My City June 2022

MYHISTORY

John A. C. Menton 1911-12

Menton holds the distinction of being Flint’s only socialist mayor. Born in 1865 in Saginaw, he moved with his family to Flint at the age of four. At age 15, he left school and became a cigar maker’s apprentice.When he was 28, he became involved in the labor ght and was nominated president of the local cigar maker’s union and ten years later, acted as secretary and treasurer for the Central Labor Union. From 1902-05, he was secretary of the state socialist organization and represented Michigan on the Socialist National Committee.ˆe 1911 mayoral election came as a surprise to both the city and the nation with Republican Edwin W. Atwood, Democrat WilliamWildanger and Menton squaring oŽ for the seat. Menton won in what was considered a landslide making Flint only the second city in the country to elect a socialist mayor.ˆe two major parties were shocked, but their loss could have been foreseen if not for hubris. Flint was rapidly lling with young workers from all around the country who hoped for a better life and believed that a union man in o’ce could provide it. In o’ce, Menton was progressive and acted quickly. He set oŽ a restorm when he nominated George Artis, a black man, as police commissioner – the rst mayor in the nation to do so.ˆe city council never approved the appointment saying that “none of the aldermen …have anything against him as a man …but they do not propose to have other than a white man holding public o’ce in Flint.”Menton defended his appointment, saying, “In my opinion, the fact that he is a colored man is no reason why he should not be recognized as a proper incumbent of any o’ce he is capable of lling.” ˆe rest of Menton’s plans included improved garbage collection, milk inspection, the creation of an o’ce of electrical inspectors, timely council meetings, park improve ment, improved worker safety, better trolley systems, improved re escapes in factories, established night schools for worker education, and an eight-hour workday and higher minimum wage. He also supported a boulevard plan leading to city ownership of the riverfront and better access to its riverside parks. For the 1912 election, the democrats and republicans joined forces with the Flint Daily Journal to make absolutely sure Menton lost.ˆey pegged C. S. Mott to run against him as an Independent and began their assault from the newsstand with claims that Menton and socialism would: destroy the working class, usher in a government of mob rule, destroy religious liberty, deny the existence of God and destroy patriotism. In C. S. Mott, the Journal wrote, “workers have a friend and a platform to liberty.”ˆe populace was swayed and Mott won the election by 1,600 votes. Menton faded into obscurity. He died in 1947 and was buried in Mount Morris Cemetery. ®

Guy W. Selby 1909-11

Selby was born in 1871 and eventu ally moved to Flint looking to become a lawyer in the rapidly growing city. He was a very successful attorney in the Flint rm of Farley & Selby from 1910 28, representing a variety of city insti tutions including the Genesee County Savings Bank. He was a nearly constant thorn in the city’s side, continually tak ing up cases brought against it. He ar gued successfully against City Attorney Frank G. Millard on numerous occasions and in the Michigan Supreme Court. In 1916, he became the president of the Genesee County Bar Association. He held a particular grudge against Bruce J. McDonald and contested his election to the City Charter Commission in front of the Michigan Supreme Court on the grounds that McDonald did not meet the residency quali cations. Selby lost the case and McDonald was able to take his place on the commission. While in o’ce, Selby oversaw the construction of a new city hall. Also during his mayoral term, the Flint Country Club and the Michigan Lumber Company began operation. Selby died in 1968.

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