The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1916-02-19
THE GovERNoRsHIP


Where hesitancy has been the condi-
ton heretofore. conjecture is in the
condition now There are three active
and one trailing candidates so far
Garrit J. Diekema is the original and
he is generally conceded to be admir-
ably qualified for the job. He lives in
Holland and supposedly should have
west Michigan enthusiastic for him,
but to date the enthusiasm is a minus
quantity. In fact Mr. Diekema is more
talked OF in the upper peninsula than
anywhere else in Michigan, although
everyone with whom you talk will adj
NIT that he has the ability and would
make a corking good governor.
Then came Senator Sleeper. He ar
rived from Port Huron and has host
OF friends in the Thumb section who
are talking him. In addition Mr..
Sleeper has a lot OF political friends;
men with whom he associated and
worked while he was in the state
senate and while he was state treasur-
er. These friends are trying TO stir up
some enthusiasm for him and one
hears more Sleeper talk right now
than he does any other kind. Every
one says he is gubernatorial timber
and that his business training-he is a
banker by profession-would result in
Michigan getting good. business adj
ministration should he get 10 be its
governor But, as in the Diekema case,
there isn't much buoyancy to the can
didacy; most OF the wind has 10 be
pumped in.
Then there came Washington Gard
ner. Mr.. Gardner served his district
many years as congressman and went
down in the turmoil of 1910. Some go
so far as to say that he fell off two
horses because he couldn't spread
wide enough 10 ride both at one and
the same time. Perhaps that's doing
the Honorable Gardner an injustice,
but whether il is or it is not his
candidacy hasn't, so far, uprooted any
political trees or demolished any
houses.
And then. along came Lauren ID.
Dickinson. In fact Dickinson was the
cause of much of that hesitancy we
and he is now the cause of
very much OF the conjecture.
Dickinson hasn't rushed any other
candidate off his feet, although his an
nouncement was two columns in
length and was designed TO cover
every point that might come up in a
small Job OF the kind that he is seek |
ing. Mr.. Dickinson is particular in his |
announcement TO refute the statement
that he is zone idea" candidate and |
that that idea is dry" He lets it be
known that he is dry" as powder and
that he fathercd the local option law
but he will, IL chosen governor, be a
governor OF the wet" as well as the
dry"
There is considerable honest OPP
10 Lieutenant Governor Dick
inson on the ground that he is not OF
the calibre for the job. This position
Is taken by the leading republican
paper in Mr.. Dickinsons own town,
Ia editor. Murl DeFoe, coming out
boldly in opposition to his fellow
townsmen on that point alone. He
speaks kindly of Mr. Dickinson as
man and neighbor but pegs his
official height at supervisor.
OF course, there is the opposition TO
Mr.. Dickinson because ne is a dry"
and likewise the support of him for
the same reason. Fair minded men.
however. decry the wet and dry"
and take the same position in
state politics that republican leader,
Mann, took in the /
contest that the repub
licans can't win with two spot.
IL is generally conceded that Gov
ernor Ferris will be the democratic +
candidate and Governor Ferris is
man OF ability and good political as
well as administrative sense. lie says
plainly that third term candidates are
not much in favor in Michigan, which
means that he will not be, in his own
as strong a political asset
AZ he was two years ago On the other
hand he knows and 40 does any other
man that as a gubernatorial
asset against a man of inferior cap
lcity in the republican party, he will
be above par. Ferris Is the democratic
best bet; that much Is plain.
The DOGGY mantle Osborn candi-
iacy--has been effectually removed
rom the political horizon during the
week and the only remaining specter
q the ghost OF the Wayne country row
hat walks occasionally TO disturb the