The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1900-12-07
THE OWOSSO TIMES.
EDMUND o. DEWEY, EDITOR.
OWOSSO. FRIDAY. DEC. z. 1900.
Generals White and Marsh Pardoned.

Inc expected has come to pass The
car of Michigan, who has still twenty.
four days in which to reign supreme, in
which to pardon criminals, call special
sessions, defy and Willy the courts and
the press, has extended the mantel of
executive clemency and pardon over
two men who were parties to the most
gigantic steal in the history of the state.
The man who has posed as the friend
of reform, the friend of the masses, the
man who would bring about more
equitable order of things wherein equal
burdens should be placed on all and the
biggest rascals should be punished as
relentlessly as is the common offender,
has pardoned two men, the one of whom
has been voluntary exile from the
state for over year and has only just
returned to plead guilty to the charges
brought against him of conspiring to
defraud the state, and the other Of
whom stands convicted of similar charg-
es with an appeal to the supreme court
still pending at the time of the extend.
ing OF the pardon.
Why were they pardoned? Several
reasons will be given. The most of
people will be contented with saying
that they were pardoned because they
were the ''old mans" pets, and 1t must
be admitted that he has stood by these
men whom he appointed to the respon-
sible positions where they disgraced
themselves and him, as we'll as he could
have done had he been also a party to
their gigantic steal But the governor
gives other reasons for his action.
The governor has set new precedent to
criminal jurisprudence. Hereafter
there are to be no convictions o. Grim
inals secured through the old practice
of using states evidence. If any of the
parties to the crime are to be set free
for their testimony against themselves
and the rest then the others must also
be set free according to Mr.. Pin gree be-
cause it is not fair for them to suffer
unless the rest suffer too. The argu-
ment is thin, very, very thin, and even
when supported by all the vile pro-
family which probably no other man in
the state of Michigan could command,
the argument is still so thin that few
will even believe that the real reason
for the pardon was given.
Besides as has been pointed out there
was as yet no certainty that the private
citizens, the men connected with the
Henderson-Ames Company who were
also parties to the conspiracy with the
guilty state officials might not also be
brought in some way to justice. Ger
tainly if the man who has just been par
doned after confessing his own guilt
had done what his duty to the state even
now demands of him there would have
been more chance for the conviction of
these other men. But be that as it may.
If there were any persons who were in
clined to feel sorry for 1.-THE old man" be-
cause his pets the military board had
so disgraced his administration, they
can take back the sorrow and pity that
they gave, for Governor Pingree was
not only responsible for the appoint.
ment of the officers who disgraced the
state and his administration, but he has
now done everything that it is possible
for him to do to show that they are still
bound to him or he to them by strange
mysterious ties, by pardoning them on
the fimsy ground that 1t is not fair to
punish them while some of the other
conspirators go free. The act is dis
grace to the state which has already
submitted to much in that line from the
hands of its retiring governor.