G. A. R. Tribute To Gen. Miles

Wonder how President Roosevelt will regard his littleness when he reads the words of commendation passed up to General Nelson A. Miles at the late San Francisco annual encampment of the G.A.R.? The contract between the words of these old veterans who rendered service with the general and the curt official document for which the President was responsible is most marked. The veterans congratulated Gen. Miles in the following words:

"Resolved, That we congratulate that splendid soldier, exemplary commander and patriotic citizen, Gen. Nelson A. Miles, upon his attainment of a distinguished and honorable retirement after a matchless record as a soldier of over forty-two years' service, without just criticism of his official conduct, which began as a lieutenant in the Twenty-second Massachusetts infantry, progressing by the brightest grade of heroic patriotism from Manassas to Appomattox, during the greatest of all civil wars, from 1861 to 1865, and illuminating this record by his great military achievements as a successful Indian fighter and again as a great and judicial military disciplinarian and organizer."

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Just who shall be made "it" to succeed the late William Judson is a question now deeply agitating republican circles. Various conferences are said to have been held relative to this matter, but not definite decision has been reached .There are said to be some republicans bold enough to take the position that no boss is needed, but certainly their numbers cannot be large enough to have any perceptible influence on the result. Washtenaw republicans without a boss is a libel upon the leaders and would-be leaders. With the bosship vacant, is ambition dead? This is an impossible condition while certain well known republicans are on this side of Jordan.

Gen. John C. Black, the new commander of the G.A.R. was a brave soldier throughout the civil war. He was commissioner of pensions under Cleveland. He is an able lawyer and one of the finest orators in the country. He was desperately wounded in the service and still he is able to get to the front in lines of endeavor requiring much strenuousness. It will be interesting to watch his course as commander of the G.A.R. on the proposed service pension bill to come before the next session of congress. This bill carries a pension of $12 a month for every survivor of the civil war who fought on the Union side and for the widows of all such.

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That there are such fiends incarnate stalking abroad among the people as the one that committed the horrible crime on an innocent four-year-old child in Detroit Monday night sends a shudder through all normal people. Such an awful butchery of a little, innocent lad seems impossible in a civilized community and yet there is no disputing the evidence. The terribly mutilated and disemboweled body of the child is the evidence. A more horrible crime even in savage life would be unthinkable. And yet such fiends lurk in the highest civilized communities. The fact is one not pleasant to contemplate. We naturally turn to the agencies for the ferreting out and punishing of crime and wonder if civilization has developed agencies able to cope with these conditions. This is a case that will test the detective agencies and they will undoubtedly feel that no possible effort must be left untried to bring the monster who perpetrated this awful crime to book. His going at large is a menace to some other of the thousands of Detroit children.

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The violent death of Wm. Benz appears to have many elements of mystery about it. He appears to have been struck several severe blows with a hammer and then his throat was cut from ear to ear. Still the feeling among the officers appears to be divided as to whether it is a case of suicide or murder. Apparently the man had everything to live for. He was happily married and while it is said he was in debt for his farm there were relatives back of him with abundant means apparently willing to back him financially. But according to report he was worried at times over his financial condition. Still it would scarcely appear that there was sufficient cause in this for a man to commit suicide. On the other hand the young man had no known enemies and there appears no motive for murder. The case is a sad one.