Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-29
MICHIGAN POLITICS,
The State Conventions Opposition to the
Miner Law.

MICHIGAN POLITICS.
The State Conveutions-Oppositio to tn.
Miner Law.
| Special Correspondence Of The Evening star.
GRAND RAPIDS, MrcH., April %.
Two Of the state conventions to elect dele
gates 10 the national conventions have alread,
been held, the prohibitionists and the republi
can, and two more are yet to be heard from
| the democratic, which meets in Michigan Ma,
| 4, and the people's.party or industrial in Lam
| sing juno 16.
The delegation to the prohibition nationa
| convention in Cincinnati will be headed By
Samr Dickie OF Albion and John Russell o.
Detroit, the former chairman Of the nationa
committee and the latter often called tho
father Of the prohibition party. The delega
ton goes without instruction as to candidates
The state convention which was held in thi.
city in March adopted resolutions emphatically
opposing fusion in combination with the
peoples party, Farmers Alliance or any
other political organization and declaring
in favor of a separate ticket throughout. Two
years ago the prohibitionists in a semi-fusior
with the Farmers Alliance polled IS 631 votes
and four years ago on the Presidential tick 81
showed q strength of 20,94o. The party has
gained very few recruits during the past four
| with the farmers will not work again. Tie
vote this year will hardly exceed $4,000 Tie
prohibition party has so long been in the field
that it has become definite quantity, and the
republicans. who were in former years the
chief sufferers, no longer fear it.
THE REPUBIIcAs DELEGATION.
The republican delegation to Minneapolis
will DO led by d. A. Blodgett Of this city. Jas.
II. Wilson, Marquette; Chas. w. Wells of Sagi-
nav, and d. NJ Ferry of Detroit. and. like the
prohibtionists. will go forth uninstructed by
the state convention, although, unlike the cold.
water disciples, they will have pretty we'll
defined ideas as to candidates. The con-
vention eulogized Harrison's clean and far
less administration and recognized the sterling
worth and ability OF our distinguished fellow
citizen. Gen. Il. A. Alger," but went no further.
Two of the district delegates are bound by in
structions to Gen. Alger, but the other twenty
two have no entanglements of that kind. In
Minneapolis Gen. Alger will in all probability
receive a complimentary vote. It is under
stood that complimentary votes are to be
passed around, and then the majority, if no.
the entire Michigan contingent, will flop
over into the Harrison camp Next
to Harrison the choice would fall Oh
Mckinley, providing always that Blaine re-
mains out. In his own state the Alger boom
this season has assumed very small proper
tions, aad many prominent republicans and
several very influential republican papers are
opposing his vaulting ambition. In the ma
tional convention, after the first ballot, Har-
rison can depend upon receiving the big end
of the Michigan vote, il not the whole of it.
THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION.
The democratic state convention in Muskegen
May will be all one way. The only name that
will be mentioned in presidential connections
will be that of Grover Cleveland. and that
will be a name with which to conjure shouts OF
81.
ers Of the day want time to catch their
breaths. All the county conventions thus far
held have adopted Cleveland resolutions. and
the state convention will do likewise and bind
the delegation to Chicago, with instructions to
vote for the ex-President Hill had an incip-
lent boom early in the season. but that died
early and easy. The western man cry also
heard when the year was young. but that has
also disappeared and every voice is now tuned
to Cleveland The Michigan delegation will
undoubtedly be led by ex-Postmaster Gem
eral Don NJ. Dickinson Of Detroit. with Mayor
Edwin +. Uhl Of that city second on the list.
THE PEOPLES PARTY.
The peoples party national convention will
be held in Omaha on July and the delegate
from Michigan will be chosen June Is at Lans-
ing. The peoples party in Michigan is made up
of the Farmers Alliance. Patrons of Industry.
knights Of Labor and kindred organizations.
and as yet is an unknown quantity
which the democrats look upon with
many misgivings. In the special cleo
ton this. the fifth congressional district, last
fall to elect a successor to Congressman NJ
II. Ford, deceased, the peoples party made its
debut and polled about $500 votes. This vote
came chiefly from the democratic ranks, and
Capt Charles E. Belknap. the republican nom
inee, was elected by plurality of nearly 2, 600
In the spring election in this city the peo-
Piles party poIled L. 900 votes and the republi-
let al In txyn
years ago the industrial ticket, which is but
another name for the peoples, showed a
strength of 1873, and four years ago 1855
votes were cast for the union labor presidential
candidate. The strength the various indus
trial parties will show this year is probematic
and the figure they will cut in state politics can
hardly be conjectured- The Farmers Alliance,
which doomed up into prominence two years
ago and was largely instrumental in de-
feating the republican ticket, il practically
out Of the field this year owing to internal
dissensions. The big vote cast in this city and
district this spring and last fall can hardly be
considered a criterion. as local issues affected
the result The peoples party vote this year,
no matter what its size may be, will come
chiefly from the democratic side OF the house,
and unless . combination can be made by
which it can be kept in line for the democrats
the results will be decidedly favorable to the
republicans.
TO TEST THE ELECTORAL Law.
A soon as the national conventions are dis
posed of and the candidates are in the field the
republicans will take steps to bring the
Miner electoral law before the state supreme
court to test Its validity. Three OF the five
justices Of the supreme court are republicans,
and in some quarters it is thought the
fact will have an influence on the
decision. but these apprehensions or
hopes, as the case may be, are not well founded.
The republicans in the recent state convention
nominated electors and were careful to nomi-
nate one in each district, so that If the law
should be sustained they could proceed with
the campaign without delay. The democrats
will name their electors at the state nominal
ing convention in July or August, and unless the
supreme court 10 heard from to thu contrary
viii proceed under the provisions OF the new
law.
Grocery Clerks and Sunday w ork.
To the Editor of The Evening Star: