The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1912-03-23
Senator James Is
No Tool Of Mines.
Laborin8 Men OF the Upper Peninsula
Want Him to Run for
Congress.

senator w. FRANK james or the
thirty-second district was placed in an
embarrassing position last week when,
as member of the upper peninsula
delegation, he was forced to vote
against the Taylor resolution vindicat-
ing Senator Moriarty's action in chang
ing his action in regard to the presiden-
tial primary bill.
1t would naturally have been sup
posed that Senator James, being from
the same part of the state as Senator
Moriarty. would have voted to clear
the name of his friend and neighbor,
but Senator James said the resolution
did not help Senator Moriarty in the
least and that vote of confidence,
unless unanimous, might better be left
off the senate journal.
PERSONALLY would have been glad
to vote for anything that would help
Mike, as l am sure the mining COM
panies put the pressure on so hard that
he was unable to voice his real senti-
ments, but do not propose to vote for
a resolution that exonerates the cor
porations of the upper peninsula, said
Senator James. Senator Fowle, the
third senator from the upper peninsula,
although personal friend of Moriarty,
declared he could not vote for the reso-
luton.
4 JAMES HAS METEoRIC CAREER
When James defeated Senator Chas.
Smith at the primaries in 1910 and de-
molished the machine that had dictated
the politics of the thirrty-second dis
trict for many years, it was heralded
all over the state that he was a social
ist and an unsafe person to represent
his district in the state senate. Smith
was chief clerk in the Calumet & Hecla
mines and had the united support of
the mining companies and the other
big interests. Despite this handicap.
James campaigned among the laboring
men and was nominated by majority
of 800.
Although he called himself pro-
gressive republican some of his col
leagues were skeptical and it was not
until he succeeded in securing the pass
age of a bill to take the appointment
of the mine inspectors away from the
corporations and pushed through law
requiring two and Ole half cent fares
on the upper peninsula railroads that
the other members of the upper house
began to take notice. With the excep-
tion of workingmen's compensation
bill, Senator James worked all the
planks of his platform into laws, and
now in the special session is recognized
as one of the strongest and most pop
ular men in the upper house. When
the tonnage tax bill came up in the
senate last year, Senator James op-
posed it, not because the mining cor
porations wanted him to do SO, but be-
cause he believed it would be death
blow to the principal industry of the
upper peninsula. The only time SEN
ator James clashed with the governor
last year was when the name of Perry
F. Powers was substituted for Richard
H. Fletcher as labor commissioner.
The laboring men of the James dis
trict did not want Powers and he voted
to keep Fletcher in office until the first
of July.
WANT HIM IN CONGRESS-.
Now the laboring men of the upper
peninsula want James to become a can
didate for congress against the present
incumbent, H. Olin Young. They have
assured him of their unanimous sup
port and demand that he make the
race this year. However, Senator
James refuses to do this until work.
ingmen's compensation bill has been
placed on the statute books. "Some
one else might be elected to the senate
who would not have your interest at
heart, and the bill might not be fought
out along the lines of interest to the
MINER" James told the men. when
have the satisfaction Of seeing q
workingmen's compensation bill enact
ed into law. it will be time enough to
enter the congressional fight IL you
still want me-" he said.
Senator James is one Of the strong
est advocates Of the presidential pref
erence primary. He il strong Roose-
welt supporter and says he reflects the
real sentiment Of his district. "Of
course, the mining interests do NOT
want Teddy, but the voters do, aed the
day when the corporations can control
the election in my district is passed,