The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1882-10-20
Begole as a Slanderer.

One of the campaign flyers issued
from Mr.. Begole's press in Flint
copies approvingly from the Hastings
Banner of January Is last the follow
ing accusations against Gov. Jerome:
The circumstances connected with
the Yorktown trip are of such recent
occurrence that the disgraceful recital
might we'll be omitted. 1t ought
not to be asked by the Republicans
of this State whether registering
booziness on such an occasion is ex-
actly compatible with the dignity one
would expect to find in the deport-
ment of the governor of Michigan.
Had the Yorktown trip not been an
event of national importance, had not
the Legislature appropriated large
sum for the proper representative Of
the state at the celebration-in short
had not Gov Jerome been acting in a
representative capacity, when he and
his companions made night hideous
with their festivities, people would
have pardoned him.
The charge here made has been
disproved again and again. When it
was first made the testimony that it
was wholly false was Immediately
forthcoming from such Democrats as
Gen. A. T. McReynolds and the Hon.
]. H. Forster, as we'll as from scores
of others who were with the governor
on the Yorktown trip. This evidence
was followed by that of Mr.. A. G..
Boynton, the political editor of the
Free Press,who accompanied tn eGov-
ernor on the trip. For the Free Press
of February 3, he wrote the following
editorial paragraph:
When journal like the Hastings
Banner so grossly misrepresents the
governor as to speak of his "royster
ing boisterousness," and of his
''making night hideous with festivi-
ties" on the Yorktown expedition, it is
impossible to refrain from character
izing the attack as utterly indefensible,
unfounded and blackguardly. Gov,
Jerome's conduct on the Yorktown
excursion, throughout, was that of a
gentleman fully conscious of the fact
that he would be accepted as the rep
resentative of a great and important
state and determined to uphold, so
far as he could, the states honor and
dignity. That he did uphold it is
shown by the good name which
Michigan left at Yorktown and in the
remembrance of the representatives
from other states who came in contact
with the governor, the military and
the civic delegation.
That the governor might have been
more self-assertive, to the benefit of
the state, is quite possible. If so,
he may justly be criticised, though it
is well to remember in these days
when forwardness and push are so
prevalent, that difidence has some
merit. But to speak of him, as the
Banner does, in the same language
which would be used in describing a
hummer is an objectionable outrage.
All this must have been known to
Mr.. Begole. The statements which
he reiterates had been shown to be
false by the evidence of many witnesses
and the testimony of the leading Dem
ocratic paper in the state. Yet in the
face of all this he sends forth again
the slanderous assertion in a flyer
prepared under his own supervision
and paid for it himself. He undoubt-
edly saw this flyer, knew of its publ
cation and knew of its falsity. 1t is as
though he uttered the SANDER out of
his own mouth. He revives it and
reiterates it, knowing it to be false.
candidate for the highest Office in
the state thus deliberately traduces his
in the desperate hope of
winning few votes. Among all the
indecencies into which the heat of
party strife has drawn excited polti.
clans, there has never been anything
in this state that has equaled this
sneaking and mendacious performance
of Josiah w. Begole's
Drnfaafsar @n 4 nh No.