The Detroit times., 1917-04-20
Rep. Ford Introduces
Measure COndemning
His Record
SAYS HE'S NOT
QUALIFIED
Declares Slayers Are
Permitted to Run
at Large

declaring tnAN the COMMISSIONED II
serving without legal qualification.
The resolution follows:
whereas the Honorable James
Lee. sx-member OF the Michigan SON
ate. and now a member OF the cor
poration counssrs star OF the city OF
Detroit. and on duty In lansing dur
ing this season 10 keep an argus
eye upon the delegations from Wayne
both In the senate and house. and
20 see that the said delegations do
not commit hAri kari upon their
regulations as statesmen by passing
any legislation Injurious 20 Detroit
and
whereas n Detroit Newspaper OF
Monday, April is. publish ID the state
ment that Mr.. Ire was then en- route
10 Lansing with a bill 10 estop Pc
Detroit. from nXinE the salaries ~
policemen IN that city. and
whsreas Mr.. Lee has been unable
20 put the proposed bill through on
account Of the lAteness OF the sss-
sion. and
whereas. Captain Brio. p. pisque.
warden % Jackson prison, is report
81 by Mr.. Frank Sparks in the Grand
Rapids Herald. 10 have said that In
nocent men In Detroit are being
framed up by the police there and
railroAded to prison IN order 20 main
force as successful criminal On tcherS
and that the said Detroit police are
permitting murdersrs 20 escape that
should be arrested and convicted
while the aAid police are framing
up" innocent men. and
Whereas, this charge while casting
reflections upon the Efficiency OF the
Detroit police yet goes 70 disprovs
the contentious OF some that there
are no sinless or innocent people left
= ut -
whereas the a Detroit Newspaper
has sought 20 force through several
ripper bills IN this legislature.
notably the Health BOARD ripper BILL
and the Municipal Court ripper bill
and
whereas. q Detroit Newspaper
paper has utterly and ingioriousiy
failed 10 pass a single one OF is
ripper bills, and
whereas the said Newspaper hsv-
ing started out 20 groom the Honor
able James CouzsnB as candidate
for the mRyoraity or Detroit and the
said CouEens not having achieved
the success which the Newspaper had
hoped 30 that the Newspaper now has
that gentleman upon It's hands a nd
does not kn0E what 20 DO With him
and
whereas. the said James Cou1ens
thru his conduct Of the Detroit police
has by common report dernoraIiEed
= q
among other things employing out
side detectives 20 spy upon his own
police and IN other ways causing
scandal and gossip. 40 much 50 that
prison experts OF the character and
standing % Captain Disaue Aforesaid.
now publicly criticize his incompet-
encv. and
whereas murders are 81 continu-
ing occurrence in Detroit The motor
ious fact that the police force there
has been turned into a moral polics
70 look after ordinance offenders 20
the neglect OF weightier matters. and
whereas. the said James Couzens
at the present time - only De fact0
and not De iure police commissions
| OF Detroit. and since the nrst 10 days
OF his holding that office never has
been De lure police commissioner. ow-
ing 20 the fact that the charter ~
the city OF Detroit provides as fo'.
lows.
Charter pa 1919
p 41T SIS Sec Il
II said commissioner or any
member Of the police force. dur
ing hts term % Office accept Or
hold any Office elective By the
| people or any other appointtvs
Office or shall. during his term OF
office. he publicly nominated FOR
any office. elective by the people
and shall not within 20 DAYS
| succeeding tho SANE publicly de-
]
/ potntmrnt. he shall In either
cAss be deemed thereby 20 have
! resigned hia com mission. ard %
hAv. vacated hts ofnc~
CAs amended BY act approved May
whereas. the said Honorahl. Jane,
! Coursns - MON Der OF the MichfRar
/ state Board % Mediation and Con-
| eilistion. having been appointed there.
/ % by former Governor Ferris and
whereas. = would appear from this
| that the said Cou1sns has been GER
| tihcatinR pay rolls for The Detroit
| police when he has no legal right %
DO 30. now. Therefore be u
Resolved. That these soothing nscts
be spread upon the Journal 81 the
house. that truth may triumph and
justice percolats and the foolish IN
high place be put 20 shame IN order
that Detroit through SIS Honorable
Corporation Counsel and Honorahis
Mayor may speedily arouse them
selves and grid up their ioinF ana
TAX, all proper measures and set ths
police RTsirs ~ Detroit IN order %
the end that its police adrninistrR-
ton may cease 10 be public scsn.
dal and a stencil In the nostrils q
law abiding citiEena-
Police Commissioners James Couz-
ems, when shown the resolution u
:sred by sheriden Ford, Thursday
IN the state legislature. refused 10
discuss the recent police scandals
which the legislator quoted IN sup
port OF HIS resolution. but he made
light OF the charge that he is not
police commissioner in fact, because
be did not resign from the state
mediation board within 10 days after
being appointed police commission
or. The law requires that police
commissioner retire from state CON.
missions.
Mr. Couzens declared that he did
not resign because be really never
considered himself actually a mon.
Der OF that board lie said he knew
he bad been appointed. but that he
Eever mediated anything. never a..
tended meeting and Just congjd
cred that his place on that commits
sion was vacant. a. he Rad never
actually qualified
lie declares that n thu admins
trauon bad drawn his attention 10