Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-02-02
WILL BE A BATTLE
When the Miner Electoral Law
Strikes the Supreme Court
Chat With the Celebrated Jurist About
Affairs in Detroit ans Don Dick
inson's Infiuenee-Iietsls.

author Of Howeli's Annotated Statutes,
is . guest at the Morton "Dstroit Is
having another exciting contest be-
tween the common council and the
street railway company" be said last
night The two organizations have
come into sharp conflict. This 10 the
first council Detroit has had in years
that the street railway company didn't
control. II this council can compel the
street railway company to furnish rapid
transit IL Will win the eternal gratitude
of Detroit. Just before this squabble
the city Was excited over the demo
cratic convention. don't think there
can be any doubt but that Detroit was
disappointed in regard to that. She
worked hard for il and really expected
to get it. A great many people regard
Detroits failure to get the convention
rs conclusive evidence that Don NJ.
Dickenson has lost his influence. i
don't think he has, however. Ii is true
that he doesn't seem 10 have the
power he did when he came home at
ter being postmaster general. But
Dickinson has strong following
among the higher class Of democrats.
He is essentially . clean man, and
prides himself on 30 being. His per-
sonal characteristics do not appeal 70
the Cnris Jacob element, and perhaps
that is the strongest recommendation
ne could have. When that gang WAS
created consclences seem to have been
little scarce. At least. there weren't
enough TO 60 around"
Speaking of the Miner electoral law,
Judge Howell said: 81 think there will
be one of .he bitterest fights Michigan
has ever seen when the constitutional
ity of that bill comes up before the
eupreme court. There is already an
intense feeling on both sides in regard
to it, and this feeling is increasing
every day. For myself. haven't come
to any definite decision in regard to the
constitutionality of the bill. / hardly
think the supreme court will declare it
invalid. but still it may.
81 believe the bill is an unwise meas
ure and must tend to complicate cleo
tions. There is no possible excuse for
the bill. The old method is infinitely
better and more accurately represents
the will of the people. By this new
measure a minority may choose ma
jorltv of the electors. 1t also gives op-
portunities for political manipuiatlons
that are impossible under the old
method. Michigan's politics for AL in
all have been the cleanest aud most
honorable of any state in the Union;
but fail to ses where the Miner bill
can add any additional purity"
Lumbermen and the Snow.
w. w. Mitchell, of the firm Of Cobbs
& Mitchell, and Mitchell Bros, Cadillac
lumbermen, dined at the Morton yes
terday. al haven't been up 10 Cadillac
for several days." he said, "but the
general business there this winter has
been excellent. One could scarcely
have hoped to have it better. The
lumber business has been very lively.
A great many people seem to have con.
ceived the idea that numbering around
Cadillac is in the last stages of decay.
As 3 matter of fact there have been as
many feet Of logs put in this winter as
ever before. This hasn't been necessa-
rily due TO the snow, either. OF course
tina. has helped some. We have put
about 5000, 900 feet on sleighs. b,i, the
come to be very small proportion of
the entire amount put IN.
LAUNDERING is too great an industry
10 make it absolutely dependant upon
the freaks of the weather. There is no
way of estimating the number of lum-
Der men who were ruined by having to
depend upon the fall of snow in order
TO get IN their logs. Thousands of men
have worked all winter and received
nothing for it but their board. all be-
cause some contractor staked his las
dollar on the weathef. and lost.
Logging roads are cheaper in the
long run than sleighs. and infinitely
more satisfactory. You can always
get just what you want. and get 1t just
when you want ii. One of the best
paying items in the lumber business is
the cutting OF bill stuff. But in order
10 cut bill you must have GER
tain logs and no others. When
you put in those legs on sleighs you
could take the order II you had the
right logs in stock. When you are put
ting your logs in by rail you can take
the order anyway. You know just
what kind Of logs you want. man is
given the bill and sent into the woods
TO find the trees. He marks them;
they are cut Immediately and brought
to the mill. You unload them where
delaying. Taking the lum Der business
as it stands today, IL would be a diff
cult thIng for q mill man TO depend
upon snow for bis supply of logs"