Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-28

poriant thing Is to gain two three or half
dozen men IN whom the rest OF any particular
nationality have confidence ard the rest comes
almost of itself. In Detroit among the Polachs
the democrats have found il necessary to keep
Few influential citizens in the right humor, and
In the past have received almost the solid
Polish vote. This year, however, ii will not
come so easy. bitter factional fight split the
democracy IN the last municipal election and
the republicans TODAY control the entire city
government from attic 10 cellar. All the
patronage OF great CITY, which the democrats
had for years distributed among the faithful, is
this year being handed out by republican
off1clais and aldermen and an influence which
helped more than anything else to keep
the Polish vote in line was lost to the other side
In addition 10 this the recommendation of }.
Logan Chapman by the democrats for a third
term was not polite, as others Of the brethren
were willing 20 accept the honors. This has
made many IF the energetic workers lukewarm
and in some instances has thrown them fairly
into the republican camp. Frank j. Hecker,
the republican nominee for Congress. is at the
head Of the car works. employing LOO hands,
many of whom are Polachs. and he has struck
an attitude before them which will gain for
him the solid vote OF his own establishment and
many more besides. Mr.. Chapman has in his
favor a natural democratic plurality of between
5000 and 1000 but he il not nearly so sure Of
an election as be might be.
THE HOLLANDERs CHANGING.
The Hollsnders in this city have for twenty
years or more been reliably republican. and this
has been accomplished chiefly through the eff
forts and influence Of John Steketee. the present
collector of internal revenue for western Mich
igHn. Mr.. Steketee is vice consul to the Meth
erlands for Michigan. and as such his country
men have for years gone to him for advice in
their business matters and family affairs and
II was but n step from business to politics in
giving advice. Six years ago the Holland vote
began to show signs of scattering. but even then
Holland democrats were curiosities. Four
wears ago substantially the solid Holland vote
was cast for the republican ticket and how this
result obtained is still visible from the spire
of one of the Holland churches. This partic-
ulRr church had a small mortgage and an I'M
finished s;eeple and a very large membership.
The republicans raised the mortgage, finished
the stceple and hung 10 the breezes a brass
weather vane in the form of shining
anvil The anvil emblematic of the
employment as a blacksmith and wagon maker
OF thus. T.. Belknap, the candidate for Con-
gress. Every vote in that church and all its
influence was cast into the scales for the repub-
lean ticket. and Mr.. Steketee received his re-
ward FOR managing the transaction b. appoint
ment to the Office Of revenue collector. The
Holianders again diverged two years ago. and
this year there are several Holland democratic
clubs III the city. and while the bulk of the
votes will s.ill be republican. Yet The democrats
viii receive a very substantial share.
In tn" Saginaw valley the democrats hope to
hold the German vote bv the candidacy of
Chas !. Marskey for secretary of state. No
seriou- split i reported from that section Of tho
state and the German vote will cling TO its old
standard.
IN THE UPPER TENINSULAR.
The foreign vote in the upper poninsIilar has
shown Unmi-lakable signs of scattering for the
past five or Fix years and the tendency is be-
coming more pronounced. The territory is so
extensive and the nationalitles represented are
different that it Is difficult TO keep track of
all the elements and black sheep are liable 1T
any time to get among the choicest republican
hOcks. In other DAYS. before the Australian
ballot was adopted. 1t comparatively easy
20 manage things through the mine owners and
lumber operators, but no such Arrangement is
possible now. and the vote will not be so pro-
nouncedly all one way as heretofore. J.
Maurice Finn is again the union nominee for
Congress. lie was nominated originally by the
democrats and indorsed by the populists. Then
the popuhSts changed their mind and nominated
another candidate. who stood about a week and
then withdrew. Finn has at last been rein
dorsed and will make the fight against Stephen
son with both parties back of him. In letter
he expresses great confidence of carrying the
district and il NAV be said that Stephenson has
not Vet even admitted the possibilities of
defeat.
An INTERESTING CONTEST.
The contest in the second district between
Jas. O'Donnell of jackson and JAS 5. German
Of Chelsea, both members of the present House.
thrown into the same district by the reappor-
tionment, Is becoming very interesting The
district il naturally democratic by large plu-
rahty and there is no third candidate in the field
so far heard from. But the democrats have
a split in the Wayne county end of the district
and the republicans have been picking flaws in
Mr.. Germans congressional record. Mr..
ODonnell Is a veteran Of the war and in a cam
paign has few equals a hustler and his friends
are hopeful OF his success. even against the odds.
A joint debate on the issues of the day Is being
arranged between the candidates and in this.
as the readiest talker, Bennett will have the ad-
vantage.
In the sixth district the republicans are by
the ears. ID. ID. Atkins of Flint. the congress-
ional nominee. is not satisfactory to a large
contingent In Genesee county. where he lives
and his home organ, the Flint Journal has
bolted his nomination and is exerting its entire
influence against him. The district is demo-
cratic by small plurality and Byron G. Shout
hopes to be reelected.
WORKING OF THE MINER LAW
One of the reasons assigned for the Miner
electoral law that candidates for elector
would get out and work for their own election
not only for the presidential nominees. but
as IA matter of personal pride. Where all the
electors we're on one ticket there was very lit
tie incentive for any particular electoral nomi-
nee TO oyerexert himself, as whether or not he
was elected depended upon how the state ms a
whole might go. BY the district system each
candidate would be for himself alone and his
election would be one vote for the presidential
candidate. The theory OF this is all right, but
in practice the plan is not working to any alarm
ing extent. The number of electoral nominees
in both parties who are on the stump or act
lively engaged in campaigning can be numbered
on the fingers OF one hand. The most con-
spicuous examples are John Power of Escanaba
the nominee for elector-at-iarge for the west
ern district the democratic ticket, and
Philip T. Coigrove Of Hastings nominee on the
republican ticket for fourth district cleo
tor. In this district the democratic eiector
Is Thomas Hefferan and the republican is Con-
rad q. Swensberg. and neither could make a
campaign speech if their lives depended upon
it. Both well to do and eminently
respectable, but the individual influence that
either will have on the results will not be per-
ceptible. There is not a district III the state
where the personality of the electoral candidate
will cut much Of figure in the result. The
conditions NAV be somewhat different four
years hence if the Law is not repealed in the,
meantime, but the habit Of bestowing purely
honorary nominations upon men who are will
Lal- e. HI a.