The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1898-10-28
QUALIFIED AND Deserving.
Fred Edwards Unquestionably
the Best rlan for County
Clerk.
Risen Through Push and Persever-
ance-Public Spirited and Patriotic.

Wnen young man Wltn0ut tDe auvant-
ages of money or position succeeds In push
ing himself forward, purely by his own
ability, until he occupies prominent posi-
tion in the minds and the confidence of his
townsmen, there Is peculiarly American
spirit which rejoices In the display OF this
other American characteristic. and 1t be-
comes unusually strong whenever there
comes up the question of placing such a
young man In Office.
In fact the pleasure of rewarding such
young man for his efforts In his own be-
half, or for previous duty we'll done, seems
so great that people are sometimes tempted
to reward young man in way quite out
of keeping with the services performed, and
to place him In position which he Is quite
unable to fill. Such. however, is not the
case with the republican nominee for county
clerk, who has not only proved himself
man of courage and fearlessness in danger,
and royal good fellow all of the time, but
has by steady advances also proved his
ability to care for the complicated records
of the clerks Office In competent business
like manner.
Fred Edwards was born July Is, 1867, In
Clinton county, near the Shiawassee county
line. His parents were unable to give him
extended advantages either in school or else.
where, and at an early age he was placed
entirely on his own resources. He came
to this city when eighteen years of age and
worked In the Estey factory for the next
few years Leaving this factory he was
with Frieseke Bros for one season and
then went into the law Office of s. +. Smith
where in short time he became proficient
in stenography and type-writing. A little
later he was appointed deputy city clerk,
and then secretary of the water board. His
natural aptitude for this class of work soon
appeared and he was elected city clerk for
three different terms, each time polling
larger vote. In addition to these duties he
has built up fine insurance business.
Thus it will be seen that for several years
past his work has been of the character to fit
him for the discharge of the duties of the
Office of county clerk.
1t was not to be expected that large,
strong young man full of life and vigor
should keep aloof from organization where
endurance and daring, too, were constantly
called for, and Fred's connection with the
fire department where he has been assistant
chief for number OF years is characteristic
~ 10 In htnh
and most important volunteer organization
has been of the best. More than once he
has severely taxed his powers of endurance,
risked his health and even his life In the
effort to save the home of some poor citizen
or the factory where SO many Of his fellow
citizens earn their living.
In the Michigan National Guard, too, his
services have always been welcome. He
has been president of the civil organization
of Company q, SSd regiment, for q number
of years, while In the strictly military organ
ization when In the field, he has usually
been assigned to the by no means easy
duties Of hospital assistant. When this
company was called to Island Lake last
April no more loyal member accompanied
1t than Fred Edwards, who went prepared
to do everything possible to pass any ex-
animation which might be imposed, In or
der to accompany his regiment to the front.
Knowing that q number of boys In other
regiments who at first had been rejected
were afterwards passed, Fred did not con-
tent himself with being rejected on the first
examination but kept at the examiners un-
der one pretext or another until he had been
rejected seven times.
II, as has been suggested, the volunteer
who bravely did his duty at FL Caney or
Aguadores Is as much entitled to the graft
tude Of the country as Is HObs0n for his
brave deed, then too, to carry the same
argument but step farther, the man who
volunteered and was rejected on physical
examination, Is just as much entitled to
credit and gratitude as Is his more fortunate
comrade who was accepted. Each but did
his duty and none can do more than that.
This Is what the voters of Shiawassee coun.
ty are asked to remember on election day
when they are asked to give the Office of
county clerk to the youth who was more
fortunate than Fred In being sent to the
front, where he too wished to go-to q
youth who did no more than did Fred-his
duty, and who, II that were all. might be
equally entitled to the votes of Shiawassee
veterans and taxpayers. But with the two
equal In regard to duty done, this impor-
tant office should never be given to youth
who has had no experience whatever In
handling large accounts and intricate rec.
ords and who would have to have the
work done by deputy anyway, but 1t
should be given to thoroughly competent
man and q staunch republican worker, such
as all know Fred Edwards to be.
Hunters tickets to points north on the
line of the Michigan Central and Detroit &
Mackinaw Rye are now on sale at the M.
q. Ry. ticket Office. Further information
given at ticket Office. Soft.