The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1902-04-18
THE NEXT ATTORNEY GENERAL
Owosso's Candidate Now in for the
Finish and for Success.

Finish and for Success.
Four years ago Hon. Frank H. Wat
son, of this city, made up his mind about
the middle of August that he would be
acandidate for the Attorney Generalship
of the state. There were at that time
two other candidates in the field. Both
had been making extensive canvasses of
the state for weeks and months and each
had enlisted the support OF numerous
friends of the Owosso candidate who
the convention. In spite of this Mr.
Watson led one of these other candidates
by 65 votes, having 333 votes himself
The nomination was captured by Mr..
Horace M. Oren, of Saulte Ste, Marie.
The showing made by the Owosso can
didate was more than satisfactory in
every respect
Having entered the field only very
short time before the state convention
and having received the friendly as
surances which he did from every part
of the state Mr.. Watson was naturally
willing to take his chances on the
nomination at some future time. He
was a friend of Mr.. Oren and therefore
from that reason as well as from regard
for the policy of the party which would
ordinarily entitle Mr.. Oren to second
term if he wished it, Mr. Watson did
mot expect to be candidate two years
ago. When the time approached for the
next state convention however, Mr..
Watson and his friends received the
most positive assurances, which they
had every reason to believe were author
lied by Mr. Oren, that he would not be
candidate for denomination as Attorney
General owing to the political situation
in the upper peninsula. This proved in
correct, for after Mr. Watson had acted
upon this information and had himself
entered the field again, Mr.. Oren also
entered, claiming that he had been mis-
understood by Mr.. Watson's friends.
At that time however it had become
boo late for Mr.. Watson to withdraw
and he was compelled to again stay in
the race, not with the expectation of
winning the nomination, but to hold his
position as the logical candidate at the
close of Mr.. Oren's incumbency of the
office Another vigorous campaign was
put up by Mr.. Watson and his friends
and the republicans of the state were not |
left in doubt as to the intentions of Mr.. |
Watson to seek the nomination for At |
torney General as soon as the field was
again open. The result of the two state
conventions has been to leave him in a
stronger position than at either of those
times and he now comes before the re-
publicans of the state without the handi
cap which kept him from the nomina-
ton before Mr. Watson is candidate
FOR the nomination Of Attorney General |
this year and has good reason for ex
pecting to win.
Frank H. Watson is Shiawassee's can
didate. He is thoroughly Shiawassee
product 1t was here that he was born |
in 1857 and it was in this county that |
he grew up, received his education,
studied law and was admitted to the bar. |
He graduated from the Corunna high |
school and then entered the law Office of |
Judge Hugh McCurdy. He later studied |
in the Office of A. r. Mcbride and in
1880 was admitted to the bar. Soon
after being admitted he formed part
nership with Odell Chapmanswhich has
lasted to the present time.
Two years after he was admitted to
the bar he was elected to the Office of
circuit court commissioner and in 1884
was reelected to that Office. The four
years were years unusually rich in ex-
perience in the Office and he filled its
duties to the eminent satisfaction of all.
In 1886 he was elected to the state legis-
lature, and although he made fine
record at the state capital he declined to
be a candidate for second term. In
1892 he received the nomination for the
Office of prosecuting attorney and was
elected His work in this Office was es
pecially good Without attempting to
build up reputation at the expense OF
The Taxpayers of the county by trying
avery case which was brought to his at
lention whether worthy of trial or not, 9