Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1872-04-06
OLYMPIA, SATURDAY MORNING. APR. 6. 1872.
THE MUNICIPAL ELECTION,


The result of the election last Monday
is given elsewhere iu ,o-day's paper. The
contest has resulted in a success in the
Third Ward of the opponents of the new
DISTINGUISHING charter, by the election of
the two councilmeu, and a majority for
Mr.. Henry for Mayor. Ia the Second
Ward, Mr.. Blnn was on both the regu.
lar" tickets, and of course elected, and
Mr.. Scott was beaten merely in conse-
quence of movement set on foot by Ger.
tain Good Templar's late Saturday evening,
to substitute Mr.. Reed. Had this not
been done it is safe to claim that Mr..
Scott would have been elected in place of
Mr.. McElroy, whom the Good Temrlars
hate with loyal intensity. In their effort
to claim much, however, they lost the
chance to defeat the man who above all
others sought to embarrass and annoy them.
The result in the First Ward is of course
complete victory ofthe Whisky ring and
saloon influence. No man need EXPECT
this support who is not nominated by
them and pledged, implicitly at least, to
support their interests, on each and every
occasion, - then his election is certain
The real issue in the contest, upon which
the people made united stand before the
Legislature in their protest to that body,
was merged in one of greater personal i'm
portauce to few, the question affecting
the illegal traffic iu spirituous liquors.
Every nerve was strung to its utmost ten
sion by the whisky vendsss to reward the
parties who had been instrumental 10 saw.
ing them fr,m fines and felon's cells
during the late term of the District Court,
and the result 10 this ward means nothing
else than complete vindicatiou of the
Grand Jury in finding no indictments
against the many VIGOROUSLY engaged 10
retailing spirituous liquors 10 our midst.
This is not 10 the least surprising, nor
were their efforts last Monday at all dis.
proportionate to the services rendered by
the recipients Of their favor. There are
few 10 the community, outside Of the par
ties interested, who believe that two
wrongs make a right, or that the refusal
to grant license should be followed by
an open, palpable, deliberate and defiant
violation of the law, and an evasion of all
its penalties. Still the result was based
upon this, aud will be regarded as complete
classification Of their course, as if it was
founded upon justice and advocated by
law abiding and upright men. The Good
Templars, to avoid voting for "beer
drinker" for Mayor, voted for one who
from his own side. board furnished the fiery
liquids that iuaugurated the spree to which
the Echo SO deprecatiugly alludes, in
which even boys reveled 10 scottish beastial-
ity.
There was greater principle at stake,
but 1t was not regarded. There was a
question of far greater importance to the
poorer classes, and those holding moderate
possessions iu the municipality to consider,
but they have allowed, 10 great measure,
the opportunity to pass, to serve their
own interests and advance their future
welfare. They are not by any means pc
culiar in-this from other people. The ma.
ton itself is affected BY this apathy of the
masses. The rich are becoming richer.
the poor poorer interests affecting the
very life Of the laboripg masses are passed
upon without serious elaboration or
scarcely thought of the consequences. 1t
is not strange, therefore, that our people
should not be an exception to rule, that
exists as the result of the morbid disease
preying upon the vitals of the whole ma.
ton.