Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1898-04-14
HALL GENES AT EN- AGAIN.
l.. B. Is of the same Opinion still and Be
ieves everyone il Actuated by
Selfish Motives.


ing the best interests of the city II
was misinterpreted by my good friend
II H. VanBenschoten i'm an article OF
some length in "A later Issue, and un-
fortunately my letter to some of my
friends found its way TO the compost
tors Office and appeared in an issue of
the BANNER.
Last week several of my friends with
their usual wit and humor, came AT
me so strong that ! feel in duty bound
by your permission, to square my
self with my friends, lest they may
feel that have attempted TO supplant
/ them in their laudable undertakings.
Two propositions we would have you
remember First That we honor and
respect any individual who conscien-
! tiously entertains an opinion different
4 from ours. Second: That rhetorical
ettusiou either in the form of prose or
poetry, Is in no sense argument.
With the maxim at the beginning of
this article for a text, let US analyze the
positions taken by "a few of our critics.
1t is said by good authority that IN
nature "a selfish motive exists for each
activity, and we believe that this case
is no exception to the rule However,
we must confess at the beginning, that
we are non-plussed to know just where
TO make the coat fit with the worthy
editor of the BANNER.
is amusing TO know that he was
born and bred in the village OF Rock
ford at one time the market and trad
/ ing centre for the farmers for miles
around; that the G.. II. & |. Il. Il. with
the push and enterprise Of Grand
! Rapids, made it possible for him with
many other of the best citizens of that
once thriving little village to seek
more fertile fields for an existence: that
he Is now at the head Of one of the
best equipped publishing offices in the
state: owns and resides in one OF the
best residences in the city and all be-
cause The .ast twelve years OF his life
have been spent in back-woods
town" III not in direct communication
with a large city. Just how ne can
harmonic his propositions, with his
case. is more than we can determine.
Brother Ranney is an enigma; sure
ly electricity is capable OF accomplish
ing great things. How he bubbles
over with an apparent philanthropy
which would 90 credit to Pitt, Par
mel or u Clay. How he falls oyer him
self II his exposition of his "Ante-
Deluvian days in order to make the
dear people Of Belding believe that an
electrical line to Grand Rapids would
make Of their city veritable" Utopia
whore delicious plums could be pIucked
but for the picking. Ye Gods. What
a change the mere thought of this
electrical age has wrough in this man.
No aN to grind? You can just wager
our last dollar that Ranney wouldn't
be troubling himself with the question
ifhc hadn't.
Cheaper freight rates, quicker trans
portaJion and ere long an elegant resi-.
deuee on "Easy3 street in Grand
Rapids, with rapid transit to and from
his factory daily, Blame him: Surely
not, The Grand Rapids merchants
and capitalists out Of the fullness o
their generous souls are so interested
i'll Tie future welfare of the citizens oi
thccities Of Belding and Grccnville
that they are waiting TO sacrifice Z
quantity OF their hard earned money
to build an electrical road where the
good people may fan their llaggine
energies into activity by ride ovel
the line Such unselfish philanthropi
cal devotion to people has no parable
in history.
Noincrease IN trade, no gold mine
for the projectors of the line? Oh, 10
Purely case OF great sacrifice fol
humanity's sake. Blame them2
cant
My good friend in Grattan who 81
artistically dissected my anatomy fo
entertaining an opinion adverse to hi
isanother type of the Genus Homo tha
We al admire.
d He rises from his reverie to eXten'
y TO the good people in Belding his kin'
= offices TO help them in this their hou
of need. Surely be would steer straigh
for Bedding for every necessity cxcep
his groceries and tobacco which h.
would still continue To buy of thos
hustIing, energetic young men Of th
Centre. They Of course would shrinI
from furnishing him with any thini
j. which Belding could supply. II a
: electrical railway should be construct
/, ed by Brother Ackerts premises, h
b wouldn't for a minute think OF enter
ing "a car with his back TO the east o
Of exchanging his favorite nail keg a
the Centre for perforated bottome