Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1876-12-23

SATURDAY. DECEMBER %. 1876.
ATTEND re HOME MATTERS NOW.
The past few months have been months
of intense and absorbing excitement, and
have. to "a very great extent, drawn the
atteption of the community from: bust
ness interests. This always has been
the case, and probably always will be the
case under a Republican government.
Every Presidential year the business in
terests of the whole country suffer loss
from lack of proper attention. Perhaps
this result has been more noticeable this
year than ever before, for the reason that
the industries of the country were large
iy paralyzed by the results of the panic
through which the country has just
passed. Particularly has this result been
noticeable here; more. perhaps, in matters
pertaining to public improvements and
general prosperity than i'm private bust
ness, but We venture to tsay thattthere is
no business i'm this place but which has
suffered more or less neglect on account
of time devoted to political questions.
As representative and exponent of po-
litical organization, we know that it has
been the case with us. But it was not to
the neglect of private interests that we
desired to call attention. There have
been matters connected with the pros
perity of Cheboygan which have been
neglected on account of the political tx.
element, which should have received at
tention, and which. had they done so,
would have advanced our interests ma
terially. In the first place, our citizens
have allowed nearly all interests i'm the
Improvement Association to die out, so
that, Notwithstanding the efforts of the
officers to do all that could be done i'm
the way of carrying out the original de-
signs, its work, although amounting to SO
much as would surprise those who have
paid no attention to it. yet it has not ac-
ccomplished 1.-THE of what might have
been done, had our citizens continued to
take the interest I'm it they should. Even
under the disadvantages it worked, the
association accomplished much for Che
boygan. Our government appropriations
last year were secured largely through
its influence. A large degree Of public
attention has been attracted this way
through correspondence. Now that
election is over, it is time that some at
tention be given these matters. The
question must come up, shall anything
further be done with IL, or shall anything
in the way of public improvements be
left to run themselves? The inland nav
igation Improvement is nearly completed.
and is likely to prove better than was
hoped for when it was first agitated. 1t
Is highly desirable, yes, absolutely neces-
sary, if ChebOygan, and in fact the whole
northern country, receive the benefits
from it, that there be first-class boats put
upon the route OIL the first opening Of
the route. TO look after this would
legitimately come under the work of
the Improvement Association. 1t i:
stated that the Iron Works at Frankfort
are contemplating removal to some point
where wood is more accessible. Iron
workssr just what Cheboygan wants ,and
there is no better point i'm the entire
country. 1t is the province of the asso-
citation to look into all these matters, and
show any such parties that their interest
lies in bringing the works to this place.
1t may be that for the want of work. just
such as the association could do, if it was
live organization, that these iron works
may 60 to some other point. The asso-
citation i'm name, without the hearty CO.
operation of its members, can accomplish
nothing. Then there is the dry-dOck
business. What might have been accom-
plished the past season had the assOcia
ton been in working condition is hard
to tel. but as the lake commerce Is likely
10 look up with the increased prosperity
Of the country. it is highly desirable that
something be done looking to this end.
The fact of the matter is, the same
amount of attention, or even very small
portion of it, devoted to matters pertain
ing to our welfare as town and county,
would do much towards developing the
country. These matters should be looked
to by all our citizens, and permit politics
and its attendant excitements to take care
Of themselves while.