The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1916-08-18
DlEKEMA SENDS MESSAGE

Gerrit Diekema, one of the candi-
dates for the Republican nomination
for governor, has written an open
letter to Shiawassee county Republi-
cans in which he expresses regret at
being unable to speak here last Mon
day night and sets forth his platform
The letter Is as follows:
cannot tell the people of Shiawas-
see county how great my disappoint-
ment was in not being able to ad-
dress them as planned last Monday,
and | therefore, take the liberty to
ask the press of the county to permit
me to say through it's columns some
of the things which l desired to speak
to the people about.
wanted to tell them that my am
bition to be governor of Michigan
was not selfish one, but was an am
bition to be Of service to the people
and to give to them the benefit of
more than twenty-five years of ex-
perience in local, state and national
| government. | want to throw onto
the scrap heap much of the present
machinery of state government which
has outlived its usefulness, and for
which new and up-to-date machin-
cry should be substituted. / wanted
to tell the people about the budget
system, which if enacted into law,
will, I believe, save the people in the
state taxes at least two millions of
dollars during q single administra-
ton. The present method of making
appropriations has long since outliv-
ed its usefulness. 1t has no scientific
basis and does not conform to meth
DDS used in large private business en-
| terprises. L 90 not hold the members
of the legislature responsible for the
| enormous increase in state taxes dur
ing the past ten years. l hold the
system responsible. The budget
system will strike a death blow to
| lOg-rolling, trading, bartering and
petty politics. No one who has not
studied the possibilities of the bud
get system as tax-reducing, money
saving agency can realize all of its
meaningful possibilities. The people
must be educated and aroused. This
great reform will only come when
the people demand it, and / feel that
have at least rendered my state
service in arousing the people to the
state government.
/ wanted TO tell the people Of Shie-
wassee county that had not made
single promise of an appointment to
any man in Michigan; that if elected
governor | would be able to use my
for their integrity and efficiency.
Such men as could and would give
Michigan q business administration.
/ wanted to tell your people that
in conducting my campaign | am
keeping strictly within the law and
am not violating the corrupt prac-
tices act by the posting of litho-
graphs along the streets and high
ways or the placing of them in show
windows. That through my friends
and my own efforts | am making an
appeal to judgment and reason and
not to cupidity, passion or prejudice
That do not believe the governor
ship Of this great state is for sale, and
that if it were would not be pur-
CHASER. That no candidate for gov
ernor had ever yet succeeded III
Michigan by cash register method
and that candidate for governor
who came into any county with a
check book in one hand and foun-
tain pen in the other would so offend
the moral sense of the good people
that he would soon find his candl-
dacy to be hopeless.
| actually believe that the next
governor of Michigan will have
greater opportunity to be of real and
lasting service to the people than has
been afforded any governor since the
days of the great Austin Blair, and |
believe that he should oe man with
the necessary courage and will pow
er to establish the great business re-
form above outlined, and that he
should have the ability to arouse the
people to action by lucid and force
full explanation of his program from
the platform and stump.
These are q few of the things
which | would so much like to have
discussed with your people and | on
" hope that the opportunity may be
afforded me later on.