The Portland daily press., 1892-07-09
THE PRESS.
TWELVE PAGES.
SATURDAY, JULY 8.
FOR PRESIDENT,
Benjamin Harrison.
FOR VICE PRESIDENT,
WHITELAW REID.
FOR GOVERNOR,
Henry B. Cleaves,
OF PORTLAND.
THE pEMooRATs AND THE SHERIFF.
OF PORTLAND.

THE DEMOCRATS AND THE SHERIFF.
Commenting on an. editorial of the
PRESS upon the questio MS involved in the
state and county elections the Argus says:
But there is wanton disregard of truth in
the assertion that the Democratic party of this
county is appealing to the voters to elect a
sheriff on the ground that he will not prove
faithful to the duties of that office The Demo
Gratis or this county are law-rtsSpecting and law
abiding citizens: They have the same reasons
for wishing to elect for sheriff an able, capable
experienced man as their Republican friends
have. Will any man claim that the candidate
placedin NOMINATION for sheriff by the Demo-
Gratis has not proved himself in the responsible
positions of public trust he has Held to be able,
capable and faithful? Does any sensible man
think that any properly interestsn this county
ed by Mr.. SWEET as they have beeH by Mr.. Cram?
1t has been the aim of Mr.. Gram, publicly
and persistently adhered to since. to use ali his
powers to enforce the liquor law.
The PRESS did not make the statement
s'that the Democratic parity Of this
county is appealing to the voters to elect
sheriff on the ground that he will not
prove faithful to the duties of that
Office wantonly or at haphazard or to
create prejudice against the party or it's
candidate, but simply becansetit believed
it to be true. Now we purpose to sub
NIT some off, the evidence on which we
based this assertion, and we appeal to
the candid reader to decide whether it
sustains our ayerment. But Ffrst let us
ascertain what are the duties of the
sheriff Office. Section go off Chap. 27,
R. S., defines them sufficiently for our
present purpose, as follows:
sherif1s andatheir deputies, shall diligently
and faithfully inquire into all iolations OF law
within their restrictive counties, and institute
proceedings against violations or supposed vio-
latons Of law as.d artsea!!arlg tise tag agad'ast
It will be seen that by the laws of the
State it is made the duty of sheriffs to in
quire into violations of the liquor law
s'particularly," that is, above all Others
He is required to be specially vigilant in
regard to that law. In the face of this
plain injunction, what shall we say of the
charge of the Hon. Charles Mccarthy
that Sheriff Cram had been guilty of
paying unreasonable attention to the
liquor law, or the Argus assertion made
no longer ago than yesterday that 'tSher-
iff Grants idea of selecting one law from
the great body of laws for special and
unremitting enforcement was an idea
originating with himself? Surely nei-
ther Mr.. Mccarthy nor the Argus can be
familiar with the laws of the State.
Now having defined the duty of the
sheriff, we proceed to furnish part of
the evidence on which our averment
that the Democratic party was endeavor-
ing to elect man to that office because
it believed he would not be faithful to
his duties, was based. AS the first wit
ness we will call Mr.. Edward G. SWEET.
Mr.. SWEET is near relative of the Demo
cratic candidate for sheriff, and warm
supporter Of the latter. He is not an OBJ
scure person, but on the contrary he is
so prominent in the councils of the Dem
ocratic party of this county that it made
him its representative to the national
convention at Chicago. At caucus ir
Ward a to select delegates to the Demo
cratic county convention Mr.. SWEET pre-
sided, and in the course of speech at
that time said:
u We can carry Cumberland county al
the next election. But to do that we must put
forward as candidates men whose Democracy
has been tried and proven, who will command