1910-08-05; Clare Sentinel

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Established 1878.
GLARE,   MICHIGAN,   FRIDAY MORNING,.
AUGUST 5,   1910.
NewSeries: Vol.18, JS'o. 38
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ALWARD HAS
MADE GOOD.
Clare Man's Success in Political Management Wins
Promotion to
SfiTlQHAL GONG. COMMITTEE
From
Secretaryship of   Republican   State Central
Committee.
Everyone hereabouts knows "Den-
3iie "Alward, and those who know
"him best rejoice most at the deserved
"honor that has come to him in his
promotion from the seqretaryehip of
the republican State Central Committee of Micihganto be assistant secretary (virtually, secretary) of tbe National Congressional Committee with
"headquarters in "New Yotk City.
Mr. Alward's advancement in political administration has been so
steady, his success so distinct and
his methods so sound and definite,
that he and they deserve more than
a passing notice. Aside from the local personal interest and pride in the
success of a fellow citizen there is a
lesson for the younger generation to
be drawn from the demonstrated fact
that there is a career open in politics
that is not petty and degrading, but
for a man of character is as worthy
as that of the law or medicine.
Tbis is not an obituary, but a brief
.sketch of a man who is very much
alive. Though this is campaign year
tbis is not written for* political effect,
for Mr. Alward is not seeking suffrage, but is as secure in office as any
man can be who has won position by
real merit and not by political pull.
"We will not go back to Dennis E. Alward's birthplace and ancestry for
out story, but leave that to the county historian. There is more of real
interest in the politics with which he
lias been connected in tbe last fifteen
or twenty years than we haye space
to recite.
It ia nearly 30 years since D. E. A\-
•ward and wife came to Olare from
Battle Creek, "a couple of kids", as
he expressed it the other day. He had
-been connected with the Battle Creek
"Moon, and at Olare soon became editor and proprietor of the Press.which
brought him in touch with the early
politics of Clare county. He had not
been here long when he was chosen
a member of the Olare county board
of school examiners, which for a time
-consisted of D. E. Alward, A.
J. Doherty and G. J. Cummins. That must bave been a
good school for training in politics,
for later one of these men became
state senator and a member of the
state board of agriculture, another
became prosecuting attorney and
state representative, while the third
of the triumvirate became secretary
of the party organization in Michigan
and now of congressional politics.
In 1887 Mr. Alward beeame clerk
of the state senate's committee en
railroads. His marked ability as asys-
tematizer led Lew Miller, secretary
of the senate, to select him as his assistant; and, when Miller retired Mr.
Alward succeeded him as secretary,
reorganizing the clerical work and
devising a well-nigh perfect system of
recording and checking.
Mr. Alward began his work in 1894
ias secretary of the Republican State
Central Committee, which place
"be held np to last week,
with the exception of the
second Pingree campaign. His
resignation was banded the commitee
3ast week, bnt to saye confusion
incident to a change at this time, bis
successor will not be chosen until after the September primaries. It waa
in bis work as secretary of the State
Central Committee that Mr. Alward's
-strength as an organizer had full
scope to show itself.
We can not at this time enter into a
fall discussion of Mr. Alward's principles and methods, but will indicate
them in a general way. In the first
place, he is absolutely committed to
tbe belief tbat anything in politics, as
elsewhere, that is not perfectly
straight forward and honest loses out
in the long run. He in general is conservative, but not ultra. He holds
tbat the radical element iB composed
largely of men who do not have all
the facts in hand, or are misled by
those who misuse the facts.
A large part of his success as secretary of the state organization is due
to his grasp of the political pulse in
every part of the state, and his analysis of conditons. By a system of re-
.ports from every precinct in the state
ihe knew, to a certainty before eyery
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NORTHEASTERN PRESS ASSOCIATION    MEMBERS   AT
St,
election day what the returns would
show. When Rich was a candidate for
governor the second time hardly a
republican was sanguine enough to
predict a majority greater than 50,000,
and more looked for 25,000. In the
evening before tbe returns came in
Senator McMillan, then chairman of
the committee, asked Mr. Alward
what he thought the majority would
be. When tbe secretary replied tbat
it would be about 105,000, there was
a look of astonishment on tbe faces
of those present, followed by a great
laugb of derision at the secretary's
expense, in which the Senator good
naturedly joined, and suggested tbat
Alward put ice on his head. But the
sentiment of banter was next day
changed to admiration when tbe returns showed 103J0Q0, later corrected
to 106,392 by the official canvass. A-
gain, when Gov. Warner was making
his third campaign two years ago,the
general prediction was a majority for
him Qf 25,000 or more. Mr. Alward,
however informed the committee it
would be between 8,000 and 10,000.
It proved to be 9,630. These were
not lucky guesses but tbe result of
system. When interviewed at Washington by a New York World correspondent in the last presidential campaign and asked for information as
to what Midhigan would do, Mr. Alward was able to give the reporter
the situation to a dot, in spite of contrary rumors current in Washiugton;
and the World representative complimented the secretary on tbe de-
finiteness of his knowledge, whereas,
information from ..most other states
was merely guess work. It has been
such work as this that has brougt
our townsman to the front.
In 1896 Mr. Alward was appointed
superintendent of the house document room at Washington, and the
following March he went in with the
new Congress as reading clerk of the
House. His very first work was the
reading of President McKinley's first
message to the special session of Congress called to consider the tariff.
The new position which he left
Monday to enter upon, is as assistant
secretary of the republican National
Congressional Commitee, whose Work
is to promote the election of republican members of Congress. The Committee consists of one congressman
from each state, Wm. B. McKinley of
Illinois being chairman, and H. O.
Loudenslager of New Jersey, secretary. C.J.McLaughlin is the Michigan
member. Secretary Loudenslager
has been in poor health for some
time,and has tried to resign, but finally consented to remain as nominal
secretary, providing an efficient man
conld be found to do tbe work. He
had learned something of Mr. Alward's work, and began quietly to
look him up by inquries among the
Michigan delegation, every one of
whom had nice things to say abont
his work. However, when Secretary
Loudenslager proposed Mr. Alward
for tbe Congressional Committee
there was a strong protest from the
Michigan men, who considered him
indispensible to tbe state committee.
Mr. Alward also turned the offer
down. However, after Cong, Loudenslager had reported his failure to Vice
President Sherman, tbe latter came
to Cong. Diekema, chairman of the
State Central Committee and urged
that the national need was more
than the state's and that Michigan
ought to yield. When presented in
this way tbe Michigan delegation consented and Mr. Alward said, "It is
not my choice. However, I regard it
as a draft on me from the national
service and I honor the draft". So
the matter Was closed, and we look
to see Mr. Alward bandle the national congressional campaigns from his
office in New York with the same
precision and success as he did the
state campaigns from Detroit and
Clare. P.
NORTHEASTERN
ASSOCIATION.
Fine  Body of Copy Writers
Assembled   Last Week*
For Summer Outing.
gheboyganIoyal hosts.
Meeiing   of   Northeastern
velopment   Bureau Held
Same Time.
De-
at
An editor gets a vacation so seldom
that he enjoys it to the limit, and
likes to tell about it, same as other
folks. As the back office is yelling
for copy, and births, deaths, marriages and police news are scarce so
far this week, we venture to foist
this sketch of a little summer outing
on an innocent public, excusing ourselves on the ground that tbe general
purpose of the gathering referred to
is to 'advance the interest of a section
of the state of which Clare and Olare
county form a part.
I About two years ago an organiza-
, tion was formed of the various* interests of the northwestern part of
Michigan embracing twenty counties
from Grand Rapids north, whose
purpose it was to forward the commercial welfare of that region. So
successful was its beginning tbat last
year a similar organization, known
as the Northeastern Development
Bureau, was created, embracing seventeen counties from Saginaw north
to the straits with Clare county at
the southwest corner.
At the January meeting of tbe
Northeastern Bureau it was seen that
its success largely rested on the cooperation and publicity to be secured
through tbe newspapers ofthe northeast territory, which association was
to serye as a sort of auxiliary of the
Bnreau, but under its own adminis
tration. The Northeastern Michigan
Press Association was thus formed
Its constitution provides for a business session in January, with a sum
mer outing with some incidental business meetings. As the Northeastern
Bureau and. the Northeastern Press
Association are to play a great part
in the development of this section of
the state, and incidentally of Clare
and vicinity, we have stated the purpose of these organizations at some
lenghth.
The N. M. Press Association met
for its summer session at Cheboygan
Tuesday and Wednesday of last
week. A. R. Oanfleld and wife and
EJ. D. Palmer of Olare attended. At
Midland tbey picked np Editor Cris-
sey of the Republican, and at Saginaw Editor Gallagher ""of Franken-
muth. It looks as though that last
name should be decorated with shamrocks, but in a community in which
nine men out of ten are Germans be
claims he is one of the nine, and
that ordinarily his name is mispronounced away from home. He insists that it is Gal. Lager. What's in
a name? Tbat goes in Frankenmuth
anyway.
Saginaw and Bay Oity papers
made no contribution, but at the latter place Senator FoBter of the Gladwin Record swelled the party, while
Editors Segerstrom of Pinconning
and Myers of Standish got aboard
soon after. .Secretary Patterson of
TawaS Oity was next to fall in, and
at Oscoda Congressman Loud' added
dignity to the pilgrimage. From
time to time other pencil pushers
climbed aboard the special, some accompanied by their wives who added
grace to the occasion. At Millers-
burg Harry Whitely, whose wife was
Ethel Stevens of Olare, annexed himself to tbe expedition. Lack of space
forbids our specifying a dozen other
bright and businesslike young men
who formed the party of thirty or
forty tbat the D. & M. special took
to Cheboygan. Aside from these
came others from various points until the whole number of * those assembled for the meeting was 60 to 75.
We wish,to express at this point
our collective and individual appreciation of tbe handsome treatment of
the editors by the Detroit and Mackinaw railroad, and especially tbe
courtesies extended by W. G. McEd-
wards, the general passenger agent.
The management of the road expressed a willingness/to furnish free
transportation but tbe law was in the
way. However, a luxurious parlor
ear was attached to tbe regular train
and was reserved exclusively for the
newspaper and Devlopement Bureau
party. There was no serious mishap
to mar the trip, except when .Senator Foster and Oolonei Loud tried to
pass in the corridor next the smoking compartment and got wedged in
so their friends had to extricate them,
and when Secy. Patterson got hold of
the wrong grip, and on preparing to
retire for tbe night found it contained
a young baby's paraphernalia.
As to the work of the Development
Bureau, which met in Oheboygan at
tbe same time with tbe Press Association, as the two are working jointly, is discussed more fully elsewhere
in this issue, we refer here to only
one or two items of its work. It is
sustained by county and corporation
membership fees of S200.00 each and
individual and firm fees of S25.00each.
These fees are coming in slowly,. and
a campaign is on to increase the
funds. At the Cheboygan session
S2,000 was appropriated for exhibits
at the Michigan State Fair, and $4,000
for the TJ. S. Land and Irrigation Congress in Chicago in November. . We
shall bave more to say On this subject
from time to time.
Oheboygan folks certainly do know
how to take care of their guests, and
every minute that the editors could
spare from the arduous deliberations
of the association was taken up in
joy-riding and sight-seeing. Perhaps
the pleasantest features were the
launch ride up<the famed Inland Route,
inspection of the paper mills, the
evening banquet, and the half day at
Maekinie Island. To describe these
fittingly would be to write a whole
book.
Tbis may be regaded as a summary
of the meet: Notheasteam Michigan
has great possibilities tbat do not begin to be realized by tbe residents
themselves, much less by those who
have not seen it. The editors.of tbis
region are a bright and progressive
lot, and are boosting every minute
"•for the common good. It is the bumble country weekly that must be
relied upon to push the common
cause, not a daily being represented
at tbis meeting. The D. & M. railroad is the only one in the
northeast that has risen to tbe future
needs. Oheboygan people are O. K,
And, fina'lly, every farmer, merchant, professional man and laborer ih this northeast should interest
himself in its advancement and in the
work of the Development Bureau.
There should be 40 memberships of
$25 each taken in Clare county.    P
CONTEST FOR PROSECUTOR.
C. A. Reading Enters the Race
for Republican Nomination.
The bi-ehnial thaw has set in, and
things begin to warm up politically.
Up to this week there had not more
than one candidate come forward
for any office, and there was not much
excitement, but a few days ago C. A.
Reading shied his castor into tbe ring
by starting out petitions for nomination for the office of prosecutiug attorney, whicb ensures at least one
contest for office., for, as recently
stated in tbe Sentinel, J, F. Bowler
is already on the war-path.
Two years ago Mr. Beading contested for the nomination with that seasoned campaigner, Prosecutor Quinn,
and surprised eyen his friends by
coming within 40 votes of winning at
the primaries. Mr. Reading bas been
disinclined to run again, but his
friends of that contest have gotten
together and have virtually forced
him into the race. They say that
with tbe prestige of tbat contest, two
years of added experience,   serving
For sale—Good hay press, cheap if
taken at once.   James Henderson.
(.,'
as chairman bf the republican county
committee, sharing in a successful
local option contest, and standing up
openly and squarely to his civic duty
as he saw it, he is tbe logical candidate. Tnis, of course, the friends of
the opposing candidate are not ready
to admit, and thus the issue-is joined
and the contest is on.
Mr. Reading is a rising young attorney of considerable ability. He is
scholarly, courageous, and honest,
and is acquiring a reputation for digging to the bottom of things. He
and his friends are sure to make a
lively contest for the nomination.    P
Seriously   Burned.
. Eartba Beacham, a little girl nine
year of age, living at Temple, was
dangerously burned Tuesday afternoon. It seems she found a match
upon tbe sidewalk and lighting it in
some way ignited her clothing. She
ran several rods to reach home
.where her mother smothered tbe
flames but not till the child,was very
seriously burned, especially on the
back and lower limbs. She was taken' yesterday to St. Mary's Hospital
in Saginaw.
•" Michigan Produce Go,
South McEwan St. pays the following
cash price for produce, to-day, for
Oream delivered 27c, called for
25c.   Fowls 12c.  Chickens, young,I4c
NEW LIGHTING
CONTRACT MADE,
Franchise Made in 1895 Was
For Twenty Years and
Still Has
FIVE YEARS TO RUN.
New Contract Is for Same. Time
and Has but One.New
Feature.
At the council meeting Monday
evening bills to the amount of $1,20@
were allowed, the largest grist in a
long titde, due to accumulations.
Half of these, however, were for
sidewalk construction and coal   bilL
The street committee was authorized to go abead with the surveying
and grading of east Seventh street.
A loan of 81,500 was authorized t«
tide over until taxes come in.
The chief item of interest, however, was the renewal of the city
lighting contract with Mr. Doherty.
By the terms of the franchise, which
waB made fifteen years ago and Jba«
five years more to run, new contract*
were to be entered upon every fiv«
years, but this year there has beei.
some delay owing to lack of agreement. Everything now seems to b«
satisfactory all around. The new
contract is the same as tbe old, with
the same number of lights at tb«
same price, but a new feature is the
option given tbe lighting company to terminate the contract ia
1912 by giving three months'  notice.
As tbe full text of the contract wiU
appear with the proceedings in next
Week's Sentinel only tbe above summary is here given.
A RURAL FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Blaze at David  Smalley's   Extinguished by Threshing Crew.
The country is getting about all
the advantages of city life now-a-
days without some of its drawbacks.
The telephone, free mail delivery
aud daily newspapers have brought
the green fields almost into town, or
have brought the best of tbe city
without its noise and smoke out to
the country-side. It has remained,
however, for Sheridan township.
Olare county, to give an illustration
of tbe efficiency of an impromptm
fire department, with everything but
the brass buttons.
Wess Martin of Clare and hie
crew were busy at work Friday with
their outfit at Dune. Roe's place
just east of Colonville, when fire was
discovered issuing from the roof of
David Smalley's house about three-
quarters of a mile east of Roe's.
Threshing engine blew a fire alarm,
the crew and the neighbors hastened to the fire, while Martin ordered*),
the water tank, which fortaraately
was full, to be rushed to the scene-
He himself shut down the machinery-
and assumed the role of fire-chief.
A bucket brigade was formed* The-'
rainwater gave   out   and   the welfcj,
proved to be dry, but the water-tamkr
came up with horsesatagallup in the
most approved metropolitan  style*
Meantime the fire had gained quite
a headway.     A hole was chopped
through the roof  and   the   flames
were deluged by water passed up by
many ready hands.   Only by persistent work was the blaze extinguished,,
and the boys and their chief deserve
much praise.   -
The fire originated from a defective
flue, and the damage will be about
One hundred dollars, covered bj
insurance. p
He Got No Fish.
Rev. O. T. Jack, Baptist minister
at Mt. Pleasant, took to Clare county
water Monday, not by immersion,,
sprinkling or pouring, but just waded
from Farwell to Clare in the Tobaece
river, whipping the stream for trout.
He had the regulation fisherman's
togs, jointed pole, creel and all, but'
did not have much success. Whether
the dominie's poor luck was because ,
he had been swearing, or did not bave
tbe right kind of bait for Olare county streams, your scribe was not able
to learn.
Complimentary Copies
A goocUmany extra copies of tb«s
Sentinel are being sent out this week*
It you are not a regular subscriber
and like tbis sample come in wttfc
your dollar, or promise to, and get 52
such visits, less than two cents s
•Week.
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