Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1896-11-19
THURSDAY, NOV. 10, 1896.
One of the results Of die anti-saloon


legislative committee will soon be APP
pointed, and certain amendments TO
the liquor law asked for. One most
important provision will be require
ment that all sureties on liquor bonds
shall file sworn schedule OF their real
estate, TO the end that the approving
board may have basis upon which to
act, and in case of false affidavit on
the part OF the surety as to his pecun-
larry responsibility perjury can be
predicated thereon. Under the exist
ing statute the surety can swear whole
safely to his responsibility and as the
deeds of his lands may not be recorded
il is impossible TO convict him OF per-
Jury in case he makes false oath.
~.
Some excellent reforms have lately
been made in the election methods, the
change in canvassing the returns of
each county effecting saving OF ex-
pense estimated between $4,000 and
$40, 900 without in the least diminish
ing the accuracy or promptness of the
work. The city of Hudson in the
southern part of the state gave the
Abbott voting machines trial and
they were so well pleased with them
that the Council unanimously voted to
buy three OF these machines, one for
each ward. These machines are abso-
lutely correct add very simple, also
the result of the vote is known within
very few minutes after the polls are
closed. They also save some expenses
as there are no tickets to be printed
and less help is needed.
~
A valued contemporary says ''The
additional particulars made public
relative to the settlement OF the Vene-
zuelan question, and the reflection
which comes with time only increase
the satisfaction with which every
American citizen must view the happy
outcome Of an incident which threaten
ed at one time to cause serious trouble.
The settlement is not only an equit-
able adjustment of the Venezuelan
boundary dispute, but is also victory
for the Monroe, or rather the Ameri-
can doctrine, for the rule laid down by
Mr.. Olney is far more comprehensive
than the one formulated by Monroe,
and recognition thus obtained for it
makes it controlling factor in all
future transactions involving Ameri-
can territory"
~.
Bro Cutcheon of the Portland Re-
view thinks the Australian system of
voting lacks good wav of being a
secret ballot, the real bad feature be-
ing the instruction ballot allowed to
be circulated promiscuously. He says:
1.-THE Observer hopes Messrs. Scully
and Bricker, representatives-elect from
Ionia county, will do all in their power
to have the election law amended so
that no ballots whether under the guise
of obstruction or otherwise will be
allowed outside the railing OF the polls
and not then unless in the hands of an
official who has taken the oath to per-
form his duties according to law so
help me God. Only then will we
have anything like pure election
even under the Australian system of
voting"
The Michigan League of Republican
clubs urges upon the local Republican
clubs of our country the value Of re-
tanning their organization, as a guard
and defense for all the advantages and
benefits which have come to our state
as result of the recent splendid vic
tory. Already it is threatened that
the elements against which the ver-
diet OF disastrous defeat was registered
November 3, are to retain their several
organizations and continue their fight
against the business interests of the
country.
~
Small debts are what blight the gen.
eral business of the county. Every
store keeper has a large number Of
small debts on his books, and when it
Is remembered that the aggregate
amounts, in many cases, to hundreds
of dollars and that it comes out of the
profits of the business, it can be readily
seen why the small debt system of the
country figures largely in discourage
ment and losses to trade. Pay your
small debts promptly.
~.
A woman may be of great assistance
TO her husband in business by wearing
cheerful smile. A mans perplex-
tiles and gloom are increased a hundred
fold when his wife has a continual
scowl on her brow; whereas, a cheerful
wife is rainbow set in the sky when
her husbands mind is tossed with
storms and tempests.
-
The total vote in Ionia county was
9,5O3-the largest ever cast. On the
l.. 1T Al.