The Detroit times., 1910-02-01
Political PaIaVer


election methods next fall, II the new
elections law is strictly enforced.
Saloon meetings. which have compos-
ed about two-thirds of the list, will be
done away with and the old "hurrah,
boys. set EN- up again" style OF cam
paigning will be a fragrant memory
Candidates will make only six or sew
en- meetings per night, and there Will
have to be lot more of the house-to-
house campaigning which distinguish
ed the Codd campaign OF 1904 Most
OF the campaigners are happy and say
they Will do all they can TO keep the
law TO the fore.
One great worry just now is over
the enrolment of voters. All who
were eligible To vote for governor ia
1908 are eligible to vote for state,
county and city candidates now in the
primary. But they are only frac-
ton of the voting population. There
will have TO, be a lively hustling out
OF reluctant voters 10 get even a re-
spectacle showing in the party pri-
maries next September The Codd-
Dover faction OF the Republicans is
tstrong in the enrolment just now.
That is proven by the big Bradley
vote which was polled In this city
last campaign. Deyer being the local
Bradley manager Other clans OF the
party will endeavor TO get out their
full voting strength and the independ-
ent citizen who neglects TO enroll will
find himself as importat on primary
day as to the hole In the doughnut.
IL is becoming apparent that the
contests within the Republican party
next fall are going to be few On the
city ticket, the mayoralty is the only
thing which promises a contest, and
that is only a faint promise. There
are lot Of men who would like the
nomination, but they don't like to take
the chance. There will be the ward
contests, of course but City Clerk
Nichols and City Treasurer Koch have
nothing to worry over.
With regard TO the county ticket,
there is sweet contentment In tho
Offices OF Sheriff CASTOR, Treasurer
Moeller, Clerk Farrell and Register Of
Deeds Stoll. There will be a scrap on
for county auditor. another for the
circuit court commissionerships, and
a third for the coroners' Jobs. But
it will not be anything like the bitter
war OF 1908 when the fight was on all
and down the ticket.
The real vortex seems to be in the
line OF legislative nominations, a Re
publican nomination being equivalent
to an election. Here the liquor question
enters in very strongly, and the sa-
loonkeepers will pull one way while
the brewers and the advocates OF 4
strict law tug the other way. Candi
dates who enter that fight with gray
hair will have an advantage over
others, inasmuch as they will not
change so much during the feverish
weeks prior to nominations.
Charles F. Heyerman, real estate
man I'm the McGraw building, is one
of the chorus OF possibilities for alder
men in the First ward. Republican?
Why, OF course.
There is a big balance of power in
the coming election in Detroit which
none OF the politicians knows much
about This balance consists OF the
thousands OF workmen who have come
into the city within the past two years
in consequence of the building of new
Industrial plants here and the enlarge
ment Of present plants. These voters
have never had hand in the choice
Of city officers before: they come to
the study of Detroit politics with I'M
prejudiced minds.
For the most part, this influx Of new
electors is OF the best character. The
men are those who read and who will
Judge of the merits OF the candidates
and issues without the bias OF old-time
views based on previous campaigns.
How are they going to throw the next
election? This is what all the politi.
clans are wondering.
The votes of this element OF new
corners are going to be Of immense
strength in the settlement OF the
street railway question. The new De-
troiters have not been in the fight
for the past two decades and no one
knows whether the majority OF them
are for municipal ownership, for a
ehort-term franchise or for three-cent
fares without compromise II is a
blind guess that anyone must make.
But whichever side corrals these new
voters will come very close to win
ming the election.