The true northerner., 1899-03-08

hO iOPuoiiCdl otdtC ConNChtioh w NAt>AA
met in Jackson last week made history
rapidly for the republican party
While there was a sentiment through
out the convention against the renomi-
nation of any man to second term OF
ten years on the supreme BENCH yet the
? splendid record of Judge Claudius b.
Grant as jurist made his denomination
the inevitable result of the convention.
1t was remarkable tribute to the record
of the man that he was able to triumph
for second term in spite of the fact
that there were in the field against him
seven other gentlemen, well known in
judicial circles, any one of whom would
have graced and honored the bench of
the supreme court. Few men in Mich
igan have made SO enviable reputation
as has Judge Grant for fearlessness in
the discharge, of his duty, for positive
convictions on all questions of public
Importance and for willingness to make
their positions known to the people of
the state. Always the friend of law and
order, he has been outspoken against
every wrong and violation of the law and
active in the enforcement of the law as
he has found it. Yet, in spite of the
mans positive nature, no one can charge
that his prejudices have ever got the
better of his judgment or have worked
to the disadvantage of any litigant before
him. The opinions he has written have
been clear and concise and will stand in
the future years among the authorities
in Michigan courts.
The nominations for regents of the
university one candidate being avowedly
the choice of Governor Pingree, the other
counted as favorable to the ants, showed
that the factions in the republican party
have no real existence, and are merely
seen in the Imagination of the democratic
press.
No republican convention at the
present time would be true to its party if
it did not endorse in unmeasured terms
the national administration and express
the utmost confidence in the president
and his advisers. The first paragraph of
the resolutions adopted shows how fully
Michigan republicanism is in harmony
with the administration in Washington.
The reaffirmation of the ST. Louis plat
form shows that the party in this state
has no doubt of the wisdom of the prin-
ciples expressed in 1896. The plain
statement that the party stands upon
the existing gold standard and positive
condemnation Of the proposition for free
coinage of silver at a ratio of sixteen to
one leaves no doubt whatever as to the
financial position of the republicans of
Michigan. The sound business interests
of the state and nation demand that there
shall be no equivocation in the matter of
financial policy. Under the existing con-
dition of business prosperity, there is no
reason why the republican party should
fear to declare itself as Michigan republi-
cans have done in favor of the gold
standard.
The positive endorsement of Governor
Pingree should be gratifying to that
gentleman. While it is true that the
resolutions do not declare in favor of his
pet measure, the Atkinson bill, yet the
declaration is clear in favor of the prin-
ciple of just and equal taxation. In the
resolution adopted, the platform is far
in advance of that adopted by the party
in 1898. 1t is not the province of party
conventionsto usurp Legislative functions.
The declaration of principles is the proper
province of conventions of this character.
The enactment of laws is the proper work
Of legislative bodies elected on such plat
forms. The refusal of the convention to
specifically endorse the Atkinson bill was
in reality vote of confidence in the ability
>ard disposition of the republican legis.
lature now in session at Lansing, to enact
some law for the fair and equitable taxa
tion of all property.
If, in the judgment of the legislature,
the Atkinson bill is the best bill that can
be passed to accomplish this result, well
and good. On the other hand if therecan
be devised some other measure that will
better answer the purpose in view, then
the resolutions as adopted leave tie legis-
lature free to enact what, in their judg
ment, is the best possible law. The prin-
ciple of equal taxation, as advocated by
the governor, has received no setback
Taken all in all, it seems to us the
work of the convention at jackson was
well done and that the party cannot fail
to win in the spring election on the
platform, and with the candidates chosen
at Jackson 1t would be strange indeed to
see anything else than the purest repub-
licanism as the result of a convention
held in the city that was the scene of
the birth of the republican party.
Van Buren Democrats Resolve.
Elsewhere in this paper will be found
resolutions adopted by the democrats of