Do They Lack Courage?

 DO THEY LACK COURAGE?
     Monday's reports from Grand Rapids are most disappointing. The prosecuting officers, if these reports be true, have, by their purpose to prosecute none of the accused except such as are charged with perjury, have inflicted a serious disappointment upon the people. The interpretation put upon this resolve is, of course, that they have such large fish in their net that they are afraid, unless they let them out that the net will be broken. But it is anything but satisfactory to the public to know there are alleged criminals in Grand Rapids too powerful to be proceeded against by the prosecuting officers. It would seem also that the prominent men who have been accused would not want such charges standing against their names. If they are innocent it would seem that they would want that fact established. If they are not innocent, they undoubtedly do not want an investigation. But it is undoubtedly true with a large majority of the people now that they believed Salsbury has told the truth. If the prosector's action as reported this morning is the truth, then it looks as though there is something lacking in that office ,that the prosecuting officers have been found wanting at the most important and trying point in their public careers.
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     Monday's reports as to the weakening of the prosecuting officers at Grand Rapids appear to have been pipe stories, judging from the batch of warrants issued for prominent citizens yesterday. Either this or else the general dissatisfaction manifested by the people had the effect of bracing these officials. At any rate, seven more warrants have been issued for some of the most prominent men in Grand Rapids and the most prominent of those accused by Salsbury. 
     The news that Justice Brown of the United States supreme court is threatened with blindness will be learned with deep regret by his hosts of Michigan friends. It is feared that within a week he will be totally blind. He was appointed by President Harrison in 1890 and is eligible to retirement under the ten year law.
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     If the country had another man or two knowing as much about agriculture as Secretary Wilson, judging from his speeches since he has been in Michigan, thinks he knows, probably it would not be necessary for any of the horny-handed tillers of the soil and sugar beet growers and sugar manufacturers to do any more labor. Wilson apparently thinks the agriculturalists of this country were a very benighted lot until he was discovered. He boasts of the amount of money he expends, more he claims, than several of the greatest universities of the county. He has at his disposal more than $6,000,000 a year for trying experiments and buying seeds for farmers.
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     Now comes the statement that the act of Gov. Bliss in surrendering his pension of $12 a month was not a wholly voluntary matter based upon conscientious scruples as to the rightfulness of his receiving the pension,  but upon a hint from Washington. It is said that it was suggested that criticisms of the department for granting a millionaire governor, with supposed large political influence, a pension while needy, disabled soldiers are waiting for theirs from year to year, were largely responsible for the governor's action. It was feared at Washington, so it is said, that the case was not one that the administration felt like defending during the coming campaign. Thus does it appear once more that a supposed patriotic act turns out to be a selfish one. 
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     Probably if Frank C. Andrews should be let out of prison much of the very valuable assistance he is now thought by his friends to have to give to those who are trying to straighten out the crookedness in which he seems to have involved various Detroit banks would be found to be simply the creation of minds bent upon regaining for him his liberty. By his criminal acts he has brought indescribable suffering upon many persons whose life savings he made way with. Many men and women whose life savings, savings accumulated for their declining years when their working days are over, will be forced by this man's criminality to continue to carry the heavy burden when they should be enjoying well earned rest. Such a man should be compelled to serve the time given him by the court. While he is rendering service to the state he will not be repeating his criminal acts at least.