The Detroit times., 1911-04-18
". OsbOrn's Paper Says
Affair Is Stab AT Him

iAGINAW, Mich, April 1.-THE
lrier.Herald takes the view edi-
tally that the attempt to descredit
rden Russell OF Marquette prison
4 political move on the part OF the
rot Journal and Free Press and
ir owner, +. ID. Stair. The editorial
significant because OF the fact that
Y. Osborn is part owner OF the
lrier-Herald. The editorial says:
A fiend named Waltz was sent TO
rquette prison from Detroit for
!, for numbering a little boy, eight
rs old. He committed horrible
ocities upon the child-too hor-
lie TO describe in print-and then
cut and mutllated and mangled the
lie body in a diabolical way. AT
prison he was an incorrigible,
| he was spanked to make him
lave. He rebelled again, after a
lie, and was about to be padded
lin. when he killed himself with a
Re.
Revolving about this case OF the
Id Waltz swirls all the commotion
.arding corporal punishment Of
tinous convicts In the prison.
sout so convicts out of 1000 have
N spanked there in ten years.
rec since 1906, two OF the latter
attempting to murder guards.
argos OF cruelty based on these
les but principally upon the case
Waltz. were brought against War
! Russell. A legislative house com
tee was appointed to investigate.
e majority declared that the
lrges were not true-the minority
d they were. The house under
~ of passionate appeals. adopted
report of the minority-it re-
ed to believe the majority and ac-
ted report almost grotesque In Its
sational and infiammatory Ian
ge Now numerous persons OF
rotic tendencies are going into hys-
les over the alleged treatment
.hese mutinous and murderous con-
Is. That Is not peculiar and Is TO
expected. But why the insistence
the part OF certain newspapers
I politics influences the defense
Warden Russell and disciplinary
thods? Because the assault upon
rden Russell is aimed really at
Osborn administration and is
ely the effort OF bitter enemies or
2. Osborn TO try to discredit him.
put him in a hole" as they glee-
Y chortle II. The assault Is foster
sustained and encouraged by the
roit Journal and Free Press, whose
Ter Is K. ID. Stair, who want to be
tied States senator, who has built
colossal fortune out Of the ten
nty-trirt' theater trust, whose
yspapers are the untiring defen-
OF entrenched privilege in Mich
n, and which have never lost an
ortunity, since the governor dis
led sympathy for popular rights
antagonism to the powers that
y, to misrepresent him, to lie about
1 to revile him, and to impede his
kressive policies.
N this pernicious influence. which
been the sustenance Of the ele-
Il opposing the governor In the
Mature, can manage to discredit
4 In the minds of the people with
popular outcry about the cruel
liking OF mutinous convicts, and
s. IL as an argument that all his
noses OF reform are insincere, II
a feel that II has taken a long step
ord accomplishing its purpose
fch is to cripple him In his work.
{ II must not be forgotten that the
Is OF corporate wealth that con-
d the policies OF these two Detroit
Hspapers Immediately bristles with
mate life the moment any strong
Nement arises that threatens to
eck or curb Its power. The Mar.
bite prison matter is merely one
ase OF the plan-the others that
I've developed since Gov. Osborn
BIT his inaugural message to the leg
Iature contained no element that
fuld appeal to unthinking or ignor.
IL popular sentimentality.
These are the newspapers that
I'VE used every resource to prevent
Ie passage of just workingman's
act, while at the same
me emitting anguishing sobs daily
rer the woes of the child killers. the
omen ravishers and the murderers
Marquette prison. That Is the real
,litics In the case"