The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1903-04-24
Largest Circulation in the County
A Daft Patron.

"The Colby bill providing for direct
primaries for the state and county Of
ficers has passed the house and is now
before the senate. The indications are
that it will be defeated. What com
mentary this is upon popular govern
ment when a measure that has been APP
proved by both the great political parties
aud endorsed by the state Grange and
state association of farmers clubs unani-
mously, cannot command the votes of
seventeen senators who are supposed to
be the peoples servants. The machine
politicians in the senate give as a reason
that "The farmers don't want it," not
withstanding endorsements by Oranges
and farmers clubs without number
The politician conceals himself behind
the farmer to oppose this measure; and
why? The senator from the twelfth dis
trict is |. h. Waterbury. He is editor of
the farmers clubs department of the
Michigan Farmer. He is president of
the state association of farmers clubs.
At the same meeting of farmers clubs
that elected him to that high Office the
direct primary system was thoroughly
discussed and the system endorsed by a
unanimous vote in his presence. Mr.
Waterbury is now opposing the Colby
bill with some make-shift of his own
which he claims is better, but no one
knows what it is. What shall we say of
the president of an organization who de-
liberately tries to Kill measure endorsed
by that organization by unanimous
vote? Who uses his position to give aid
and comfort to the enemies of primary
reform?
THE senator from the eighth district
is Jason Woodman of Van Buren,. For
years the name of Woodman- father and
son-have been familiar to all Grange
members. The Grange has heaped high
honors upon the Woodman family in the
past. The state Grange in December
unanimously endorsed direct primaries
Delegates were present from sixty differ
ent counties and five hundred Oranges:
not one voice was raised in opposition.
What shall we say of patron who in
spite of these facts is fighting the Colby
bill and claiming to do so in behalf of the
farmers of the state?
IF the Colby bill fails IN the senate
the farmer can locate the responsibility.
1t will be because Senators Waterbury
and Woodman have betrayed the farm
ers' organizations of the state and given
aid and comfort to their enemies. Messrs.
Woodman and Waterbury evidently
think the machine politicians can give
them more favors in the future than the
farmers organizations. They regard
machine support as of more conse-
quence than farm support. Think of it!
4 Wayne i0Wycr dOiHg b0Hte for tUrm
measures. The president of the state
farmers club fighting against them!
IF Messrs. Woudman and Waterbury
wish 10 know what the future has i'm
store for them they have only to read of
the Benedict Arnolds of history"
Now let us analyze the Patrons article
little. The man who presented the
primary election resolution in the last
state Grange was ex-senator y w. Heme
of Adrian, democratic politician and
lawyer, who is member of the Grange, we
suppose through his penchant for farm
ing the farmer. The Michigan Patron is
published in Adrian, and jim Helmes
stamp is plain in every paragraph of the.
article in that paper attacking Senators
Waterbury and Woodman. Since what
time did i'm Heme become the dictator
in advance of the policies to be followed
by republican legislature?
The Patron is surprised at the spec
tacle of a Wayne lawyer doing battle
for farm measures. Such action may
reasonably be viewed with suspicion
and we'll it may be. Who is the most apt
to be the real friend of the farmer, the
natrOit lawvar carvipo 4bo - oro,., Il
his city. or the Van Buren, and Oakland
county farmers serving the interests of
their districts? It's significant tact that.
leaving out the votes of the two big
cities of the state in the late republican
convention at Detroit, a substantial
majority was tailed against the primary
election resolution. The truth is that
the Colby bill is a measure of the cities.
by the cities and for the cities and the
state Grange and other farmers organic.
atoms have been hoodwinked bv inst
such shrewd m nipulators as j. w
Helme, into endorsement of the Colby
idea, without thorough understanding of
the merits and dement's of the matter,
grabbing forit because of the REFORM"
label that the city press and city polite
ians have caused to appear on it in such
large and glowing letters.
In the closing paragraph of its article,
the Patron contains an open insult and
an unveiled threat against Senators
Woodman and Waterbury. We cannot
speak as to the conditions in Senator
Waterbury's district, but as to Senator
Woodlands district the Patron will
make no friends for its cause here by
comparing him to Benedict Arnold He
is not traitor. He may be rebel
against the far from unanimous verdict
of the republican state convention, but
many a courageous but rebellious
character has come down in history as
patriot. We honor Senator Woodman
for his independence; and in his
present course he is backed by instruc-
tons of the latest Van Buren, county
convention, in resolutions