The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1914-06-20
ANENT GRAND JURY CALL.
Editor Palladium:

With more tnan passing interest
read the passage alarms between
Prosecutor Keller and S. Edgar Mich
olson, who is listed in this years
'Who's Who" as a 'refOrmer," but VINO
in reality is an official in the National
Anti Saloon League. ] am somewhat
surprised that Prosecutor Keller com
plains first, because Mr.. Nicholson
won't put up" the evidence of cOrrup-
1iOn at the recent local option election
which he claims to have in monument
al quantities. and second, because Mr..
Nicholson seemingly takes pleasure
in the Christian task of maigning" the
OftlCe and the person of the prOSecIl-
tor.
Prosecutor Keller has not been very
Observant if he does not know by thi
time that making wholly untrue aSser-
tions regarding alleged crime and cor
IUptlOn. absolutely false statements
about the proof OF such assertions
which he pretendS to have, and libel
onS Slander about those who do not ac-
r"pt his views on temperance is the
stock in trad" Of the average Anti-Sa-
loon official, and Of Mr.. Nicholson in
particular.
Mr.. Nicholson says he wants a grand
jury investigation of the last local Op-
tion election. but MI Nicholson's ac-
tiOnS TO the contrary speak SO loudly
thar one cannot hear what he says for
the noise. The long career Of that
Anti-SAIO0n League official has taught
him how to dodge grand jury sessions
Will" appearing to welcome Them and
how to retreat gracefully while he is
sounding the tOm-tOmS for a general
advance. He is very like William Ran
dOlph Hearst, who finds he can make
more capital and yell louder by claim
ing to have been cheated out Of an
election, than he could by acknOwledg
ing he was defeated by an honest vote
or all the people. II always appeals to
the uplitt spirit of such Anti-SalOOn
League politicians to denOunCe all
their fellow citizens and neighbors as
crooks, liars and thugs rather than to
admit that they themselves may be in
error.
II Mr. Nicholson should be granted a
grand jury investigation it would in
crease the number OF hitherto respect
able citizens of Wayne county who had
SuCcumbed to the corrupting influence
OF the liquor interests and become ar
object of Mr.. NichOlsOn's $ abuse and Ii
bel. As it is. only Prosecutor Rellol
ana Judge FOX are the objects of \lCh
olson's TRADE. But in event a granC
jury were called and they could find nc
proof Of corruption, they would be add
ed to the list of undesirable in NichOl
sons category. And if they returned
indictments and no one We're convict
ed then the whole machinery O.
WAYNE cOuntys court would be pub
lshed to the world by Nicholson as be
ing corrupt and venal Nicholson is
bound to wage a campaign of abuse
and slander against the morals anC
the personnel of the community tt
which he has so lately come. no mat
ter what happens. SO it is up to the
prosecutor and the judge as to wheth
or prefer to distribute it.
OF course, there are many things
grand jury might investigate will
profit to the community. The prose
cutOr refers to one Of them in his pub
lie letter, in which he says that if hi
did his duty he should prosecute The
dry election officials who refused t
let Carmine Piccrillo vote despite the
fact he furnished conclusive roof tina
he was legal voter. This is the voter
Mr. Weed had arrested unlawfully anc
illegally, and Weed afterwards ex
pressed regret that he made that mis-
take" The election dry official, wher
asked why he had violated the law
said he had not been given the proper
instructions at Mr.. Nicholson's head
quarters. which lets Mr. Nicholson in
What were the instructions given