Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1898-10-27

Governor Hazen s. Pingree Is one
of the most attractive personages in
American public life to-day. This is
not due to the fact that he is Re
publican or that he is governor of the
great State Of Michigan SO much as 1t
is to the firm position he has taken
in his public life in favor of reforms
in the interest of the masses, and
against the selfishness of large cor
porate interests and combinations.
He comes from the ranks of the
working men, the common people, and
knows from experience and contact
the hardships endured by the Ameri-
can toiler in his struggle for exist
ence. When he strikes n blow at the
various forms of oppression as he finds
them, he touches n responsive ana
svlnpathetic chord in the breast of
every honest, liberty-loving toiler in
the land.
Hazen s. Pingree was born in Den
mark Maine. August 80, 1910, where
he pursued the course incident TO the
life of a farmer boy until his 18th year
when he secured employment in cot
ton mill mt Saco, Maine, where he re-
mained four years when he removed to
Hopkinton, Mass. and took up the
trade of a shoemaker and followed his
vocation until when, in 1862, on Au-
gust /. he enlisted in Co. f., 1st Mas
sachusetts Heavy Artillery, and for
three years followed the fortunes OF
war. battling for principles of equal
ity and Justice: participating in many
Of the fierccst battles of the war. en-
during for six months the hardships
and misericS Of Andersonville and Sal
ishury rs Il prisoner, was finally eX-
changed and reioined his regiment in
front of Petersburg and was mustered
out in August 1865 having served his
country with honor during the most
trying years of her history.
After tie war, Mr.. Pingree came to
Detroit and secured employment in
the shoe factory of III. l.. Baldwin x
Co. and with the knowledge acquired
In this lire in Massachusetts was en-
abled to start In business for himself
with G.. H. Smith as partner in 1866.
To-day the firm of Iingree * Smith Is
known wherever shoe leather Is worn,
AID from this small beginning they
now furnish employment for seven
hundred persons with an output of
nearly a million of dollars per year.
Mr.. Pingree's varied life as farmer,
soldier, shoemaker and manager of a
large establishment furnished him the
rugged discipline so necessary to en-
able him to meet and combat success
fully the great questions of govern
ment with which ne is now thrown in
contact, and illustrates the poSsibili-
ties of American boyh0od and Amer
. lean opportunities
Twelve years ago Mr.. Pingree was
unknown in political circles, but was
an active, enterprising business man,
enjoying the respect and confidence OF
. ali who knew him. Knowing he pos
= scssed those heroic and sterling quail
tiles which make men useful in times
OF great need, his friends persuaded
him to forsake the ways of civil life
: to a certain degree and assist them in
: rescuing the City of Detroit from d
corrupt and non-progressiye manage
n:ent, which had controlled its affairs
for so many years.
The marked ability with which he
| managed the affairs of the city as
: mayor attracted the attention of mum
: cipal reformers throughout the length
: and breadth of the land. and after
2 serving the city as It's chief executive
/. for seven years he was elected gov
: ernor of Michigan in 1896, and re
1 nominated for a second term by th,
!, Republican State Convention at De
: troit on September Dist last. To-day
: he is in the midst of an active cam
: paign, battling with his usual F.
and earnestness for the principles o
e equality and justice. with which Iii
: name is so closely allied the countr!
l over