The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1918-07-05
THE OWOSSQ TIMES
EDMUND q. DEWEY, PROP.
OwOSSO, MICH. JULY 8, 1918.
"ADJOURNING POLITICS"
Free-Trade and PrOtectiOnist News.
paper Disagree With President
Wilson
A Democratic Scheme


Editorial in the Chicago Tribune
AS Editorial of the Day the Tribune
publishes today some pertinent COM
ment on the Michigan senatorial situa-
ton by the New York World. AS the
World is the leading thick and thin
supporter of Mr.. Wilson, it's caution
airy remarks carry exceptional weight.
The course adopted by Michigan
Democrats, with the Endorsement of
the president, as asserted by Mr..
Ford, is more likely to produce discord
than harmony, the World sensibly de-
clares. There is something approach
ing a reproach in the Worlds state
ment that "When the President said
to Congress the other day that poll
tics is adjourned it must have been
with some mental reservations" We
should say so, indeed. The presi-
dents attack upon Senator Lenroot
and partisan Endorsement of Mr..
Davies in the Wisconsin contest indi-
Gated no adjournment of politics, and
we agree, in effect, with the World
that "the attempt, with his approval,
by the Democrats Of Michigan to
force Henry Ford upon the Republi-
cans as fusion candidate for United
States senator may not be party poll
tics exactly, for Mr.. Ford is Repub-
lican, but it bears a strong resem-
blance to political strategy"
If it is not political strategy Of
the adroitest kind, there is no such
animal. The Democrats are in a
chronic minority in Michigan. They
have now selected as their candidate
the richest and best known and per-
haps in some respects the most influ-
entail man in the state, who has been
a Republican and, for all we know,
still claims to be one, although he
helped to defeat the Republican candi-
date in 1916 on pacifist issue. They
do this without consultation with the
Republicans, and they call this nom
partisanism, or fusion!
1t won't go down. 1t is political
trick. We do not think Michigan Re-
publicans are likely to let the DEM
ocratic machine select candidate for
them, even when they select man
who has been Republican but who
is now favored for cause by the THU
lar and actual head of the Democratic
party.
The Republicans have in Michigan
a straight-out Republican candidate
whose character and views they know
well. Michigan Republicans who wish
to have Republican representation in
the state have no reason for voting
for Mr.. Ford as Republican, for he
would not have been selected by the
Michigan Democrats except that he
is an ally in fact if not in name.
The Republicans in Congress, in all
that pertained to the war, have given
loyal support to the president. The
record shows that. No patriotic
Michigan Republican need desert Mr.
Osborn or his party because he is
anxious that the presidents hands
should be held up in war time. But
the war has not wiped out the politi-
cal distinction between the Republi-
can and Democratic parties, nor abol-
ished the issues of policy out of which
they rise. If Michigan is Republican,
it will send Republican to represent
it, not a candidate who is thrust upon
Republicans by Democrats. Mr.. Os-
born is Republican in word and act
Mr.. Ford is the candidate of Demo-
Gratis because he is Republican III
name and Democrat in act. Surely
Republican Michigan will not De no
cussed by any such device.