The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1904-10-07

like it because it was acquired so sud
denly. Judge Parker forgets however,
that majority of the democrats in con-
gress voted for the canal treaty.
The General then spoke of President
Roosevelt's executive order making the
mere fact that an old soldier is over six
ty-two years of age full authority for
the pension commissioner to grant him
pension, and scored Judge Parker for
the unfair position he has taken in the
matter in asserting that he will revoke
the order if elected. Senator Alger
then touched upon the state issue say
ing that in his opinion the republican
platform called for enough primary re-
form changes to enable the voters of the
state to give it fair trial which would
be good thing to do before making the
change compulsory.
Hon. Fred M. Warner was introduced.
The speech which he made went long
ways toward correcting the ideas which
some have of him and his position with
reference to any so-called machine. A
large per cent of the delegates to the
state convention were his personal
friends, so he declared. A week ago in
Durand, said Mr. Warner, l told the
people that if such people as those sit
ting in front of me constituted the ma
chine then l was nominated by ma
chine, because it was just such people as
they were who nominated me.
Our state platform stands for an
equitable distribution of the burden of
taxation. 1t also stands for primary re-
form. 1t does not stand for primary re-
form in exactly the same way that the
democratic platform stands for it but
for the kind of primary laws which are
in vogue today in the states with which
you would care to have Michigan class
ed. In Wisconsin the democrats voted
against primary reform law. Such
states as New York and Iowa have not
even considered the matter, while South
Carolina, which has such law, has not
even republican candidate for govern
or, so thoroughly does the kind of pri-
mary election law the democrats are
for Michigan place the demo-
cratic machine of that southern state in
control of the state.
In our own state the representatives
from Wayne county admit that they
spent more time over their primary
election bill than over any other matter
and yet the law has proved to have very
serious defects, Kent county would
not be satisfied with the Wayne law and
a new one had to be drafted for it. That
seems to have serious defects Muske-
gon in turn was not suited with either
the Wayne or the Kent brand and Sc
cured something which was different
from either Even this is not uniform
ly satisfactory. In conclusion Mr..
Warner assured his hearers that he owed
his nomination to no man or set of men
nor was he under any obligation to any
set of men for his nomination. am
proud Of Michigan, said he, and if l am
elected governor l shall see that you will
n ever have cause to regret any act of
mine.
General Alger is soldier and an able
executive officer, one of the men whose
best work is done quietly behind the
scenes, and although his address was
one full of interest and instruction yet
he lays no claim to being an orator. Mr..
Warner, too, as he himself admits, is a
farmer, business man and cheesemaker
but no speechmaker. And yet he too
had message to bring to the people
and he told it in a straightforward busl-
ness-like way that commanded atten-
tion. But when the last speaker of the
evening, Senator Burrows. began, cam
paign oratory that was campaign ora
tory began to roll out in smooth, I'M
iulating waves that charmed, swayed
and convinced as they moved along
with their resistless logic and graceful
flow. Humorous at times, convulsing
his audience with merriment at some of
his sallies of wit and humor, he carried
his audience with him through phase
after phase of the history of the last de-
cade and from vantage point to vantage
point overlooking the political situation
Of today.
Four years ago Mckinley carried the
country by popular majority of a mil
lion votes. What has happened since
then to make the people vote differently
this year? What has happened to make
the hundred thousand gold democrats
who supported Mckinley in 1900 vote
against Roosevelt this year? Why
should we not carry the same common
sense which we use in the conduct of
farms and our business?
The republican party has redeemed
every pledge. 1t gave the gold stand
ard. 1t has bettered the laws against
the trusts. 1t has maintained the prin-
ciple of protection. 1t is pledged to no
tariff schedule but when it does revise
the tariff it will be revised in the inter
ests of the American working man. 1t