The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-01-12
SPEAKER BAKER
BROAD-CUACED
SEEKS TO MAKE LEADERSHIP
OF MICHIGAN HOUSE A REC
ORD OF ACCOMPLISH
MENTs.

Lansing. Mich. Jan. 1.-THE cleo
ton of Herbert +. Baker as speaker
of the Michigan House of Representa-
tives marks an era of progressiveness
i'm the affairs of the state 1t also puts
"a period at the end of an old feud
places in Governor Osborn's hands the
control Of the lower branch and opens
a vista of fair play and the removal
of the gag rule.
Two years ago Baker, hard listed
hard headed and fearless rose to pro-
test against a rule of Speaker Camp
bell of Grand Rapids. Campbell ae-
cepted the challenge. and from that
day on there was war between these
two big fighting fellows.
The war ceased when Baker was
elected speaker of the house after a
two year fight during which Baker and
Campbell left on stone unturned to
make sure of presiding over the delib-
erations of the lower house.
Campbell Continued War.
So fiercely was the battle waged
that Campbell forgot he must be a
member of the house if he were to
preside and when the votes were
counted November s. he found to his
surprise he had been defeated. But"
he declared with customary emphasis,
Baker shall not become speaker"
Although no longer a member of the
hOusa him self he Soon had a candid =
ate in the race for speaker in oppo-
sitiOn to Baker. Baker fought back.
With the administration behind him.
and by the aid of staunch friends and
shrewd politics he had SO votes i'm the
caucus against 23 for his opponent.
Those who voted against the speak
err feel he will wreak revenge upon
them for their opposition. But that is
not the kind of man Herbert f. Baker
is. He made n positive statement that
those who voted against him need not
fear for their committee appointments
for his sole desire was to make the
session of the legislature over which
he presided a record one. Therefore
while of course, giving preference to
his friends as is natural, he will first
o fall seek efficiency.
Baker is a man of strong person
atty, strong character and strong in
clnati6ns. Bred in the school of hard
knocks he has conquered from boyhood
the winds and storms of nature which
beset his path to education. He has
conquered the obstruction of poverty
he has overthrow the stumbling
blocks which political enemies cast
into his path. Overcoming all. he fears
to tackle nothing. He enters a fight
full of confidence. He accepts defeat
only to rise up again stronger thar
ever.
Is Michigan Product.
Speaker Baker was born in Dover
township, Lenawee county January 10
1862. His stock was that Of the sturdy
| Quakers of the Puritan regime OF
Massachusetts. From that stock
comes his strong character, his rug
ged integrity, his solidly knit body, his
love of simplicity the habit of speak
ing his mind frankly, with an intensity
of feeling which often rubs the fur OF
his nearer the wrong way.
At the age of 10 his father died
leaving Herb, the head of the family
with a farm far from the best in the
section. and laden with a $1,000 mort
gage. But the widowed mother knew
her son and had confidence in him
This confidence was not misplaced
Baker and a brother two years young
err forgot all and buckled into the work
The farm was cleared up and cleaned
up and made productive. The mort
gage was paid off and the property af-
ter being placed in first class condi-
ton was turned over to the mother
to be hers through life.
First Teacher, Then Farmer.
But Baker was ambitious to have
an education. Two miles from the
farm was the school house. No mat
ter how severe the storms, how cold the
weather, how rough the road, each
morning he bundled up. took his lunch
basket and tramped that two miles to
tramp back again in the evening to do
the chores.
At 10 he was given a teachers GER
tifcate and got a school. Two years
later he had reached his majority he
read of the great farms of South Da-
kota to be had for the asking The
fever struck him. To Dakota he went
and took up under the pre- emption law
100 acres of land.
To make his farm profitable he bent
every energy. The first year there was
lots OF rain and the crops were good.
So with the second and Baker began
to dream of himself as one of the big
and successful farmers. The third
year came. Not drop of rain fell. the
crop was a failure and the little pile
he had was exhausted. He had paid
some $50 or $50 taxes on the property.
He sold the whole 160 acres with it's
Improvement and machinery fer a ten
dollar bill.
Returns to Native Soil.
Then he came back. poor as he had
gone away to the farm of his mother
For a while he worked on this farm