The Calumet news., 1910-12-24
OSBORN WAS RIGHT.


The Detroit Journal devotes coll
umn To an editorial article about the
request Mr. Osborn made OF Mr.. Navin
that he resign as member OF the
Jackson prison board. Its purpose is
TO insist on its point that the disap-
pointment that MIR. Navin felt at this
development was a contributing cause
to his death.
Regard for the late Mr.. Navin has
stood i'm the way of some plain speak
ing i'm this connection. IL is manifect.
however. that in asking for Mr.. Nav
ins resignation Mr.. Osborn. while he
may not have been acting in accord
ance with the rule OF the political
game that calls for particular and
special consideration for the men who
help a man into public Office. at the
expense of the entire body of people
course worthy of commentator i'm a
man selected TO serve the state in a
great office.
The Jackson prison board as il was
death had the same membership that it
had when the Armstrong scandal oc-
CURED and during the time when Arm
strong was playing fast and loose, for
his personal gain, with the power in
his hands. Leaving aside the question
whether the board, by proper dis
charge of its duties. might not have
ascertained the true nature of the man
they were upholding in the Jackson
prison. we are still confronted with the
fact that after Armstrong was deposed
as warden the board was unable to
sink it's personal differences for the
good of the state. so that even at this
date, nearly two years after news of
the Armstrong scandal was first spread
aboard by the newspapers. Jackson
prison is still without permanent
warden, a condition that has greatly
initiated against its proper manage
ment and has brought about a condi-
tion in the prison that all who are fam
iliar with il regard with much appre-
hension.
There can be no doubt that Mr.. Nav
in was greatly interested i'm the refor-
matory side of prison work: there can
be no doubt that he was helpful to de-
serving men let out OF the institution !;
there can be no doubt that there are
many gracious things to be said OF his
work on the board. But through it all
the fact remains that he was a MEM
ber of board that had most signally
failed through a period of two years
to deal aggressively, and with n certain
hand. with a situation that would re-
spond satisfactorily TO no other treat
ment.
The obviously proper thing for Mr.
Osborn TO do, under these circum-
stances, was to give this board an op-
portunity to resign. It's members were
and the surviving members are, excel
lent men, no doubt, but they had DEM
onstrated an incapacity to work har-
moniously together. 1t is more to Mr.
Osborn's credit than anything else that
he recognized this situation frankly
and put it directly up TO Mr.. Navin
TO whom he owed much politically
when he knew the result would be
acute dissatisfaction on the part OF
Mr.. Navin's friends. 1t was a case
where duty was not the pleasantest
of two courses, but where duty pre-
sented itself so clearly that a much
duller man than Mr.. Osborn would
probably have been able to see it.
Once the sentiment is eliminated
there is no particular difficulty about
seeing the thing in its proper proper
tions, which cannot be changed by the
fact that Mr.. Navin's unexpected anc
sudden death made II possible fol
newspapers like the Detroit Journal tC
assiduously create misunderstanding
about the situation. If all of Mr.. Os-
born's administration is of piece with
his decision to ask for the resignation
of the entire membership of the Jack
son prison board the people of the
state will have reason to be very wei
i