Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1910-08-18
HON CHASE 5 OSBORN
Toured GratiOt County Last Tuesday
Making Nine Speeches.
CLOSING THE DAY IN THIS CITY
Eloquent orator Was Greeted With Large
Crowds At ithaca Alma and RI. Louis.

Tuesday, August 10, 1910, will long
be remembered by the 1000 or more
people of Gratiot county who that
day had the pleasure of listening to
Michigan's foremost orator, Hon.
Chase S. Osborn, candidate for gov
ernor at the primaries September 3.
Nature was seemingly at her best and
the day all that could be desired A
light rain the night before had laid
the dust, while cool breeze and
food of sunshine added to the beauty
OF the day. The Record pencil pusher,
in company with many other citizens
OF Gratiot county, had taken a day
off and joined the automobile tour OF
Gratiot the Garden of Michigan.
Those who planned to make the trip
arrived at Breckenridge, where Mr..
Osborn was first billed to speak at 8
o'clock, Immediately following the ar
rival of the Pere Marquette train from
Saginaw, where Mr.. Osborn had re-
mained for night of rest. The train
was on time and when Mr.. Osborn
mounted the improvised platform op-
posite the depot, $50 or more people
had assembled to hear the address OF
the man from the Sault. The ap-
plause which followed the every eli
max of his talk was ample proof that
the people of Breckenridge and sur
rounding country were in hearty SYM
pathy with Mr.. Osborn's line of argu-
ment Following the talk few min
utes was given up to handshaking and
introductions, after which the start for
Ashley was made. Nine large touring
cars, gaily decorated with flags, bunt-
ing and signs, loaded with fifty en-
thusiastic Republicans, formed the
procession which wended its way
through the beautiful township of
Wheeler, Lafayette, North Star and
into Elba, where at Ashley the towns
people extended hearty greeting to
the man who was introduced to them
as "the next governor of Michigan"
At Ashley, Mr.. Osborn spoke for
twenty minutes, going after the pres
ent state administration in manner
that should have caused the chief
executives ears to burn as if with
fire. He thought the capitol needed
fumgating and pledged himself, if
elected, to do thorough job of house
cleaning At Ashley, as at other
places during the day, Mr. Osborn
poured rain of invcctive into the
state political organization now i'll
control at Lansing. Old acquaintances
were renewed and the party were soon
on their way through the townships
of Eba and Washington for Fulton,
where a stop was made at Pompeii.
Here. from the steps of the Markham
general store. Mr.. Osborn prefaced
his address with an eloquent tribute
to Pompeii of old. describing in a
vivid manner the wreck and ruin pro-
duced by old Vesuvius, and later de-
claring that the state of Michigan was
in worse condition today than at
any time since Austin Blair assumed
the governorship in 1860. At this
point the speaker cautioned his hear
ers about splitting their strength
called for a straight vote either for
Kelley or himself, and related to his
hearers the effect of the Horato Earl
vote of 1908. Mr. Osborn evidently
struck a popular chord, as shown by
the applause which punctured his talk
from time to time. All aboard was
sounded and the gaily decorated auto
mobiles were soon speeding across
country to the village of Perrnton
where Mr.. Osborn, the Demosthenes
of Michigan, received an introduction
to the citizens of that prosperous vii
lage. the equal of which the speaker
said il had not been his pleasure to
receive in many day. The intro
duction of the speaker was by Mr.
Ernest Gearhart, an insurance agent
and former resident of Perrinton. 1t
was in this village that the speaker
acknowledged his approval OF the
initiative, referendum and direct re-
call After a twenty-minute address
the party was headed for Middleton
the home of the Middleton Record.
where for the first time on the route
'the next governor" was introduced to
his audience by preacher. This fact
seemed to give the speaker renewed
impetus. if such were possible. and for
half an hour the citizens of Middleton
listened to an address the equal OF
which the residents of Fulton town
ship have never before had the op-
portunity of hearing. Applause. to-
gether with the many remarks heard
on the side. convinced the writer that
in Middleton the speaker made many
votes for Chase s. Osborn for gov
ernor
Following the Middleton address
came the drive through the beautiful
township OF Newark to the county