor Luce has pardoned Joseph Mossette. who was sent frora Newaygo in 1882 to serve twenty-Gve years in th State prison at Jackson for assault. One mine at Sebewaing1 is taUing out 100 tons of blaoU dianionds daily. Deer-lmnters are flocldng to Northern Michigan by the hundred. Marquctte was phitting a 100-aere addition, witli free sites for faetones. The St. ClairConnty supervisors have Cttt the medical cxaminers' fees in insanity cases irom $16 to $r. I It took G00 pcople to raise the SIOO.OOC bonus for the Lansing Capítol wagonworks. The; all became stocUholders. Tho factory wlU be built at once. G. E. Bradt, a notion dealer at Flint, has decided to give up business and ge to evangelizing. E. V. Leech & Co., lumber dealers at Detroit, filed oliattel mortgages to secure indebtedness aggregating$39,000. It was said the assets greatly execeded the MaVilitios.