Michigan historical collections. [Vol. 17]

MICHIGAN IN HER PIONEER POLITICS.

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party what belongs to mankind. And we see, also, that fealty which
gives to the party leader what belongs to the party. The first develops the partisan, the second, the demagogue. But again, our early
politics, like ancient Gaul, was divided into three parts. And each
division was different from the other. For instance, as to the question
how does politics affect man, the answer would be, that depends on
the kind he has. For when applied to a large class of our people
it made democrats of them; when applied to another large class it
made whigs of them, and when applied to another and smaller class,
it made liberty men or abolitionists of them. Consequently to get a
clear understanding of the politics of the old days we must understand the political principles that then governec the democrat, the
whig, and the abolitionist. Stated briefly, the first was for free trade,
anti-bank, and ignored the slavery question. The second was for
protection, in favor of banks and was neutral on slavery. The thirdanti-slavery.
Thus we have given the kind of politics that Michigan started with
and that has influenced and shaped her political career; says one of our
pioneers, "I remember the time when there were no signs of any
politics about the early settlement in Battle Creek, that is, in the
partisan sense of that word." The pioneers did not begin their political
existence here as voters, till after their homes were established. When
there were enough settlers in a certain region, a township was organized
and, when enough townships were created, a county was organized,
each township and county having a distinct civil existence. And the
settlers went about the organization of a township, and the election of
township officers, as they did in rearing their log cabins, school-houses
and churches. It was an important matter, and they gave it their best
thought and attention, with an honest endeavor to subserve the public
interest. The township being organized, it was divided into school and
road districts, and suitable officers were elected in each. Let us for a
moment, look at the primitive official equipment of a township by its
first election. And let us take that of Comstock, Kalamazoo county, at
its organization in 1834. It was officered as follows: one supervisor;
one township clerk; three assessors; one collector; three highway commissioners; three school commissioners; five school inspectors; six overseers of highways and fence viewers; three directors of the poor; three
constables, and three pound masters. Here, among other things, we
notice the especial attention that was required to be given to schools
and highways, by the ample number of officers elected for that purpose.
These are two very important factors in our civilization. After our