Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-30
THE MICHIGAN sENArORsHIP.

THE MICHIGAN sENArORsHIP.
Ex-Cov. Luce In Making q Fierce Fight
/ but Without Encouraging Prospects.
| CORRESPONDENCE of The Evening star
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich, Nov %. 1892
! As the time approaches for the Legislative,
! session TO open the interest increases in thu
| senatorial question. Both Senator Stockbridge
who desires reelection. and ex-Gov. Cyrus G.
Luce, who In ambitious to succeed to the seat
are making very vigorous canvass but in
! this direction Mr.. Stockbridge has . decided
advantage over his rival by reason of the very
| efficient strokes he put in early in the season.
When the legislative conventions were being
held Senator Stockbridge was not slumbering,
but In every part Of the state he had his repre-
sentatives making the necessary ARRANGEMENTS
FOR the nomination Of law makers who would
be friendly to his interests. Mr.. Luce was also
| actively engaged in the early part Of the game
and in the same direction, but his work was
not so effectively done. In every district the
conflicting claims between Stocibridge and
Luce we're the issues In the nomination Of
candidates for the legislature, and when the
last convention had been held Senator Stock
bridge was several lengths ahead In the cam
paign both candidates were on the stump and
the legislative candidates pledged to them re-
spectively. Mr.. Luce manifested his interest
IN his followers by stamping for them and Mr..
Stockbridge helped his candidates not only by
making speeches in their behalf, but also in
contributing to the expense of their cam
paigns. After election and when it WAS known
who was elected and who defeated Senator
Stockbridge still maintained that he was far
ahead OF Mr.. Luce and pronounced Mr.. Luce
claim OF having ffty-three sure votes q gigantic
blu6: Mr.. Stockbridge says that when the re-
publican members Of the legislature 20 into
caucus that Luce will not have above ten votes,
and he points out where\ Luce has made mis-
takes in his calculations In this county for
instance, Luce claims three votes, but a. a
matter OF fact it is well known that the three
men claimed by Luce were nominated as
btockor1dge men and were elected.
WHO WILL HELP LUCE.
From now until the legislature meets all that
MIR. Stockbridse will have to do will be to keep
his line unbroken, and this is just what he is
doing personally and through representatives
he has in the field. Mr.. Luce, however, is
under the necessity of breaking Mr.. stock
bridges forces and he has called upon his friends
to help him. part Of his plan Of campaign
demanding the open ballot IN the caucus, has
already been outlined, but during the past
week many interesting details have been filed
in. Mr.. Luce has Senator Thomas w. Palmer
as his most influential hacker. Mr.. Palmer and
Mr.. Stockbridge were once warm friends but
they quarreled over the Ontanagon and Brule
River railroad land grant matter and the
breach thus opened several ears ago has stead
lily widened, and the feeling now is far from
happy. Mr.. Palmer's private secretary, Jas NJ
Shepard Of Carsopols, has been devoting his
entire time for month past to helping along
the Luce boom, and be will re engaged upon
the same task until the end of he chapter. Be
cause of interference with the distribution of
certain federal patronage in this part of the
state four years ago Senator Stockbridge and
Delos A. Blodgett OF this city had a disagree
ment, and Mr. Blodgett is throwing his in
frence into the Luce basket. Senator Stock
bridge and Ezra Rust of Saginaw are not on
the very best of terms, and Mr.. Rust is work
ing Tor Luce, Mr.. Palmer, as is we'll known is
several times millionaire. ID. A. Blodgett re-
Gently divided all his possessions with his son
and daughter. and the third interest he re-
tanned is worth 90, 500 900 at a conservative
estimate. Seven figures at least are required to
express Mr.. Rust's fortune. Mr.. Luce is pos
ing as farmer, as one of the common people.
and Is doing all he can to strengthe the anti
millionaire sentiment in the state, and at the
same time Palmer. Rust and Blodgett are doing
all that money, and lots Of it, can do to secure
his election.
LCcE's CHANCES NOT VERY FAVORABLE
If it were earlier in the season, before the
conventions were held, Farmer Luce, with the
backing he has, might have brighter prospects
of getting to the front, but those who are
thoroughly familiar with the situation say his
chances at the present time are not very en-
couraging. He proposes to keep up the fight,
however. This city will be general headauar-
tiers. in charge of John ". Blodgett the son of
ID. A. Blodgett. In Saginaw Ezra Rust will be
in command and Thomas ". Palmer will pull
the strings from Detroit. Milo d. Campbell.
who will be Mr.. Luce's private secretary if
al fn1 70 he 80
pervision over the three stations and be in gen.
erai charge of the campaign.
Mr.. Luce has been in public life for several
years. He commenced as a supervisor in
Branch county. He Was elected to the first
republican legislature in 81 served two terms
as county treasurer, was elected to the state
senate in IS and to the state constitutional con-
vention in 81. In the session Of rs. when Zach
Chandler was a candidate for reelection to the
United States Senate, Luce was in the lobby OPP
posing him and was largely responsible for his
defeat. his friends leading the bolt from the
decision OF the caucus. In 81 he was ap-
pointed state oil inspector and served four
years. In "a he was candidate for governor,
but was beaten in convention by Gen. Alger,
and In the ensuing campaign very luke
warm in his support of the ticket. Gen. Alger
was elected BY plurality Of 3, 500, but none of
them was attributed to Mr.. Luce's efforts
on the stump. In sc Luce was nominated for
governor and held the office four years
and has since been camping on the trail of the
senatorship. He has the support of Palmer.
Rust and Bodgett, not through any special
admiration for him on their part, but because
of their personal feeling against Stockbridge.
but their support will be none the less energetic
on that account. II he is defeated in the caucus
Mr.. Luce declares he will cheerfully abide by
the result, but judging from his past career be
will bolt the Caucus decision and carry the fight
into the house and do his best to make dead
lock. This would suit his hackers better than
to have him elected himself. as then some
younger and ADLER man could be picked up as
dark horse. The election will be interesting,
but it can hardly be more interesting than the
preliminary campaign now in progress.