The true northerner., 1900-06-06
A Business Man to Begin the Cen
tury With.

tury With.
From the Marshall Statesman
The history of the republican party
in Michigan and, in fact, the country at
large is filed with instances in which
business men, after notable series oi
successes in the business world and with
outany prior active or at least conspicuous
participation in politics, have turned
aside from former pursuits and devoted
their attention to public affairs at an age
when they could command the means
and leisure for such DEPRESSION.
Ripe in experience with men and the
ways of the world, it has happened that,
with few exceptions, this class OF men
has achieved success in public affairs
even surprising that attained in the man
agement of their own private concerns.
In the list of governors who have ruled
Michigan since the war, a majority are
men of this stamp. Their strict fidelity
to their stewardship cannot now be fully
appreciated, when the times In which
most of them lived and the special prob
lens they encountered are forgotten.
They ruled wisely and for generation
no scandal came to stain state history.
The late and often unexpected appear
ance OF these men in politics has not al
ways been observed without jealous re-
sentiment on the part of professional pol
iticians with high aspirations or that
lesser brood of seekers after minor places
be jeopardized by the accession to power
of one who may not be guided wholly by
political considerations. The natural
motives with which the business men
have been led to seek the qualification of
honorable recognition at the hands of
their fellow citizens have been disparaged
and their views on popular issues misre
presented, and there has not always been
wanting the insinuation that public ca
reer is sought with a view to serving
private interests.
The records these business men uni
formly make in public places simply put
to confusion and shame those who re-
sort to such unfair and unwarranted
criticism. With executive ability and
powers ersofadministration developed by the
management of their extensive personal
interests, they have shown a surprising
grasp of public business conducted on
the largest scale and characterized by
the most intricate and unfamiliar detail
Further, with perceptions sharpened
and judgment matured by long contact
with the business end of the world, they
have shown capacity for instant appre-
citation of situation and for doing the
right thing at the right moment that has
seemed to amount to a positive intuition.
The latest instance in which business
man of exceptional standing and promi-
nence has made late entry into politics
is presented by the case of ID. NJ. Ferry.
His methods are unconventional and re-
veal directness and frankness that are
lacking in the methods of the ordinary
politician, but seem to be none the less
effective. The keenest observers in all
the factions of the party now concede
that his nomination for governor can
only be prevented by developments of
most unlocked for description.
A stalwart believer in republican prin-
ciples Mr.. Ferry has for years been one
of the strong men in the republican
party in Michigan. He has been a sus-
tanning member of the party organiza-
ton in generous financial measure, but
had no personal Identification with poll
tics prior to 1896 when, during his alb
sence from the state, he was elected to
the chairmanship of the state central
committee, his discharge Of the duties of
that position contributing to victory
of notable and striking proportions.
Even among successful business men
Mr.. Ferry is marked man, by reason of
the exceptional brilliancy of his career.
Exactly 80 years ago this summer he was
struggling and fatherless farm lad
employed at a lads wages in central
New York. At the present date his re-
sources are scarcely exceeded by those
OF any other resident Of Michigan. The
point of this statement lies in the fact
that not dollar of Mr.. Ferry's possession
has been made in any speculative enter
prise. His fortune is due wholly to the
exercise of far-seeing judgment in legiti-
mate enterprises subject to the compe-
tition of the business world.
That sentiment among the voters that
is reaching out for better government
at Lansing than has been afforded during
recent years, has resulted in manifesto
tions OF especial interest in Mr.. Ferry's
candidacy. A careful, effective, econom-
ical administration is what Mr.. Ferry's
nomination will assure. The popular
conviction on this point and the wide
area in the state through which his
name Is most favorably known, render
him the strongest candidate the repub-
licans could present this year for the
suffrages of the people at the polls.
The twentieth century list OF Michigan