Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-18
MICHIGAN's LEGISLATURE.
Probability OF Senator stockbriAge's Re-elec-
don-The Election Law to BE Changed.
Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

| Probability Of Senator stockbriAge's Re-elec-
tion-The Election Law to BE Changed.
| Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. November Is. 1892
The next legislature will convene January Al
and the session will be Of more than usual in
terest and importance. In both houses the re-
publicans will have control by large majorities,
but they will not have entirely smooth sailing,
because Of the talent and intellectual strength
OF the opposition. The senate will stand u re-
publicans and II democrats, and in the house
the republicans will have 68 members and the
democrats so. OF the senators-elect were
members Of the Last legislature, three Of them
democrats. and Of the representatives IA are
FOLLOWERS, Of them democrats. The senate will
be presided over by Lieut. Gov. J. Wight Gid
dings, who has served two terms In the senate
| and Is thoroughly grounded in parliamentary
practice, and he will keep the brethren out Of
entanglements. In the house the speaker will
undoubtedly be chosen from among the new
members, and il is in this branch of the law
making body that the democrats will have their
fun, because the speaker will be more or less
green and the new members will not be up to
snuff
TO ELECT UNITED STATES SENATOR.
Immediately after the organization Of the two
houses for business the election Of United
States Senator viii come up for consideration.
In joint session the republicans will have SO
and the democrats 4S, majority for the former
OF 4e. This large republican majority is con-
sidered decidedly favorable for Senator Stock
bridge as against ex-Gov. Cyrus g. Luce, who
aspires to his seat. Both candidates have MEM
bers pledged to their respective interests, while
there are many members not pledged to either
side. The republican majority is so large that
deadlock is hardly possible, and all the indi-
cations point to Mr. Stockbridges reelection.
Among the first things the republicans will
do will be to repeal the Miner electoral law, by
which presidential electors are chosen by dis
tricts instead Of on q general ticket. The last
legislature abolished the old system Of having
district boards Of control for each Of the state
institutions. The Jackson, Iona and Mar
quote prisons and tho Lansing and Adrian re-
form schools were placed under one board of
control, and Of course Gov. Winans appointed
democrats to these positions. The republicans
will repeal the democratic enactments and re-
turn to the old system or re-enact now laws In
a modified form, so that they may control the
institutions and the attendant patronage.
The liquor interests Of the state held a con-
vention before election and took an active in
terest in the campaign, and, as a body, their in
publicans will in all probability make the liquor
men sorry that they tempered with politics and
more severe restrictions than now exist are ex-
pected.
TO AMEND THE ELECTION LAW.
The election law will be amended so that
counting Of the ballots will commence early in
the day, as is the system in Massachusetts. As
the law stands now the counting does not begin
until the last ballot is in and even in the cities
1t Is impossible to gain any idea Of the results
until the following day, and II the election is at
all close the result is not known for three or
four days. The law relating to primaries will
also be improved guard against corruption.
The state tax law will be t1nkered up some
what, and it is probable that the usual uniform
text book law, which has SO many times been
up. will come up again.
The republicans will endeavor to strengthen
themselves by amending the municipal charter
of Detroit. Grand Rapids, Saginaw and other
cities by enlarging the powers of the mayors
and common councils, thereby giving them
more patronage and influence. The cities
named are now in the possession of the repub-
licans, and if legislation will do it they will
main so.
THE QUESTION OF PRISON LABOR.
One Of the most important matters that will
come up will be the employment of prison labor
and the improvement of the highways. Governor
elect Rich and many members of the legisla-
ture are pledged to do something for the i'm
provement OF the roads and the legislation will
probably take the form of putting the convicts
to work on the highways. In this way two difficult
problems will be solved at one time. The con-
victs are now employed making furniture,
wagons. cigars and other things and the man
ufacturers and workingmen alike object to this
kind of competition.
In their state platform the republicans are
pledged TO legisatc against state officials and
members Of the legislature accepting passes on
the railroads, to abbreviate the length of ses-
sions. to transact business in a business-like
way and to practice the closest economy. 1t
will, OF course, be interesting to observe how
these pledges are kept. The railroad pass law
will be the most difficult to get through, as
free transportation is to many of the members
a very material matter in dollars and cents,
especially when they 20 off ON long junkets at
the expense Of the state.