The diamond drill., 1918-11-02
NICKEL, DISGUsTED,
QUITS DEMOCRATS ]
WHO SUPPORT FORD
QUOTES PARTY LEADER THAT
THEY HAD MAN WHO WOULD
GIVE S5oo,ooo.
PRINCIPLES Did NOT COUNT
aWe DON'T Care AS Long AS He VIII
stand to Be Mixed" HeIme
6acker Was Told.

w. ]. Nickel, OF Grand Rapids, who
managed the campaign for the nomi-
nation OF James w. Helme on the
Democratic ticket for United States
senator, has written the following let
ter. addressed to the voters OF Michi-
gan:
Having voted the Democratic ticket
for 80 years, following the chimerical
theory that | was voting for principle
that would not die. only to find that It
A not necessary TO subscribe to that
principle nor support the platform In
order to run for Office is extremely
nauseating.
And again, strange as II may seem,
Il is not necessary TO spend dollar
10 be elected. ! think that statement
made by the Democratic candidate for
senator insults the intelligence OF ey-
cry voter In Michigan when he says
not one penny will be spent by him
and that his candidacy will be In the
hands OF a citizen committee who will
have to raise their own funds. l should
like 70 be member of that commit
tee and approach the voters of Michi.
gan and ask them TO finance the cam
paign OF the second wealthiest man In
the world. A photo of the donor
could we'll be placed in the art gallery
maintained In the Home for Feeble
Minded at Lapeer.
But the candidate enlightens us 20
a certain extent He says the Ford
dealers" will probably be the founda-
ton. AS Il Is well known that n Ford
dealer has TO pay for halls, advertis-
ing, speakers, etc. the same as an or
dinary citizen. II may be assumed that
the said dealers are TO be shaken
down. In order 10 keep In good stand
ing with the man they buy from, fig
uring that as many OF these dealers
will be Republicans as Democrats,
such contributions must be about as
acceptable as the contributions made
by bleeding Belgium TO Germany
II this kind Of politics il to obtain
we may as well look TO the future
when the we'll known head of an oil
concern may get the presidential bee
and milk every agent in the United
States who sells gasoline.
The rottenness OF the entire flasco
dates back To June. During that
month l was approached by a promi
nent Democratic leader who said:
AS soon as word comes from Wash
ington, we will have a candidate for
Senator on the Democratic ticket who.
II elected, will subscribe 100000 to
the campaign fund of a we'll known
official for president in 1920"
l said. There Is but one such man
In Michigan and he Is not a Demo
crat."
WELL he replied. I'VE don't care
as long as he will stand TO be MIXED
Such a candidate and such situa.
tion not meeting with the approval of
all Michigan Democrats, true blue
Democrat in the person OF James w
Helme was placed in nomination. ard
strange as Il may seem, the Demo
cratic King OF Michigan left FOR
Washington the day after the candi
date had qualified Upon his return a
letter headed Dear Brother Demo
crat' was gotten out and signed by
the Chairman and Secretary OF the
Democratic State Central Committee
ordering all Democrats 10 vote for
Henry Ford, regardless OF the fact
that Helme was life long Democrat
and 100 per cent American. With
Helme's politics and loyalty unques
toned. he was side-tracked for n man
whose most patriotic statement has
been Soldiers are either lazy OF
crazy"
AS the president has adjourned poll
tics IL would seem as II the patriotic
people OF Michigan might be excused
for forgetting party lines and vote for
a man whose acts and deeds have been
In favor OF the man who fought and
died.
You fathers at home, whose star 0
blue I'm the service flag has changed
10 gold. can ascribe the change Of
color TO the sailing OF the historic
Oscar ii as we'll as 10 the cabled mes
sages of Won Bernstoff that Americans
would not fight
In conclusion. are you. the patriotie
people Of Michigan, going to turn
down life long habit of standing by
the man who fought for you. for
weakened by-product In principle
which only squeals when in danger?
trust that IL we must endorse this
kind OF politics that my vote for Tru
man III. Newberry may drive me out Of
the Democratic party and that wher
the sands OF my life are run my
epitaph may be:
He stood by the man who offered
his life that liberty shall not per
ish from the face of the earth"
w. J. NICKEL.
Grand Rapids. Michigan,