Would Turn Turner Down

The Greenville Independent, a good republican paper, has dug up the buried hatchet, made its edge keen and is now brandishing the glittering instrument in close proximity to the political scalp of Auditor General Turner. It sends out a circular letter in which it intimates that the honorable Stanley is a little off color politically and should be classed with the late lamented J. M. Turner whom it charges with the great republican "slump" of 1890. It intimates that history vvill probably repeat itself in case the present auditor general is renominated. It drags out the grinning family skeleton of the present state administraron and declares that on account of the unsavory condition of the faithful about the capital, the people are disposed to scan very closely the names that go upon the republican ticket this fall, and insists that the name of Stanley W. Turner will not do to go there. It dwells at some length upon the unchallenged and unexplained reports charging the auditor general with drawing large sums for personal expenses and services on state boards, and tells what the uncharitable and cynical may possibly assign as the reason why the Auditor has not yet published his report for the year ending June 30, 1893. It compliments Mr. Turner's predecessor, who, by the way was a democrat, for getting out his report without unseemly delay. It strips the verbiage from the effórt of an Alpena apologist of Mr. Turner, to explain away the $2,000 of extra charges alleged to have been made in collecting back taxes in the upper península, by quoting the following from a statement by ex-Auditor General Stone. "ïhere was not a dollar of specific tax eollected by Mr. Turner which coulcl not have been eollected by writing a' letter, providing it was due. I challenge Mr. Turner to allow me to choose three republicans, who are best posted on the work of the auditor general's office of any persons in Michigan, to look over and compare his transactions as auditor general with mine; and, if they do not reverse the verdict of the upper Michigan paper. I will pay all the expenses of the j vestigation and dónate $100 to any j enaritable irlstitutiou Mr. Turner niay name." In view of all these facts and the allegation that the wicked democrats have an additional magazine of dynamite to fire off in case Turner is renominated, a magazine as well stocked as that which knocked J. M. Turner into the middle of inno-:uous desuetude, the Independent insists that the name of Stanley W. Turner must not grace the next republican ticket. The present g. o. p. state administration is indeed in hard straits. Three of its prominent members have been removed for gross neglect of duty and are under indictment on grave criminal charges. The official conduc of the auditor general is now alleged to be such as to make his renomination a hazardous step for even the party which is responsible for the whole precious lot. A large wing of the party is also in open revolt against the head of the ticket. The whole situation is badly mixed. The best thing for the people to do, and what they will undoubtedly decide to do, is to turn down the whole crowd and place men in charge who have a higher appreciation of their obligations to the people..