The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1908-06-19
The OWOSSO TIMES
EDMUND o. DEWEY, EDITOR.
OWOSSO, FRIDAY. JUNE 10, 1908
CONGRESSMAN FoRDNEY.
Local, State and National Interests
Demane His Election This Fall. The
Republicans of the Eighth District
Have a Duty Before Them.

Have Duty Before Them. Z
No duty of citizenship is small or
unimportant from the standpoint of
omission. The nomination and cleo
ZION of a Congressman is never
small matter. The Republicans of
the eighth district will, within
few weeks, be called upon to place
candidate for congressman in nomin-
alton.
In November their plain duty will
be to elect this candidate. The duty
of participating in the primary cleo
ton is one that cannot be neglected
with safety. The simple fact that
Joseph w. Fordney is known to be
the choice of an overwhelming ma
gritty of Republicans in this district
affords no excuse for his supporters
10 leave the duty of nominating him
TO others. The primary election,
which is the nomination, will afford
the first opportunity to prove the
strength of the campaign that will
result in Mr.. Fordney's election in
November.
Congressman Fordney's political
career dates back ten years. Prior
10 that his only public service had
been rendered as a member of the
common council of this city. His
nomination in 1898 was brought
about by the facet that he was prac-
ideally the only available candidate,
and the one man who would give
strength to the Republican ticket in
Saginaw county. His election that
year was an agreeable surprise to his
friends and an astounding surprise
10 the opposition. Since that time
Congressman Fordney has made a
record. Prior to 1902 the eighth dis
trict had been dominated by the dan
gerous falacy that two terms in con-
gress was enough. Congressman
Fordney broke the record that had
obtained for 80 years and was elected
for third term. This fall the peo-
pEe Of this district will send him back
For a sixth term.
A review of what he has done in
Congress would fill columns. His
Eote on every matter of general in
terest has been one that the Rpubli-
cans of the eighth district would be
sustained, if the opportunity had pre-
sented itself, and subsequent events
have justified his vote on every sub
fect whether he has voted with the
majority or with the minority of the
House.
Our Congressman has a national
reputation, probably greater than
fhatAof any other representative from
Michigan. His influence in Wash
fngton is second to scarcely any con-
gresham of like term of service.
His appointment as member of the
WAYS and Means Committee, the
most important committee of the
House, is a recognition of ability
previously conferred on only 2 Mich
ryan representatives, j. G. Burrows
and William Alden Smith, both of
whom have been advanced to the
United States Senate.
Congressman Fordney is in the
ranks of Representatives from which
Senators are chosen. But 1t is not OF
ais ambition to be a Senator that this
is referred to, Congressman Fordney
has no such ambition. He aspires,
rs he has aspired for the last ten
years to serve the people Of his dis
trict, state, and nation, in the place
10 which he has been called.
AS q member of the Ways and
Means Committee his influence in
tariff legislation will be very great,
and on the question of the tariff,
Mr.. Fordney stands where the inter-
rsts of the eighth district and the
state of Michigan demand he should
stand. He Is protectionist from
conviction and more than that he can
give cognant reasons for the faith
chat is in him. The value OF protec-
ZION TO American industries is not
theory with him. His success IN BUS
mess and in politics has been the
success of details and 1t is the details
OF the tariff that make him a pro-
rectionist from the ground up. lie
would favor tariff revision where the
details proved that revision would be
an advantage. The details OF Cuban
reciprocity satisfied him that it was
wrong. He opposed 1t. The theory
OF Cuban reciprocity led a majority
in Congress to vote against him.
The theory Of Cuban reciprocity has
vanished; the details of Cuban reci-
procity are just what Congressman
Fordney predicted they would be.
The beet sugar interests have suffer-
I'd. the Cuban planter has not been