The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-07-31
POLITICS ON THE PRAIRIES.
The Situation in Michigan. Minnesota,
Wisconsin and Iowa.
Grant Moves on Creeley's
Works.
Liberal Progress-DemOcrati BOur-
bOns Wheel Into Line.
THE REGULARS AWAKE AT LAST
Democrats in Dead Earnest -Partisan Papers
nnd Political Assessments
MICHIGAN.

July o. the drift of political events in the wolverine
State has not been such to induce me to retract
the opinions expressed therein, that the State was
safe for Grant; but the liberal movement has made
such progress az to merit further notice. The de-
feat Of the Bourbon wing OF the democracy at the
State Convention was, rs you know, very thorough,
Greeley electors being chosen and the State Gen.
trail Committee reOrganized accordingly. The hos
tile attitude OF the Detroit Free Press up to the
time that the National Democratic Convention
accepted the Cincinnati nominees was very
severe check 10 the liberal movement; but the
moment that the declaration OF the National Con-
vention had been made the propriet0rs removed
their anti-Greeley editor and wheeled into line.
Since then the movement has developed more
strength than was conced d to It, and the regular
republican party has comm need to work in
earnest, which it should have done weeks ago. II
the Northwest and the eectiOn are lost to Grant
and Wilson the catastrophe must be laid to the
account of the local press and leaders OF the party
All along they have "trusted to luck" hoping
that the democrats would not swallow Greeley, or
would endorse him in some such hal hearted way
as would permit people to stay away or that there
would be bolt, or that Greeley would repent at
the eleventh r-halfpast-and decline to burst
up the party AS all of these contingencies nave
failed to be brought about the regular republican
party has had to organize at the last minute, and
with party which 1t has all along declared to have
no existence has had o bad effect upon the rank
"" With regard S to the democrats, cannot avoid
remarkng that the regular republican party
is suffering considerably from the well in
friends friends The literature Of this campaisn as
| the HERALD predicted on the day after Mr.. Gree
| gree. There is no harm in that; but the comic
| writer's are running one thing into the ground
! the democratic disgust at having to swallow Gree
| 0rearV.
as making the BourbOns die Off like sheep. The
people who write thus never st,r out o. their Offices
THE DEMOCRATS, ON PRINCIPLE,
might fight shy of Mr. Greeley, but they not nice
about weapons, and they have twelve years Of pO-
litcal defeat to avenge and much as they hate the
they would for Horatio Seymour or Pendleton.
allude to this rather general subject as perceive
that the same tactics are adopted In serious ar
All .hs ' DO does hot alter the fact that they are
working for Greeley Ike beavers, ss,,s"1,
| that Il they can elect him they will have
share In the administration from 1878, and that in
the scrub race in 1879 their close organization will
| give them great advantage over the two or more
sections Of the republican party. As for the demo-
Gratis believing that their acceptance OF Greeley is
any such thing !" Going to disDand. All =; observes
the average democrat; "Disband hell Wait till
There is no State in the Union in which Grant
stands Q better chance than Michigan. 1t is
Essentially s ake republican eS Ya na snS T
may change the voice Of the state:
1s61-e4 has lasted so long and displayed so much
intensity. TO the Michigan republican democracy
claim for political preferment; The G. A. r.
is among the powers that he. The country
Michigan has teO many IN
Many Of them cannot make a living on the proceeds
Of their legitimate business, and so are obliged to
atvfap fot,
influence for office No matter what the HERALD
may think Of the transaction as a question Of
this sort Of business has been very largely en-
tered into in the West, so that when some news
that its editor is federal oflce- is invariably
made, and, in a majority OF instances, is correct.
Lansing, for instance, has an administration organ
edited by q postmaster, and with two other at
taches in office. Michigan is ''run"-and very thor
oughly run-by Senator Chandler. The republican
zeal and some more discretion would do no HARM
Political assessments have been made by the Cen
trail Committee on the federal employees, and
some of these gentlemen, being weak of faith
have declined to pay % per cent. and published the
circular Governor Blalr's son, for instance whose
was removed rom his place as mail agent These
are very cheap martyrdoms; but 1t cannot be
denied that the assessment OF employees to aid an
administration pledged to Civil Service Reform is
doing harm to the party in the rural districts. Hon.
his mission is principally to reply to the speeches. Of
Governor Blair and Senator Trllmbull, dpropos or
the Secor and ChOrpenning claims AS affairs
stand at present the Grant men have the
inside track but their majority will be con-
siderably reduced. Michigan, however, has more
backbone than Illinois, and stout fight may be ex-
pected, with probable victory, even II the verdict
of the early elections should be adverse to Grant.
REPUBLICAN RENEGADEs
The republicans w 10 have gone over to the liberals
are not men of such prominence or character as
those in Illinois, New York or Missouri. Among
them may be mentioned Ex-Governor Austin Blair,
ex.Congressman Randolph Strickland, Mr.. g. s.
May, Mr.. Jacob Ferris, Mr.. j. f. briggs, Mr.. Eugene
Prnge and Mr.. Frederick Carllss or the others
who have thus far declared themselves, well OF
some OF those now mentioned, your readers, even
in the West, would be hearing for the first time.