The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-03-05
MUSSELMAN GIVES
OUT HIS PLATFORM
Candidate for Republican Nomina-
ton for Governor Urges Home
Rule on Liquor Question.

upon whlru he stands In his campaign
fur the Republican nomination for gov
crnor oi Michigan has been made 0y
Amos :. Musseiman. OF This city.
He believes the people of Michigan
Viii welcome 90 lhis time the applicn-
tiou az sound business methods and
principles IN It's affairs. His candidacy
he says, has been urged because NJ
ms business training and II elected
he woa,l apply this knowledee 70 the
tahairs of rae commonwealth
Mr. Musselman has this 10 say
about the liquor question:
II have carefully inve stigated the
results OF th, local option Laws IN sew
tcrai counties where ia force. and am
satisfied that, except q rare cases. the
people OF those counties viii not re
turn 10 che license system. Business
men. who largely opposed the law
lwheu first enacted arc now it's stanch-
Test supporters. The question has be-
leone pofforce. one az economies. rs
iwcll as OF morals I am not an eX-
ttremist aud concede 90 everyone tie
fright 20 his OWE convictions. Friends
Iof an temperance movements may hon
testify differ as o. how best 70 handle
itAis problem IN large cities. and TINS
Iheiul true, all bitterness should pc
eliminated from the discussion, IL IS
Inv opinion that The temperance sent
Inent OF The day Is not ephemeral IN
lcharacteY, but that the struggle Tor
better conditions Viii nsify as time
goes on.
The enforcement OF any law de-
pcnds upOn an active healthy pablo
sentiment favorable 70 that Law.
/ think the principle OF home rule
should be applied 10 the liquor Gues-
/ ton I stand firmly for the principle
of home rule and for government b.
maioriries one OF the purposes OF
my administration would be 10 secure
I the stricjest possible enforcement OF
( the local option law wherever adopt
ed. and where the sale OF liquors Is
permitted, the stTictest possible en-
forcement of the license law. | would
/ favor each county exercising home
rule. and settling the matter for itself
until the work OF education shall have
created sentiment in the state
which would be irresistible.
Il have received many letters ask
I ing my position on the question or
local option | am also asked wheth-
err II | should be elected governor.
and the legislature should pass a
resolution 10 submit the question OF
statewide prohibition to the people,
would sign sach a resolution? Ger
tainly | would The people will select
members OF the legislature to repre-
sent them, by direct vote this fall,
and II a sufficient number favorable
] l. n
! ing the question should be submitted
20 the people However, do not adj
vocate statewide prohibition at the
present time.
"One OF the great questions Of the
/ day. a question that is receiving the
profound attention OF the people OF
! Michigan az the present time, Is the
relation Of the liquor traffic 10 the
state II is claimed this traffic IS not
a producer OF wealth. OF general pros
perity, nor promoter OF constructive
enterprise II is unlike any other
+ business, requiring special legal re
strictions. and therefore is in a class
! by itself Yet in forming conclusions.
We must take conditions as We find
+ them, and not base our convictions
upon what we wish these conditions
were have several very good
I friends engaged in the liquor business
and am convinced they are Just as sin
: cere in their views as am In mine
( Someone has said: A law which
strains the powers Of the authorities
/ 10 enforce, is an unwise law II Is
I the truth OF this. which causes many
temperance people 70 hesitate in their
allegiance 70 the more aggressive
course, advocated by those OF more
drastic views
In nv letter Of Saturday Feb. IL,
I said To my mind. the temperance
movement OF today Is a lasting and
. final expression Of the aroused moral
and business sense OF the electorate,
requiring Of all men sobriety In living
and faithfulncss 10 trust. The words
I moral and business were used adj
yisediy OF late years, the most po-
tent factor behind this movement has
been the hard matter-offact question
# industrial efficiency When the in
frence OF the almighty dollar was
added to the moral impetus things
! began 20 move and the predicted
transitory character OF the movement
has not materialized but on the con-
trary. the momentum OF the reform IS
/ gaining constantly.
The railroads were the first indus
trial division 20 recognize the business
value Of sohriety in their employees.
The railroads are contributing hun
dreds OF thousands OF dollars annual
~ 10 support Y. NJ G. \ S and these
/ expenditures are prompted and con-
tinued because they are good business
Investments Intelligent employers
Of labor are familiar with what ia
claimed 10 be "a scientifically estab-
ished fact, that just 10 the extent
their employees take alcohol into their
systems 20 just that extent is their
efficiency reduced II is not unusual
90 find employers insisting upon en-
ployes abstaining from drink for with
the increased efficiency OF labor thus
secured. such employers soon dis.
lance competitors who do not recog.
nize this now well established fact.
am told that In Flint some of the
great automobile manufacturers have
put UP signs which read No drinkcr
need apply Now. Why do they DO
this? Simply because they know that
! a workman. free from the effects Of
alcohol. IS more efficient than the one
who is not Thus when We attempt
4 20 analyze conditions rs they actually
exist, We End that tho Interests OF
business have as much 90 do ae NOR
ais with the present day increase OF
/ tom, morn roa continent