The Seattle Republican. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1???-1915, 1901-05-24

Inc consensus OF OPINION since the
jury has been discharged was that
the accused was indicated, rather
than put in an uncertain light in
the eyes Of the public. The accused
has, received numerous congratula-
tons since that time, and regardless
of the fact that an actual acquittal
was not given, yet the better class
of citizens, yea, ninety per cent of
the entire citizenship Of Seattle feel
that a clear case has been made ont
against the chief Of police, and that
it is the duty of the mayor to re-
move him from office at once. The
chief himself, as he sat by the coun-
sci for the state in the closing hours
Of the trial, gave visible evidence Of
being in desperate straits for his Of
fetal life and the perceptible marks
of anxiety which stood out in bold
relief over his entire countenance,
and his crestfallen looks made it APP
parent to the hundreds Of visitors
and interested spectators that a
bomb has been exploded in his camp
which had done more damage to the
chief than he had expected.
This case, in connection with the
charges made public in an open let
ter by Mr.. Considine, has prompted
the city council to begin a thor
Ough investigation Of the affairs Of
the city, and each member Of that
committee has publicly declared
that he would not leave a stone I'M
turned to sift the matter to its very
foundation, and that so far as he
was concerned not a guilty party
should escape. This committee will
begin actual and active investiga-
ton during the coming week, and
it is generally supposed by the pub
lie that before it will have finished,
the chief of the police will tender
his resignation, as will other persons
connected with that department on
whose advice he has strongly relied
since he has been a member of the
force.
The editor of this paper is pleased
beyond measure with the defense as
was conducted by the attorneys in
the case, and has no great excep-
tons to take with any one, whether
they we're connected with the de-
Tense or the prosecution. If mem
bers of the jury did not see the case
as the defense saw it, it was their
opinion, and every man has a right
to his opinion and right to express
it as he sees fit. Regardless Of what
may have been said, so far as the
vindictiveness Of the accused is con-
cerned, nevertheless he has never
written one line, one sentence or
one article against any man in this
city, county or state from a ma
licious standpoint, and he defes any
one to hunt up the columns Of his
paper and prove as much. He has
run an aggressive public journal,
which at times verged into vindic-
tiveness against persons in office
who, in his mind, needed public re-
proval; he has done so from patri-
otto motives rather than from sell
fish ones. No journalist that pub
fishes things and conditions as they
really are concerning men in public
life can pass without being branded
as an undue critic. And it is like
wise criticized if it does not call the
public's attention to such things.
The remarkable thing in this
matter, however, is that the chief of
the police should feel it his duty to
have the editor Of this paper arrest
ed for accusations made against him
when they were mild-oh, so very
mild-in comparison with the accu-
sations made against him in pretty
nearly every other paper published
in the state. The columns of The
Republican will reveal the fact that
Chief Meredith has been more Sc
verely arraigned in the columns Of
the state press than any other man
that has ever held an official po-
sition in this state. The columns of
the daily press will reveal the fact
that Chief Meredith has been more
caustically arraigned than any other
man who ever held official position,
by private citizens of this city, and
yet despite all this he has not felt
called upon, owing to the fact that
he is husband and a father" to
have any Of these accusers brought
before the bar of justice for punish
ment, save and except the editor Of
the Seattle Republican, who, per-
haps, has the least influence Of any
other editor and publisher in the
entire state. Perhaps the chief did
not do what he did do from q ma