Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1900-11-01
THE FACTS
About the Connection of Geo. r.. Nichols
With the Ionia, Eaton A. Barry Farmers
Mutual Fire Insurance Company.

tndI my pollJlcal opponents are clrcu-
lating certain statements concerning
my connection with the lonia, Eaton
and Barry Farmers Mutual Fire Insur-
ance Company, with the hope that some
OF the republican voters may be preju-
diced against me and that my opponent
may be benefited thereby. II these gen.
tlemen would confne themselves to the
facts, no explanation is necessary, but
they do not, therefore In justice to my
self and my party, would like to have
you print the following statement Of
facts in regard thereto.
The lonia, Eaton and Barry Farmers
Mutual Fire Insurance Company was
organized in 1883, and it continued to
do business until the lst day of June,
1897, when 1t went into the hands OF a
receiver, under the order of the Court,
upon the application of the Commits
sioner of Insurance for Michigan. All
Of the creditors and the entire board of
Directors joined in a request to Judge
Davis to appoint j. Warren Peeke, as
receiver and he was appointed. After
his appointment, he employed me as
his attorney, inasmuch as he was
obliged to have legal counsel.
With him | made careful examina-
tion of the affairs of the company and
laid all the facts before the Court, who
directed that an assessment be levied to
pay the debts and meet the expenses Of
the receivership. And such an assess
ment was levied and approved by the
Court. Mr.. Peeke then caused to be
published, "a notice OF this assessment
in the papers of Ionia, Eaton and Barry
counties, all that the law required. but
under my advice went farther and gave
personal notice to each person assessed
and requested payment. Subsequently
other notices were sent out urging pay
meut without suit, but great many
parties refused or neglected TO pay, an d
then as a last resort, suits were COM
menced, but no suits were begun by me
until ! had directions from the receiver
or the Court to commence the same.
Not a dollar came into my hands, and
every dollar that | have received for
my services has been allowed me by
the Court and every one interested had
notice that the allowance would be
asked for and when the allowance was
made il was with the consent of the
Board of Directors and other parties in
terested, and | have received for my
services no more than an ordinary and
reasonable compensation, such as ordi-
nary lawyers charge.
| had nothing TO do with the manage
ment of the company while it was doing
business and since ii went into the
hands OF the receiver, have only follow
ed out the directions Of the Court and
performed my duty as attorney and no
man can truthfully say anything TO the
contrary. | court the closest inspection
of my conduct in the affairs of this
company and refer to the records of the
Circuit Court for Ionia County in sup
port of this statement.
If all parties had paid what they
honestly and justly owed the company
and without litigation, the debts OF the
company would now have been paid in
full, but only about 40 per cent of the
tions and every effort was made to col
lect wishout any further or other ass
essment but so many members of the
company were financially irresponsible
or uncollectible, that it has become nec-
cessary to levy second assessment.
am in no way to blame because the
membership of the company are not all
responsible and neither am | to blame
kA .
may not have been in the past as il
should have been from business stand
point, and parties who have paid with
out suit, after request for payment,
have never been charged with one dol
lar for attorney fees and parties that
have only paid after suit had been COM
menced have not been charged with
the full amount that the law allowed to
be charged in such cases unless they
permitted their case to go through to
Judgment.
Republican voters who are deslrous
OF seeing the prosperity OF the country
continue and the policies of the repub-
lican party maintained, should hesitate
TO cut any man upon the ticket because
OF charges OF this character coming
from democratic sources. In almost
every case and this one is no exception
the charges are absolutely false or the
whole truth is not given.
| have lived in this county and done
business with a great many men for
almost twenty years and never, until |
entered politics has any one, to my
knowledge, had any reason to charge
me with dishonesty in the conduct Of
my business and there is no more reas-
son at this time than there has ever
been.
Any further information upon this
matter will be most cheerfully given
As before stated, | have no fear of the
truth, but do not wish to have my
friends and the Republicans of Ionia
County or of this district misled by
these false, libelous and slanderous
statements. Yours etc,
GEO. f. NICHOLS.
The foregoing statement, in relation
to Mr.. Nichols connection with the
above matter is true in every respect,
so far as | am able TO learn, and no un-
professional or dishonest conduct on
his part, can be truthfully charged
against him. He has, In my opinion,
done only what his duty as a lawyer
required him TO do and that with the
approval OF the Court, upon notice to
parties interested, and such investiga-