The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1908-04-10
what was the local situation In the
Saginaw valley.

The Flat river flows through Gen
esee county, past my door. A gentle
man living in Flint said to be favor.
able TO my candidacy went out to
secure the nomination of state SEN
ator. A rival candidate was put for
ward III the interest of Hon. William
alden Smith, and was backed by that
candidate and his friends, compelling
me and my friends to make a hard
fight 20 secure the election of our
candidate. This senator is today one
OF Your nearest political friends, and
do you mean to insinuate that he was
bribed?
Fifteen miles north of me is Bay
City. There your deputy labor com
missioner put in the field the present
William c. Mcmillan, and he won out
against strenuous efforts in behalf of
a candidate who favored me. The
first named candidate had the support
of every state employe that you con-
trolled. And have it from the lips
of one of the leading lawyers in Mich
igan that at Lansing, when the SEN
atorial contest was on, your deputy
labor commissioner offered to deliver
this senator's vote to Arthur Hill as
second choice if he would see that he
was made good for his expenses in the
election of the state senator.
You will remember, sir, that this
vote was finally delivered to Hon.
William Alden Smith, along with all
the other votes you could control.
Again in Midland county on the
west a candidate for the lower house
was aided in his campaign by Mr.. Nc
MILAN, acting to an extent through
your commissioner of labor, then and
now.
have lately read in a metropolitan
paper that you called on the president
to urge the appointment Of your com
missioner to an important federal
office.
pass no reflections upon your COM
mission, for l hold him in high es-
TEEN, but why had I not the right 10
campaign beyond the limits of my dis
trict?
am told that the deputy commits
sioner is to be appointed, in case of a
change, labor commissioner for the
state. These things I have simply
read and heard, but this know: That
this deputy labor commissioner is now
the head and front of your third-term-
reform campaign in this section Of the
state.
To my mind, the grand jury did not
fully finish it's proper work, because
certain matters were not placed before
1t. 1t should have been shown that
the governor of the state, as vice
president, director and stakeholder Of
a bank, participated in improper
profits drawn from the use of money
belonging in the state treasury; that
his bank received S25O,OOO of the stare
money and gave bond for only $50
900, making with its capital and sur
plus Of $4,000 in all 100000 as So
curity for s25O,000.
The saving on the cost of a proper
bond was one-half OF one per cent IN
the capital, a considerable item rs
bank earnings are quoted.
The plcing OF this large deposit of
state funds in your bank coincident
with the loaning Of 100000 to A. G.
Bird, your dairy and food commission
or ,1cad 7 ha1iaye RI oop,r1af a hull Il.
ing part of which he now rents 10
the state, should have led to an in
vestigaton as to whether he is, as has
been surmised, or is not, interested IN
business with you in these connec-
tions. Your loans and his loans in
the Glazier bank are intermingled and
confused in the public press as 20
whether they are joint or several; the
people should know what are your
connections.
The political graft which you prac-
ticed when you persuaded the state
treasurer to place state money where
1t would do you the most good should
have been exposed and denounced.
This was rumor, but rested on let.
ters which you at first denied.
Three high officers of the state are
censured by the jury because of the
taking Of bonds by the treasurer which
were insufficient. Your bank was one
Of the two chief violators OF the reg,i-
lations. You knew what they were,
for as secretary Of state you had
passed on such bonds.
You are sworn to see that the laws
of the state are executed, and in this
case how could the grand jury have
found that you kept your oath?
I have read your three-times re-
peated challenge that I enter the field
against you for the governorship. I
consider this challenge as reaching
on the one side to the bounds of per-
sonal impudence, and on the other
side to the utmost bounds of political
arrogance intrenched in its citadel
built UP equally out OF political Craft
and political Graft.
The Republican party has so.He-
thing to do besides sitting at the ring
side and watching self-appo nted cham.
pions decide by a political mill be-
,hoI Lo h.