The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1899-01-13
OUR LANSING LETTER
Last Week an Eventful One for
Michigan Republicans.
COMING JUDICIAL CONVENTION.

Governor Pinsree's Ability to Have the
Atkinson Equal Taxation Bill Passed
Being Seriously observation-disclosures
Plan of Opponents of the Dill.
Lansing, Mich, Jan. 10.-The past
week has been an eventful one for the
Republicans of Michigan, and the best
political prophets are quite unable to
satisfactorily forecast the future. They
profess their inability to tell what eff
feet the results of the fierce contests
waged in connection with the converting
of the legislature in regular biennial
session will have on future party move
ments and issues. The smaller calibre
statesmen have no difficulty in figuring
1t all out, however. but it is noticeable
that these gentry do not come any
where near agreeing.
Inasmuch as Governor Pingree was
opposed to the election of either Speak
er Adams or Senator Burrows, some
of the lights of the party are confident
that the election of both marks the be-
ginning of the governors political end.
and with an ordinary individual this
would doubtless be good prediction,
but the fact that the governor has
shown such a habit of being the gamer
by just such defeats, renders the out
come in the present instance somewhat
prOblematical.
Clearly u Case of Quits.
On the other hand there are not
wanting those who are confident that
the people generally will take much
stock in the governors claim that he
was defeated by a combination of fed
eral officeholders and come to his res
cue whenever he needs their support.
These people, of course, refrain from
making any mention of the fact that
every officeholder under the state gov
eminent over whom the chief executive
had the slightest control was out fight
ing valiantly on the other side of both
fluence Of the officeholders is concerned
1t was clearly a case of quits.
The fact of the matter Is that while
Governor Pingree scored a handsome
victory in November, his triumph was
not a whit greater than that of Sena-
tor Burrows, for, Notwithstanding the
fact that the governor opposed the SEN
ator in every speech he made, the peo-
pie of the state elected an almost solid
Republican legislature, well knowing
that by so doing Burrows reelection
was made absolutely certain The re-
suit Of the senatorial contest shows
that there was never a moment after
the November election when there was
the slightest chance of defeating the
senator.
Will Put Up a Sitter Fight.
The most important result of the out
come of the, senatorial struggle from
a Republican, standpoint is that it has
inspired the so-called federal wing of
the party with renewed courage, and
hereafter this element will be inclined
to put up SITTER fights against the op-
position within its own party than have
been made for the past two or three
years. This will make matters more
interesting, to say the least. 1t is now
believed that the coming judicial con-
vention will witness one Of the most
stubborn contests ever made in the
state. Governor Pingree, having de-
clared open warfare Che never wages
any other kind) against Chief Justice
Grant, who is a candidate for renomi-
nation, candidates are making their APP
pearance in all parts of the state and
the indications are that no less than
dozen names will be presented to the
convention to be held in February. As
Judge Grant will have the support
of nearly all Of the element which won
out in last weeks contests, his candi-
dacy was never more formidable thar
now
What is a more important result to
all the poole of the state. however, lies
in the fact that there is a growing be
lief that much Of the legislation pro-
posed by the governor will fail to he en-
acted. Having failed to control the low
err house. where he was able to muster
81 out Of 100 votes year ago.
the ability of the governor to muster
votes enough to pass The Atkinson
equal taxation bill in the shape his
friends have drawn it, is row beiIg Sc
riously questioned. Not only is this
the case, but the opponents of the bill
are openly declaring that it will never
become q law.