Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1922-07-27
HERALD SPEAKS
Of W. NJ. SMITH
SPARKS CLAIMS THAT HE Is A
FIT FIGURE TO SUCCEED
FORDNEY.


Grand Rapids Herald has the follow
ing TO say in regard TO William NJ.
Smith
While practically every congress
man from Michigan has opposition
of some sort in the primaries this
years there are two districts in which
the fight is particularly interesting
because tried and experienced con-
gressmen from those districts are
not candidates for reelection and the
fields are open for all corners.
Particularly interesting is the bat
tie i'm the Eighth district where Con
gresham Joseph w. Fordney, the
dean Of Michigan representation in
Washington, chairman Of the ways
and means committee Of the house,
author Of the tariff bill now before
congress and always welcome to re-
election in his district, is retiring
Voluntarily Joe" Fordney has for
many a long year been a figure IN
Michigan politics and in Washington,
but Joe" has had enough. To write
one tariff bill is about the work of
life time and Joe" has now written
his. SCOUTING, he leaves the great
big Eighth district wide open.
Fordney comes from Saginaw, the
largest city in the district Saginaw
desires to retain the representation
from that district. IL will have one
and perhaps more candidates in the
field when filing day comes around,
Aug r. But there are other sec
tons Of the big district which believe
1t is their turn to have congress
man and they have pretty generally
united upon William NJ. Smith Of st.
Johns, as their standard bearer
The Eighth district consists of
Ionia, Montcalm, Gratiot, Clinton,
and about one-ffth the total popu-
lation of the district is in Saginaw
city. Except for Saginaw the dis
trict is an agricultural one and it is
on this basis largely that the dis
trict outside of Saginaw claims
recognition and the right to name
the representation in the congress.
So long as Joe" Fordney was on
the job, everything was satisfac
tory to the rest of the district, for
"Joe" Fordney represented the farm
crs Of his district and of the nation
as perhaps no other man did. But
Joe" is out, and so the agricultural
section seeks representation through
William NJ. Smith.
Herbert +. Powell Of Ionia was
practically in the game at the time
but has recently published an inter
view in which he withdraws his name
from consideration and urges the
nomination Of William NJ. Smith.
Almost before the ink was dry on
Fordney's statement that he would
not be candidate for reelection, a
"Smith-for- Congress" Club was or
ganizcd in Shiawassee County. The
President Of the club is Seth Q.
Pulver, Of Owosso, former prosecut-
ing attorney, commander Of the
American Legion post and under con-
sideration for keynoter Of the fall
Republican State Convention. The
secretary is State Senator Byron p.
Hicks, one Of the most substantial
members of the last two senatcs. The
treasurer is John Y Martin, former
representative in the legislature and
one Of its best members.
I'm Gratiot County, J. n. Mccall
Of ithaca, has come out strong for
Smith in his Gratiot County Herald,
ard in Ionia the statement of Her
bert T.. Powell speaks loudly for the
sentiment there. Of course Clinton
County where Smith has long lived,
and been active in everything that
goes toward making the county
prosperous and happy, is for him and
is being most throughly organized.
William NJ. Smith is no new fac
tor in Michigan politics. For many
years he has been a day and night
worker for the Republican party. He
is one of that type of men who never
looks at the clock When there's
. work to do, he tackles it and sticks to
until the job is done As member
of the State Senate few years back
he was one of its real leaders and
one of its deep thinkers. Few bills
got by "Bill Smith if they had jok
ers or confictions in them. lie took
his job seriously and he worked.
As member Of the Industrial Ac-
cident Board, he gave all his energy
to the task and when he was named
a member Of the Michigan Utilities
Commission, he brought to that body
legal knowledge and an energy
which has been no small factor in
the decisions and work Of that body.
Beyond all this, William NJ. Smith
is a fine, clean type Of man. If he
should be sent to Congress, none
need doubt, but that he will be on the
job all the time. He will be at work
with his tirecss energy and devotion
ard with the experience Of service
will become another real Michigan
figure in Washington