Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1909-05-07
PROSECUTE THE CRIMINALS

An effort is being made to induce
Samuel H. Nichols, secretary of
state; and j. H. Schively, state in
surance commissioner, to resign and
TO follow this by dropping the in
,yestigatlons of these officers. A
special dispatch to the Post-Intelli-
gencer from Olympia states that
much sympathy is felt for Secretary
Nichols and it is hoped he will es-
cape criminal prosecution which is
almost certain to follow if tie IN
Vestlgatton is carried on and further
rottenncss uncovered. The suGges-
tlon is made that these men be al
lowed to resign and that further in
vestigatlon he dropped
Such an act would be almost
criminal and would be a lasting dis
grace to the state and the republican
party Politics should not be al
lowed to enter into this matter. 1t
is not a political question. The re-
publican party will be blamed and
censured for re-electing Nichols and
electing Shively against both of
whom there were stories of crooked
ness before the primary election.
But d republican governor and a re-
publican louise of representatives
forced an investigation Of these Of
ficers' records and enough rottenness
has been uncovered to condemn both.
The Olympia special says that the
doors of the penitentiary are almost
ajaI for the secretary of state and it
openly accuses him of perjury, pen
itentiary offense. Just why a man,
we'll educated, having had many adj
.vantages which fall not to the COM
mon law of man, and having been fed
at the public crib for years. should
be an object of sympathy is beyond
our ken.
Were Nichols a hobo, without
home or friends, and had stolen
suit of clothes to cover his naked
ness blanket, to keep him warm.
or food to preserve his life, he
would now be in the penitentiary
and an unthinking and unsympa-
thUic public would never give the
matter a second thought. But here
we have, according to the common
report and the evidence before the
investigating committee and the leg
lslature, two men who have been
favored by tIeir political party and
the voters OF the state and who, if
reports be true, have deliberately
stolen, not for food nor raiment, nor
fuel to keep them or their families
from suffering, but merely because
they thought they saw the opportun-
it, and believed they would not be
caught,
Shirley, while drawing a good sal
airy I'm the state, left his work and
went to Spokane, where he engaged
in the insurance business in COM
pany which has since became bank
rupt against the officers of which,
Gncluding Shively) have been in
dicted by the grand jury and are now
in custody or under bonds. While
drawing salary from the state he
had himself elected president of this
/ corrupt corporation, which bllked
every one with whom it had deal
ings and he drew salary from this
rotten concern of $4OO per month in
addition to his salary fhom the state,
and also drew heavy commission on
the business done by the company
If all or half of these charges are
true. Shively, instead of being the
object of foolish sympathy, should De
condemned in the strongest terms
and every law-abiding citizen should
assist in prosecuting him with a
view to giving him long term IN
the penitentiary. If half these charg-
&C and rumors are true the peniten-
tiary is filled with men FAR petter
morally than either Shively or
Nichols The fact that they are
state officers and we're elected to posi-
tions of honor and trust by the vot-
arg Of the state, instead of being IN
choir favor makes their alleged
crimes all the blacker.
Suppose that either of these men
were unknown to the public and had
stolen a horse worth 500 or a COW
worth S25? Would there be any sym
patty wasted on them? Would they
be given an opportunity to leave the
state without even returning the
stolen property? If these men are
prosecuted and convicted and given