Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1883-12-01
JOSIAH w. BEGOJ.E, THE PATRIOT
AND REFORMER, OF MICHIGAN
DEMOCRACY.


about as unpleasant predicament, as
it is possible for political demagogue'
to get himself into. We think the
question as to whether. 1t Is right or
wrong, for state officer to accept from
railroad corporation free pass over
its road for himself or family either in
prosecuting his private or public bust
ness, matter of no Importance in this
controversy. The question that the
average voter is asking himself is: Did
Begole in the canvass for his last election
assume to himself superior virtue over his
opponent, from the fact that he could not
and would not under any circumstances,
be induced to accept of such a cOrrupting
agency as railroad pass, aud did he
urge this as reason why he should be
elected Governor Of Michigan, and why
honest voters, independent of party, who
desired to glOrify honor and who abhored
corruption, should cast their votes for
him, and further, has it since come to
light, that after all, this fuss and
feathers in public. about his virtue and
honor, he has been privately sneaking
around like puppy at'the heels of rail
road officials. importuning ,Nhem for
passes, not only for himself, bat for his
family, and this to, without much doubt,
before his election, as he admits having
had pass sent to him before his cleo
tiOn (which he had nearly used up and
it is fair to presume it was obtained like
the others upon his request.
We would ask the voters of Michigan
to ponder over what they have done. TO
overhaul themselves as it were, and see
if they are not proud of themselves, in
electing this lying old fraud as Governor
of the great State of Michigan. What do
you Democrats think of this Greenback
reform hypOcrite, you were compelled to
swallow, for the head of your ticket and
that you will be asked to swallow again
next fall. A man who by implication
admits that he cannot execute the duties
of his office as Governor, honestly and
justly and for the best interest OF the
state, where railroad interests are con-
cerned, when he has a railroad PASS In
his pocket, and who has been caught
with railroad passes in his pocket and
applying for more to take their place
when these are gone.
That gifted genius who at present
occupies the subaltern position of private
secretary. to Uncle Josiah, makes this
remarkable explanation for him. He
says the passes were to be used by the
Governor in his private business as
lumber shipper, and that when the
Governor travelled on public business he
always paid his fare and charged it up
to the state. This should certainly make
things all right for the Governor. For
instance, il instead of the railroad COM
pany paying the Governor his bride IN a
railroad pass, they had paid it to him in
money, and he had been caught taking
it and asking for more, this brilliant
ass could explain it to the good people
and show that it was all right, by telling
them that the Governor used the money
In his own private lumber business, and
not in any business in which the state
was interested. tt.s
Still more remarkable than the re-
quest for pass, and the secretary's ex-
PLANTATION Of the same, is the Governors
anxiety to prevent the railroad from
giving passes to the members Of the
legislature, for the reason as he says,
that the people demanded it, that no
passes should be given them. Can it be
possible that the people would object
to members Of the legislature who are
lumber shippers, from using railroad
passes in their private business as such?
A great many OF the Legislators are
lumber shippers and probably all of
them are shippers of some kind or
another to greater or less extent.
Why should the Governor seek to ex-
clude them from the use of these passes
in their own private business? Why
would they be more corrupted, thereby
than the Governor, and why do the
people make this demand in regard to
the members of the Legislature alone?
According to the reasoning of this
Democratic Greenback Reform States
man, railroad passes are a part of the
perquisites of the Office of Governor, for
the use of himself and the royal family,
but in no case to be used by members of
the legislature, and others of the COM