Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1904-09-29
FERRIS WAS HERE
Democratic Nominee For Governor
Addressed N Fair Sized Crowd
Saturday I'm Opera House.

The Democratic campaign was fair
| ly opened in this city on SATURDAY.,
when the Honorable Woodbridge N.
Ferris, nominee for Governor, and
Vernon ii. Smith, nominee for Con-
gresham, fired the first shots at the
party in power at a meeting held in
the Opera House
At 2:30 fair sized audience had as
sem bled to hear the question at issue
discussed from the minority stand
point, and /. l.. Hubbell arose and in
a few well chosen remarks, introduced
the Hon. Vernon HI. Smith of Ionia,
whom he styled as a distinguished
legal gentleman, and man we'll cal
culated to represent the people of
this district in the United States Con-
gress.
Judge Smith said he desired to talk
only about 20 minutes, but when he
got Though he had used up about an
hour of the time. His efforts were to-
wards showing some of the terrible
] mistakes made by the dominant party
and how cheerfully he would rectify
the same IL allowed TO represent the
people of this district in Congress.
He closed by paying fine tribute to
Mr.. Ferris whom he thought people
were very anxious to hear.
II j. Leonard next arose and in
language most forcibly, showed how
his taxes as well as those of the farm.
ers bad been raised by Republican
domination and that the time had
come when the farmers must do some
thing to stop the growth of taxation
in this state. The tax commission
had lowered the tax on railroads and
increased the tax on farming commu-
mites, factories and stores and the
people should rebel against such busi-
ness. He then told the people that
he was both proud and glad to be able
TO introduce 10 them the man well
calculated To bring about change of
this kind and man whom he thought
would be given chance 1T the job
| after the first of January. The Hon.
Woodbridge n. Ferrissof Zig Rapids,
who would now address them.
Mr.. Ferris with his towering six
feet of manhood arose and in a very
pleasant and agreeable way thanked
the committee who had arranged for
his meeting and the speakers who had
spoken so kindly of him. Then turn
ing to a fine bouquet OF asters that
adorned the speakers table, he said
he always liked TO notice the little
things in life and while this was but a
small feature in comparison with the
great questions before him, he also
wished to thank the persons who so
kindly donated the bouquet. Nor is
this all said he, | am expecting an
other bouquet at Lansing about the
lst of January and am now shaping
matters at my school in Big Rapids
so that can get away for a few years
in order to attend to the greater mat.
ters at Lansing. For 20 years l have
attended to my school work very care
fully and have a fine institute as a
result and now that the people of the
state have asked me to tackle things
of greater moment / am fixing things
so can do it.
Mr.. Ferris spoke at length on the
tax commission and showed how very
weak the work they had done was to
his way of thinking. Touched on the
ripper bill and said he believed If a
city wished to own and operate one of
its utilities he thought they ought to
have a right to do so. Spoke of the
platform which the Democracy had
built for him to stand on and said he
could heartily endorse every article
in its grand old make up. outlining
the many beautiful features one by
one.
In closing he said he believed that
the loyal AMERICAN citizen owed more
allegience 10 his state than he did
to his party and hoped that there
might be many who had listened to
his address that would forsake party
ties and partisanship and turn to De.
mocracy at this time and see what
can be done toward giving the grand
old state of Michigan passably de.
cent sort of government for the next
few years at best. Speaking of rail.
road passes, he said he never did ride
on any of them and never would Hi:
remarks were well received by those
present but notable feature of his
speech was the entire absence of any
thing pertaining to the affairs of ma
tional import. His campaign seem:
to be Ferris one throughout.
Fearful Odds Against Him.
Bedridden, alone and destitute. Such
In brief was the condition OF an ole
soldier by name OF j. j. Havens, Yer