The Detroit times., 1908-10-31

traordinary powers over the business
OF thousands OF Acitizens-butter and
cheesemakers. millers, grocers. butch-
ers. fruit packers and the like, What
power In the hands OF politicians!
II Is the power almost OF life and
death over certain large groups NJ
business interests.
Another department az the disposi-
tion OF Mr.. Warner is that OF banking
commissioner. The work OF this de-
partment is OF the highest importance,
FOR II safeguards considerable part of
the financial machinery OF the state
+, But where were these examiners Of
Mr. Warner when State Treasurer
Glaciers bank failed with s6s5, 900 OF
the taxpayers money on deposit in II =?
Didn't they know Glazier was hay
ing financial deals with the governor
or that Glazier was depositing part OF
the states money in Warmers bank
upon inadequate security? And what
did Warner do about Il? Will the
state ever get back Its money?
Not Corrupt But Human.
! need not here enlarge upon these
facts. save by referring TO the rail-
road commission. which has extensive
powers over the railroads OF the state.
or the labor commission, with It's many
factory inspectors, Or the tax COM
mission. or the salt inspectors. or the
oil inspectors. ali OF which are direct.
ly under the appointive control or Mr..
Warner. Nor have space TO refer to
Mr.. Warmers appointments to the va
rious state boards. but many fruitful
facts are also to be gathered In that
field. This much may be said OF his
appointments: He seems invariably to
have been thinking frst OF himself and
his future ambitions, and quite after
wards OF the state Of Michigan.
Far be 1t from me to intimate that
I'll the employees Of these various de-
partments are unpatriotic. far less
corrupt. They are men making a Nv
ing. They are human: but as long
as self-seeking politician has con.
troll. these state employees are going
to work for him and serve him. II
becomes pure matter OF bread-and.
butter.
The Highway Commissioner.
have left one OF the greatest OF all
the new departments to the last-that
OF state highway commissioner, AT the
head Of which Is Mr.. Earle. Though
not now under Warmers control, IL
Will fall to him II he In elected. He
will appoint Earle's successor. This
commission IL organized on the new
statewide plan and has enormous
powers and privileges. with a repre-.
sentative In every township and q
power OF employing. directly or indi.
rectly. large numbers OF men. II has
$4,000 of state funds TO distribute In
the form of rewards" and through
this agency II dominates the expendi-
ture OF over 100000 yearly OF local
funds. The work Is q necessary and
excellent one, for IL centralizes the
control Of public highways. But think
Of the power It places in the hands OF
its chief!
Horatio 8. Earle got $4,000 votes for
governor In the primaries this fall
Will the commissioner appointed by
Warner or he IL elected) be able to
deliver $4,000 votes, or even a half or
quarter as many, to the control OF
Warner In the future,
These activities are not peculiar to
Michigan; every state In the Union IL
having TO expand In business, to take
more and more control over railroads.
factories. highways. food supply. finan.
cial institutions. to say nothing OF
the development OF educational and
other public institutions. Every wear
more money Will be spent and hun.
Idreds more men will be employed.
Primary a Personal Matter.
AL present, at the head OF our state
business institutions, stands a man
who Is looking chiefly to his own
reelection; and II Is well understood
that two years hence he wishes TO
run for the United States senate. Az
ter two years more control OF the FIRE
wardens. dairy and food commission
highway commission, to say nothing
OF the lesser epartments-cannot
Warner elect himself to anything in
Michigan he wants? A fourth term
as governor? United States senator?
Watch him.
IL such things can be, what has be-
come OF Democratic government?
warner has made great talk of pri-
mary reform. and his break with the
old state machine has Influenced many
people In his behalf But isn't II plain
that he did not break fifth the bosses
until he needed them no longer. For
with his new machine of state en-
ployes--which IL Infinitely superior to
the crude. ill-organized old machine
can't he beat the primary law any
time he likes? 1t IS difIcult to get
ordinary voters to the primaries. bu,
Warner never will have any trouble
In getting his men to the primaries!
Waner's whole talk of primary re-
form, like his anti-corporation talk. IA.
In short, buncombe.
What. then, is to be done I'm the
matter?
Civil Service Necessary.
The first and most essential thing
Is to defeat Warner. The next thing
lie to look to the passage In the state
Of Michigan OF civil service laws which
will kill the spells system and
regulate the departments so that
state employees can serve Michigan
honestly and efficiency--not the per.
sonal ends OF men OF the self-seeking
type OF Warner. In no other way can
Michigan hope TO have its forest fires
controlled, it's food well inspected, its
banks faithfully examined, or it's col.
leges properly run.
With the rapid growth Of state bust
ness In all these departments. Mich.
gan will have TO take the same step
that the United States government
took years ago, when II passed from
reckless, inefficient spells system to