The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1896-11-12
The Oficial Paper Of San Juan County
NOVEMBER 18th, 1870.

THE returns OF the TeCeHG cicClioh
In this county suggest several things.
First, they must fully remove any doubt
that any person may possibly have had
that the county is still very strongly
republican on national issues. There
can be no question about that in the
face of a plurality of 12l votes for the
Mckinley electors out of a total OF 6o9.
And the vote on the national and state
ticket throughout is proof conclusive
that the Republicans, if united, can
easily elect all county officers, but it
proves also that the people are quite
independent in the matter of their
choice for local officials and that the
success of individual candidates is GER
tainly endangered by factional strife
and petty personal quarrels, which
ought not to find any place i'll politics.
For the real cause of the defeat of Mr..
Harrison one needs to look no further
than to the fact that large number of
good citizens looked upon his nomina-
ton as virtually violation of the spirit
of the law against a third consecutive
term, inasmuch as he is now serving
his second term as county assessor.
While there can be no question that the
law literally interpreted does not dis
qualify a man for election to an office
in which he has not served, while serv-
ing his second term i'm another office, it
is equally clear that the law was not
intended to sanction that sort of pro-
ceeding. Its purpose was and is un-
doubtedly two-fold; first, to prevent
the formation of what are commonly
called "court house rings" and secondly
to insure fair distribution of the hon.
ors and emoluments of office. The
ISLANDER holds Mr.. Harrison in high
esteem as a citizen and as an official,
but it can do no harm now to confess
that it regarded his nomination as inn
polite and unwise and that it is not
surprised at his defeat. He made fair
and honest canvass, fatty refusing to
countenance in the least degree pro-
posed trades in his interest at the ex-
pense of his associates upon the ticket.
While sincerely regretting his defeat, as
we would that of any honest and eff
cient Republican, there is some cause for
satisfaction in the belief that the county
funds will be safe in the hands of his
successful opponent and that the office
will be conscientiously and efficiently
conducted. Mr.. Void has profited by
conditions for which Republicans rather
than Popultsts or Democrats are re-
sponsible, and he owes his election to
Republican votes. We cannot indorse
his political theories but we can give
him our cordial cooperation in what we
believe will be his honest endeavors to
serve the people faithfully and we'll.
Mr.. Harrison was unfortunate in hav-
ing incurred the ill will of certain we'll
known citizens who call themselves
Republicans and who, of course, enjoy
the privilege of exercising the right of
franchise as they see fit, but their in
f1uence would have had little weight
against him Independent of the third
term idea. The same men did their
utmost to defeat the Republican candi-
date for the legislature and i'm so doing
virtually expressed their willingness to
have Populist elected to the United
States senate, but fortunately for the
good name Of San Juan county their
efforts to defeat Judge Thacker proved
fruitless. 1t is, perhaps, fortunate for
Judge Thacker that the Office of repre-
sentative Is more honorary than remun-
erative and that it is not in a strict
sense a county office; if it were the
third term idea whould have applied to
him as well as to Mr.. Harrison and
doubtless would have occasioned his
defeat.