Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1902-03-06
BANQUET
The Young Mems Republican Club
Second Annual
SPEAKERS WERE ALL IN FINE FORM

\ Very Pleasant and Enjoyable AnaiI
From Beginning TO End-T. +. Ire.
land Made a Happy Toastmaster
the Speakers Being Chas. II. Foote
Hal smith, senator Nichols, Andy
Fyfe and Judge Daboll.
The second annual banquet of the
Young Mems Republican club of this
city was held at Hotel Belding last
Friday evening and was an unqualified
success. 1t was intended as purely
local gathering, yet such is the fame
of our club and the pleasure of its
gatherings that a number of gentle
men from lonia came up to partici-
pate in it. They were Gen. j. FL.
Kidd (and wife of the Ionia Sentinel,
postmaster Kim Smith, Major A. p,
Loomis, Ben Kitson, Sheriff Frank l..
Moon, Prosecuting Attorney VIM. X.
Clute and II. f. Voelker.
1t was little after eight o'clock as
the company marched into the din
ing room TO the pleasing music of a
harp, manipulated by an expert mus
ician from Grand Rapids and took
their places at the tables. The room
presented pleasing picture with its
fine decorations. The American col
ors were in evidence everywhere,
President Roosevelt's portrait grac-
ing one side wall and that of McKin-
ley appropriately draped, the one OPP
posite. A new and novel feature were
the small rubber balloons at each
place. These by the way caused
landlord Hetherington much trouble
to prepare and he had almost given
them up when Geo p. Wilder, the
new druggist, came to the rescue and
succeeded in getting them inflated.
The invocation was pronounced by
Romaine Robinson, and done so well
that the speakers frequently alluded
to ''our reverend friend" making Ro-
maine blush and causing the company
some amusement. The service rs us
ual with all banquets served at Hotel
Belding was first-class, the following
being the
MENU
Cream OF Tomato
sailed Almonds Queen Olives
Dill Pickles
Escaloped Oysters
Roast Young Turkey
Westphalia Ham
Saratoga Chips
Potato Salad
Vanilla Ice Cream
sponge Cake Chocolate Cake
Fruit Coffee
The harpist continued to furnish
music during the entire service Af-
ter all had finished and lit their fra
grant havanas, Vice President Chas.
r. Foote arose and spoke as follows:
Owing to the absence of your presi-
dent Mr.. Sheldon, this evening, the
duties of that office have fallen upon
me, as lst Vice President of this or
ganization.
The events which have happened
since last we met have been many.
Time has made changes, and those
changes have been universally toward
the betterment and elevation of man
kind And | believe that one of the
principal factors in this work in these
United States has been the Republi-
can party, not, but that any party or
any body of men could have done the
same work, could have accomplished
the same result, had they had for
their principles, the principles which
the Republican party advocate.
The Republican party has been the
guiding hand of this nation of ours,
its history has been the nations his
tory, its growth, its greatness and its
freedom.
1t is the grandest political organi-
zation the world has ever known, un-
der its wise guidance millions upon
millions have been added to our
wealth, star after star has been adj
ded to, our nag, ship after ship has
been added to our fleet, factory after
factory has been added to our re-
scources, city after city have devel-
oped from our villages, the land has
been laced with net work of iron
rails and the furnace fires have illum-
mated the night. The success of this
party has been the success of the ma
tion
And we are again upon the eve of
a great battle, battle for the prin-
ciples that has made MS what we are.
Shall we as a club, a part of this
grand political body, sit idly by and
watch our principles trampled under
the feet of the opposition? / believe
that it is our duty, the duty of the
Republicans of this city, at this time
to place our shoulders TO the wheel,
not in a discordant manner, but as
one mighty power We should con-
slider that the entire election in this