Influenza

When bespectacled, downright Republican Frank Dwight Fitzgerald upset pious Democrat Frank Murphy in Michigan's gubernatorial election last November, he dealt a sad blow to New Deal pride. After turning out the man who turned him out in 1936, Governor Fitzgerald set about undoing (mainly by budgetary starvation) much of Mr. Murphy's Little New Deal. Last week a prevailing virus gave a new turn to Michigan politics.

Governor Fitzgerald's labors were interrupted fortnight ago when influenza bedded him at his home in Grand Ledge. There last week a heart attack ended the labors of 54-year-old Frank Fitzgerald forever.

This reminded Michiganders that in November they had for the seventh time elected to the Lieutenant Governorship Oldster Luren Dudley Dickinson, a Republican with a strong rural and prohibitionist following. When they went to look for Lieut. Governor Dickinson, who will be 80 next month, they found him also bedded with influenza, at his farm near Charlotte. So was his wife. He got up long enough to be sworn in as Michigan's 54th Governor, first Lieutenant Governor in the State's history to be promoted by death. His wife had her bed brought downstairs so she could watch the ceremony. Ailing Oldster Dickinson, who saw eye to eye with Frank Fitzgerald in many matters announced that he would "obviously"not be a candidate for re-election after filling out the remaining 21-month term.

When Michiganders looked further for Secretary of State Harry F. Kelly, Michigan's No. 2 man, they found him in his hotel in Lansing, also in bed with influenza.

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