Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1907-02-21


to meet the people of Iona as he had
planned to do last fall lie thought he
would come anyhow. He said that during
the past two years he had tried to run
the affairs Of the state in the best manner
possible for the welfare of the people at
large. Speaking Of the recent regent con-
test he said that he did not desire to be a
boss or anything Of that kind but when he
got to Grand Rapids there were conditions
existing that made it necessary for him
and his friends to show their hands in the
game of politics. He talked briefly on the
matter Of establishing binding twine
plant in jackson prison and thought If it
had been such success in other states
where it had been tried it would hardly be
failure in Michigan. His remarks were
loudly spplauded.
Mayor George E. Ellis of Grand Rapids
was next announced and to him had been
assigned the subject of, The Initiative and
Referendum. The deacon was little too
full of good stories to devote much of his
time to the discussion of the subject at
hand but stated what was meant by the
terms and what it was doing in his city
where they had adopted it. His address
while mostly foreign to the subject, put
every body in good humor and was warm
ly applauded.
Hon. w. F. Mclean, member of parlia-
ment from Canada and publisher of the
Toronto Globe, was the next speaker, and
to him was assigned the subject, Our
Neighoors. Mr.. Mclean said in part I'VE
Canadians are on this continent to stay,
There has been much said about the COM
bining of the two democracies but this
will never be. We believe that there is
room on this continect for at least two
free and independent English speaking
nations and that our country is, must and
will continue to be one of them. We be-
lieye that it is better that there be two
forms CT democratic government on the
continent in friendly rivalry than that
there should be one great republic domi-
mating the whole. Canada could at any
time become separate government and
might emerge as one Of the nations of the
world at any time. We are coming more
speaking nations ought to work together
or our own interests and the welfare of
the whole world and do what we can for
the vital problems affecting democratic
government" He remarked that Canada
seemed to be more advanced in some
democratic ideals than the United States
in the line of government ownership of
public utilities. The speech was replete
with sound logic and good advice and re-
oeved hearty applause.
The man of the Hour, was the subject
assigned to Gerrit j. Diekema and to
those present who knew Of his desire to
follow in the footsteps of William Alden
Smith, the speech went a good ways in
convincing them that he was the man of
the hour for that important position and
would do much to hold up the fame of
Michigan in the congressional halls. He
said in part, when in that olden time the
children Of Israel who had come to much
suffering as the result of that awful tyr
amy Of the Egyptians, needed someone
to help them out of the sad predicament
into which they had fallen, Moses, the
man of God came to their aid as the man
of the hour who should lead them out Of
the bondage into which they had fallen
and into the land of peace and plenty.
When the gallant forefathers OF this
country needed man to lead them out of
their trials and out OF the bondage of the
English tyranny there came forth the
great Washington as the man of the hour.
When the colored man became the base
of argument in those trying hours in the
days preceding the rebellion, Abraham
Lincoln came forth out of the obscurity of
MS rural life, out of the prairies of the
west and became the man of the hour.
When trusts and monopolies had secured
vital hold on the interests and welfare
of the people Theodore Roosevelt came
forth as the man OF the hour to grapple
with them and deliver the people from
their grasp. So 1t will always be. The
man Of the hour will develop in every
crisis and the grand republic will continue
as of old to meet all emergencies and
meet them fearIessly as she has done in
the past " His was a mastery address
and the large hail rang with applause as
he closed.
Patrick Henry Kelly, lieutenant COVER
nor Of Michigan was the next speaker anc
he found a theme in the subject, Oul
Ideals and new Conditions. His talk wa.
along the line Of the equal taxation Of all
rich and poor alike and he dwelt at length
upon the fact that the railroads now hat
to pay their portion Of the taxes the SAM
as other people and firms, and when the,
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