Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1901-10-31
IT'S A BASE ISLANDER.
Belding Supervisors Give the Lie Di-
rect To Their Defamers.


This weeks issue of the Portland
Observer under big black headlines,
contains an article concerning the
election of officers at the recent meet
ing of the county board of supervisors
charging bad faith on the part of GER
tain republicans in taking part in the
regular party caucus and then failing
to stand by the nominees of said eau
Gus, specifically naming two Belding
supervisors as the guilty parties.
The gist of the Observer article is
contained in the following extracts:
"Republicans, as well as democrats,
| in this part of the county are wonder
| ing why it was that, the republicans
| having a majority on the board, the
democrats walked of with the
biggest pieces of pie. Well they may
wonder-it won't do any good; but the
fact remains that the republican as
| pirants for the Offices which have any
salary tied to them were stabbed in
the back by members of their own
party. The Observer is able TO throw
a little searchlight illumination on
the matter.
How did this come about? Simply
by two republican supervisors from
Belding (Messrs. Foote and Angel,
The Observer is told) voting with the
opposition, and this after they had
voted in caucus for the gentlemen
they turned down cold and hard later
in the session. The Observer under
stands that the republicans of Belding
are hot at their action, but that
doesn't change results"
The BANNER has interviewed super
visors Foote and Angel and both ex-
press great surprise and indignation
in this most unwarranted attack of
the Observer and each of them
promptly branded the statement made
as most unmitigated falsehood.
They joined in the following state
ment over their own signatures:
Our attention having been called to
an article published in the Portland
Observer of Oct. 30th in which we
are accused of voting with the demo-
Gratis for the Offices of County Poor
Commissioner and County Drain Com
missioner, and this after having vot-
ed in the caucus for the gentlemen on
the Observer says ''we turned down
cold and hard later in the session"
We wish to state that this is absolute
ly false and that we voted upon each
ballot for Messrs. Fowle and Craw-
ford for the respective Offices, and
deny the assertion of any person or
persons to the contrary.
VIM. M. FooTE,
s.--.a-l - - .-'s---- b. T. ANGEL.
But why does the Observer take so
much interest in this matter and deem
it it's duty to publish such charges
against these honorable gentlemen?
The Observer is not republican pa
per and makes no claim to be such.
We think we can read between the
lines and see plainly the author and
origin of this base SANDER beyond the
Observer and also understand the OBJ
ject. If this is wise and sagacious
move on the part of certain would-be
politicians" that we might easily
name, to head off any possible Bel
ding aspirants for place on the next
county ticket, it is dismal failure.
Belding will not keep right on furnish
ing the republican majorities neces-
sary to carry the ticket through when
continually crowded in the back
ground in the nominating conven-
tions. The worm will turn after
awhile,
But, even if the charge were true,
if there is any spot in Ionia county
where they should have naught to say
regarding it, it is Portland. Perhaps
the Observer fails to remember how,
only two years ago, supervisor Hixson
of Portland, republican, with a re-
publican majority of one on the
board, voted with the democrats and
thus elected Woodbury. of that town
ship, superintendent of the poor,
over this same candidate, whose de-
feat causes the shedding of so many
crocodile tears at this time.
Bah! there has been no more faith
full. loyal or hardworking republicans
in any part of the county than those
of Belding. They have suffered de-
feat after defeat in caucus and con-
vention where favored sons have been
presented for places of honor, and
yet have stood by the successful ones
Loyalty, while others have sulked for
similar reasons. Belding republicans
never have been the kind mentioned
in the Observer, but are the 365 day
in the year brand, true blue, and al
ways in line.