The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-13
WAR TO THE KNIFE,
Anacortes Politicians in a Cut
and Slash Fight.
ALL SORTS OF CHARGES MADE,
Mayor-Eiect sharpstein Says the Old
Municipal Government Is strongly
Suspected or Crookedness.

Mr.. A. p Shsrpstein, the uevly-electcd mayor
of Anacortes, is at the Arlington hotel with his
WIFE He Is 8 young man, only 81 years
OF age, but he has had rather
varied career. His father. Hon. b. I. sharp
stein. of Walia WaIla, is one Of the leading
Democrats east OF tho mountains. Mayor
Sharpstein came TO Waila Walla when he was
only or years OF age. As young man
he attended q business college in
Iowa and he paid his expenses by
running the college paper. Coming back 70
Washington he worked on the stat of the flrss
Walla Statesmda, which ~ that time
ran as daily for only few
weeks Mr.. Newell, the proprietor OF
the paper, then died, and the publication was
suspended for time. Later Mr.. Sharpstein did
newspaper work in Ogden, and for some time
he has been practicing law in Anscortes.
The election in which he was victorious by
majority of thirty-ive votes IN total OF sol, was
held December S, AMI he viii assume bis duties
as mayor January s. lie is now here arranging
for the sale Of the Anacortes city warrants.
In speaking of the contest, which was re-
markably bitter one, he said last night: "Thero
was no politics in the fight, for each ticket had,
as IL happened, an equal number Of Repuhli-
cans and Democrats. The struggle was between
the old regime aud q new one There were two
uckets-the Citizens, which headed, and tho
Union. l had beea one of the seven MEM
bers OF the city council, and early last
summer l discovered that there had been
some iobbery IN the electric light matter. I
announced my conviction openly on the door
OF the council, and demanded an investigation.
Several of the eoancilmen were implicated and
no investigation was ordered. After hal mA3o
the charge publicly several times. and could Ao-
complish nothing, decided that my bess plan
was 70 get out, AMI 20 ! resigned
There was considerable feeling over th
matter, and very soon 10 became evident that
one of the counciimen was interested in soma
street grading contracts. Public Indignation
was further reused by tho action % the city az
torney, who, a. pablic NEE unE. denounce1
the system OF giving contracts % outsiders.
and yet accepted Zee fro.a an outside con-
tractor and worked to deliver tAe eoauaet u
him.
"Ihe upshot OF all this jobbcry was that TIA
people because disguised with the men who
were running the city government. and . mass.
meeting was called 90 nominate a new set Of on.
GERS. The part ] had taken Ia the tgAt ie1 -
my selection TO head the ticket when TIE reg.
istratiOn rolls were made up we found there
were over 40 names. Increase
of 30 since spring. We knew that
there was false registration, for population had
not increased 1909, would have been neces-
sary 20 give the added enrolment Tho
city clerk finally confessed that names
OF men who had not come IN PEI
son had been put on the roll. and ono
or two names after the rolls had properly
closed. This confession was taken down ia
shorthand by stenOgrapher in the room adj
joining. The ring forced the clerk % swear
that the statements were made under threat.
We then published the whole Conversation
five columns in all and the case was clearly ours.
We also published at our own expense the regis
tration roll
"On election day the msrshals exceeded their
authority, and on the slightest pretext used vio-
lataQa tom fr4a ~ aofF
high that there were q number of scufiies, and
on one occasion pistols were drawn and gem
eral fight seemed imminent
"But we carried the day by thirty-hve votes."