The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-10-25
LEAVES DOUBT
AS TO STAND
Watkins Fails to Come Out Against
the Tonnage Tax


The Progressives of the southern
and Of the county and others were
.,yen a chance to hear State Senator
/, whitney watkins, Progressive cam
a,aote for governor yesterday after
moon al a rally held at the Ketredge
,hester In Hancock which was address
sod bv Mr.. Watkins, w. f. Jones and
Dr. Cornell.
Mr. ZONES. a miner from the Cripple
creek district, vas the first SPEAKER.
,1e spoke on the Progressive move
r,ent in general and did not confine
himself Ia any particular phase Of
progre ssivism. The substance of Mr..
lanes address Is substantially the
some as the remarks that have been
made by other prngressives In this
mart of the copper country In clos
inc MFR. Jones mentioned visit he
Maid 10 Mercy hospital last Saturday
when ne was privileged TO see Colone!
Roosevelt and at which time the Colo
mol asked him to urge the voters tn
Yo,e the whole ticket and lot to slight
any member of IT,
senator Watkins the party's candi-
date for the governorship. was tho
next sneaker. Mr.. Watkins talked on
tate politics and the need Of the Pro-
eressive PARTY in Michigan. He told
the audience Of his entrance into
notifies How he had been urged to
RIM as state senator from his district
against the ring politicians. among
whom was numbered State Treasurer
Glazler who later served time In the
state nententiary for embezzlcment OF
state funds, and who controlled the
machine in the tenth district. Mr..
watkins was finally induced To run
as an Independent and was triumph
antly elected and since then has al
WAYS been returned by his district.
Mr. Watkins told of the hold that
special privilege had on the legislators
In the state legislature and OF the at
,empts that were made to line him up
with the regulars in the senate He
told of the fight by the people 20 Sc
cme chance TO pass on the party
presidential candidates by means os n
presidential primary and nf the fight
made against II by the special inter-
ests which he characterized as the
last stand Of the bosses" Mr. Wat
kins continued by telling Of Senator
Moriarty and of the coercion that
forced him TO retract his former state
ment and vote against the measure.
Mr.. Watkins then went on to tell 81
the Chicago convention. In answer to
the charge that the Proeressives had
wrecked the party. Mr. Watkins said
when those delegates in Chicago
nominated William Howard Taft and
stole the nomination. not from rheo-
dore Roosevelt but from the American
people, they assassinated the Republi
can party. Do YOU think that we were
going to hang around that cemetery
all our lives?'
Mr.. Watkins then took up the ton
mage tax issue aud after mentioning
the fight that was made regarding the
issue when 1t came up before. Mr.. Wat
kins endeavored to make clear his po-
sition on this issue this year. In brief
Mr. Watkins statement was that he
did not believe that with the recent
appraisal and the reimbursement In
taxing value Of the upper peninsula
mines. that the tonnage tax was weed
ed and ne could see no reason why
this issue could come up. In case IL
should come up he PROMISED to safe
guard the interests of the upper PENN
sula and he would under no circrm-
stances sign any bill until he was
thoroughly Informed on its provisions
and was certain that it was fair and
equitable to all.
Mr. Watkins refused to openly state
that he would veto any such bill ic
case he was elected governor and the
question was raised. stating that ne
could not now define his position on
an issue that had not come up and
which II it did come UP would be un-