The true northerner., 1883-03-16


Effort to Increase Salaries Of state
Onicers-General Notes.
From Our Own Correspondent
LANSING, March 3, 1888
At last the long agony is over. the dead
lock broken and Hon Thomas w. Palmer, OF
Detroit, is Michigans new United States
Senator, made such on the Slst joint ballot,
by n votes against ~ for all other can
didates, or IA more than were required to
elect The break came on the evening OF
the lst, after four ballots had been taken,
and when it was found that Mr. Palmer had
Al votes, or a majority Of the 81 Republican
members of the two houses Then it was
that changes began, each one who had voted
against the coming man vying with each
other to be first to change to Mr. Palmer
and thus "get in out of the wet" SO when
the vote was announced it showed for Mr..
Palmer the entire Republican vote, except
ing three-Representatives Parks, Pierce and
| Van Loo, who still adhered to Senator Ferry,
and one, Senator Phelps, who was absent
| The Fusionists ended the contest with the
man upon whom they first centered, Byron
G.. Stout, giving him "a votes, with six OF
| their members absent or not voting. To say
1
blage, composed of members, officers and
spectators nearly all of whom, audience in
cluded had attended every joint conven-
tion since the contest began, found vent in
| the widest excitement when the announce
ment was officially made that "Hon- Thomas
w. Palmer, having received a majority of all
| the votes cast ca majority of all the mem
bers elect to both houses being present and
voting), was elected United States Senator
| from Michigan for six years from March T.
| in nf hne
term OF office will then expire" Is putting
it very mildly to say the least
HON THOMAS wITHEREIL PALMER
IL a native OF Michigan, a tritie over 81 years
old, and is fine specimen of man both
physically and mentally He resides in
Detroit, where he was born and has always
! lived, in one of the most beautiful and
elegant homes TO be found in that grand
"City of the Straits " He is very wealthy,
his wealth reaching well up into the millions,
| and he is largely engaged in numbering,
farming and caring for his business property
| in Detroit, yet has always found time for ex-
tensive travel and study. Mr.. Palmer has a
beautiful and accomplished wife twho will
graceful y, yet modestly, share with him the
! high honOrs that have thus fallen TO hin),
but no children. He is pleasant and finished
orator, a man of scholarly tastes and OF wide
general attainmentS His personal popu-
larity is State wide and his generosity and
hospitality unbOunded
committee was appointed to invite the
Senator elect to appear before the joint con-
vention, and he soon appeared, and, upon be-
ing introduced, spoke as fol ows:
MIR. PALMER's SPEECH.
Gentlemen of the Legislature, Republicans and
Democrats, ladies and gentemen
IL would be pitiabe sight II, on an occasion
like this, should say, with any sense Of per-
sonal triumph, that Sorrow endureth but for q
| night, but JOY cometh with the morning" ] as
sure you do not: and in the outcome of this
M f1ri1n hat
might have are swallowed up i'm qualification at
the conclusion of this contest-a contest which,
II the Democrats will please pardon me, / will
say bade fair to affect the Republicans very seri-
ously in the coming election.
/ had no idea, when came here tonight, of
| being placed in this position. I thought the
chances were that should help TO contribute 10
the conclusion OF this conflict by Withdrawing,
! but chance and your favor have made It other
wise; ana am aifected by mingled sentiments
! OF elation and depression when i accept the
honor for which thank You. Elation, that the
great Republican party OF Michigan has chosen
me for its Senator for the next six years and de-
preston by what il involves and implies. Ii
involves total change of life to me--a change
from business vocations to legislative halls
to one which, IL do my duty will be n life Of
toll. 1t implies confidence in my ability which
i hope TO deserve and can hardly share. But
whatever the outcome NAV be- | beg of YOU 10
| believe that fidelity to the Republican party, to
the country, to the flag, to the whole people will
be my aim, and have no doubt can accomplish
/ Il
my abilities are concerned, time alone can tell.
remember four years ago of appearing at a
scene like this when two men, rival candidates
for this place, appeared before the Legislative
caucus-Zachariah Chandler, the great stalwart,
was nominated at that time and made his speech
to the gentlemen OF the convention. Genial
John Bagley, man of catholic spirit, great
heart and large intellect, made his speech They
are both now gone The clods OF the valley rest
over them and am reminded of little couplet
in thinking OF IL which says that
Men may come, and men may 20,
But go on forever
Men may come and men may 20. but the prin-
,iples for which the Republican party has con-
tended, believe, will go on forever.
=, But gentlemen, now that | am elected, al
though am thoroughly imbued with the prin-
ciplcs of the Republican party-although shall
endeayor TO promote them in every way possi-
ble-I still am the senator of the people IAN
plause.l NY first duty consider to he the flag
of my country-that flag which has been bap-
tized in blood and consccrated by prayers. MY
second duty will be To my State. 1t VII be no
Eastern district, it will be no Western district
with me- L shall not be confined 10 southern
or Northern lines. The question OF location
shall have nothing TO do with my preference or
my acts. My aim will be to serve the people OF
Michigan faithfully
To the gentlemen who have been co-contest-
ants with me in this conflict. return my most
hearty thanks for their courtesy To those gen
tlcmen who have given me their cordial support
assure them that shall bear in my heart senti-
ments of affection toward them until go 10 the
tlemen who came I'm so magnariimousiy and
made my election unanimous, say thank you.
Gentlemen. permit me to say good might.
Col Francis B. Stockbridge, of Kalamazoo
who had been Mr.. Palmers leading com
petitor for the past week, was also intro
duced and made a short but very happy
address, after which the President declared
the joint convention adjourned sine die.
In this connection, and before leaving the
subject a few facts by way of n summary ol
Mlchigans now
FAMOUS SENATORIAL DEADLOCK
may be interesting to your readers The
first Joint convention to vote for United
States Senator was held Jan 16 and the Last
March /, thus covering a period of forty.
three days. During this time twenty-sever
Joint conventions were held and eighty -ont
joint ballots taken, III different individuals
being voted for one or more times Senator
Ferry received one or more votes upon al
but one of the eighty-one ballots, having
fifty nine on the first and three on the
eighty first and last Rather a strage coinci
dence is found in the fact that there are
eighty-one Republican members in the two
houses and it required eighty-one joint
votes for them to elect a Senator The
famous contest in New York in 1881, in
which Conkling and Platt were swamped
has gone down to history az a remarkable
one-and it was-yet the one through which
the Michigan Legislature has lust passed
beats it ~by O large majority" That contest