The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1908-03-20
COMMUNICATION.
Rich Again Comes to Aid OF Re-
form Movement. Talks Of
brain Storm"

BRAIN storm.
was never more surprised than was
when read my friend JssOn's answer to
my reply to his article OF February IA,
'OS. Not so much because he said he
had no knowledge Of any Of the three
charges OF corrupt csactice that gave
him, but when he said that ''during my
general mixing up in Van Buren, politics
| have no authentic knowledge OF the
use OF methods by successful candidates
that would not bear the light of day" l
think he vert the limit, for barring my
friends Wakeman and Woodman, | am
safe in saying that there is not another
well-informed man in Van Buren, county
who does not know Of at least one in
stance in which caucus or convention
has been packed, delegates swspped, or
a nomination secured by unclean meth
DDS.
But perhars Jason and Frank consider
that all is fair in politics and no matter
what the method is, if it secures the
nomination the end iustities the means
and makes it clean and honorable. AS
a matter of fact the word politics has be-
come a synonym Of trickery, trading and
dishonest dealing and many good people
keep out Of politics for the reason that
they consider it too vile for them to have
anything to do with. / believe that the
caucus and convention system would be
ideal il it was not for trading and
"bossing." l believe and many others
believe that they are morally and politl-
cally wrong and lead to dishonest prac
tees. But perhaps Jason does not look
at them in that light. Consciences differ
and what one man may consider wro
another may consider right.
Let us consider each separately. First,
trading: Trading is morally and legally
buying. II Jason had span of horses
which | wanted and | should hitch up
and drive over and buy one of them and
pay him his price in gold, and should
trade NY horse for the other, have | not
bought one horse just as surely and le-
gailS as | have the other? 10 one ca
| pay in money, in the other In barter.
So il is with trading delegates. Instead
of buying with gold you buy with bar
ter, or give kind for kind. presume
that Jason and Frank have never had
any authentic knowledge that such
thing has ever been done in Van Buren,
county (?) but many of US have and TO
our sorrow There has never been a
campaign 10 Van Buren, county since my
recollection when there has been two
strong candidates for nomination for the
same Office that this thing has not been
done, and sometimes the delegates are
to be delivered two years thereafter
Second, the machine. 1t makes no
difference how much the opponents of
primary elections feign ignorance, or how
wide they open their eyes in feigned as
constituent when we speak of the ma
chine, they deceive no one, for every
man who has dabbled in politics at all
some time, knows that the machine does
exist in Van Buren, county politics and
is able to make or to mar the political
aspirations Of any one who gets in its
way. | would suggest that my two
friends follow the advice of my fellow
townsman, e. A. Chase, and think after
due examination and diligent inquiry
they will be able to locate the whole
gang In each of The three cases which
| gave in my reply to Jason it was the
work OF the machine which controlled
and | wish to say right here that
would not have had that article pub.
! lished if | had not been convinced of
the absolute truthfulness of the allega-
tons made; and indeed every republican
| -, ha ~ I'M oh
things are frequently made, not only in
this county but in every county In the
state by the predominant party where
one party has such an overwhelming ma
jority as to make nomination equiva-
lent to an election. | do not intend to
be scared, ridiculed or dared into bring
ing any person save when connected
should present affidavits aud names and
a grand jury should be called some OF
my friends might get into trouble, fol
some of them are surely fit subjects fol
examination by grand jury or by the
aienists, as there is strong evidence oil
"brain storm somewhere, nor do in
tend to write anything which | do moi
know or believe to be the exact truth
TO prove that things are done in Var
Buren, county #hich would not "beal
the light of day, u will relate the follow
ing incident which occurred during the
summer of 1900 at a republican conven
ton held in the city of South Haven fo
the purpose of nominating delegates t.
the state convention to nominate candi
dates for state officers. / was a delegat,
to that convention and was known b,
II