Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1880-12-04
The speakership.
Chippewa County News.

election being over, the time has now
come when the discussion of other mat
tiers is i'm order. Chief among these, as
far as the political affairs of this state
is concerned, may be regarded the Speak
ership of the state House of Representa-
tives. A number of gentlemen have
been favOrably mentioned in that con-
nectiOn, but none of them are from the
Upper Peninsula. or even from the north
ern part of the state. The Representa-
tives from the Upper Peninsula. are per-
haps too modest to push forward their
claims, but this section of the state, from
its peculiar situation. and the growing
Importance, and magnitude of its re-
sources and business interests, deserves,
and should have, recognition; and the
News is going to take the responsibility
of bringing forward the name OF one of
its h0nOred citizens and representatives
for the position of Speaker.
Henry w. Seymour has just been elect
ed to represent the ChebOygan Represent
ative district in the Legislature. This
district is composed of ChebOygan, Chip
pewa, Mackinac and SchOOlcraft, four of
the largest counties in the state. The
district was organized as burnt" dis
trict, with a Democratic majority so
large in proportion to its vote that no
one ever thought that it might some day
be represented by Republican. Four
years ago Mr.. Macarthur, Democrat, was
elected by majority of All in a total
vote of 1875. In 1878 Mr.. Seymour was
nominated by the Republicans, but bust
ness affairs precluded a thorough can
vass, still he was only defeated by a
Democratic plurality of 70. This year
he was again placed in nomination, and
was elected by majority of $40. Three
counties out of the four giving him
handsome majOrities. Such an election
is an honor to any man.
Mr.. Seymour is just in the prime of
life, thorough, practical and enterprising
business man, an indefatigable worker,
the pOssessOr of legal as we'll as a
collegiate education. He is represent
alive man of Northern Michigan, man
of sterling character, sound judgment,
and one whose integrity has never been
called into question.
He possesses, to great degree, those
peculiar qualifications most necessary
to the proper discharge of the duties of
this important position; quick and
active mind, large executive ability, and
a thorough knowledge of parliamentary
law; while his judgement of men and
measures, is most excellent, thus ensur-
ing the most judiciOus organization of
the House. and management of the i'm
pOrtant affairs coming before it.
There are many excellent reasons why
the Speakership should this time come
to the northern part of the state, and
there are many more why, if it should
come north, that it should come to the
Upper Peninsula. 1t is very large,
important, and rapidly growing portion
of Observation-Disclosures have had to
fight the hardest to secure and maintain
continued supremacy-in the diStribu-
ton of the state offices since the organ
izatiOn of the state it has been almost
ignOred-the Speakership has never been
north of the fifth tier Of counties, and
only once there-the Upper Peninsula
has the proper man to fill the place.
These are some of the reasons why the
Speakership should come to the Upper
Peninsula, and we trust that Republic
cans from the lower part of the state
will give them careful consideration.
A CURIOUS phenomenon was noted dur
ing the Arctic researches of the revenue
cutter Corwin. In Koltzebue sound, I'M
der the Arctic circle, very strange ice
formation was visited. 1t is apparently
an immense iceberg, capped with earth
and grass. The remains almost the
entire skeleton-Of a mammoth dug
from it, have been saved as curiosity
for the Smithsonian institute.
A WASHINGTON special says: Justices
Swayne and Strong, according to good
authority, will retire from the United
States Supreme Bench before the term
of President Hayes expires. Both, by
reason of age, are eligible for retire
ment on full pay. Justice Clifford is
also eligible to retire, but according to
an old rumOr he has indicated that he
will not retire until he can be succeeded
by Democratic Justice. Hunt is not
eligible for retirement, but is incapaci-
tated from duty. 1t is said that when
Congress meets bill will be introduced,
with good chance for passage, for the
appointment of two additional justices,
whose places in turn are not to be filled
until the number of justices are reduced
to nine. This would give the court its
full complement of justices, and when
Justices Hunt and Clifford either retired
or died, the court would stand just where
ii now is. The belief is prevalent that
ex-senator Stanley Matthews, oflOhio, is
to succeed Justice Swayne, and it is for
this reason that he is not a prominent
candidate for the Ohio Senatorship.
THE Washington correspondent of the
Chicago Inter Ocean says, one of the
ablest reports to be submitted to the
President this year is that of the Secre-
tary of the Navy. The report deals with
measures of the highest Importance to
the country. His recommendations for
rebuilding the navy from purely mill
tary view of the subject are of vital con-
Germ to our commercial interests. The
Secretary sets forth the facts of the case
with great force. and contends that the
only true plan of relief is by first sup
plying the necessary means to rebuild
the navy, so as to enable it to Encourage
what there is left of our merchant marine
toward regaining its lost supremacy. The
Secretary makes special reference to the
condition of this particular interest, and
says from 1920 to 1860 American ships
carried over 81 per cent Of the ocean