The Portland daily press., 1900-09-11

The returns from this county disclose
the astonishing fact that the candidate
of the Prohibitionists for sheriff has
been elected by plurality that is in ths
neighborhood OF 500 The total vote OF
his party two years ago was only 941,
while the Republican vote that year was
1899, and the Democratic vote 5, 1876.
The plurality of the Republican candidate
over the Prohibition candidate that
year was 6,35o. This plurality was
changed by the vote of yesterday into a
plurality for the Prohibition candidate
OF 400 or 500, and it was almost all
done by the splitting Of tickets. The
result is simply amazing, 1t is true that
some persons predicted it, but they
were generally looked upon as exceeding
= rash, as predicating their prophecies
upon their wishes rather than their
Judgment. The indications are that the
overturn has been due almost entirely
to Republican voters, for though it is
probably true that many Dem crats vot-
ed for Mr.. Pearson, it is also probably
true that as many voted for Mr..
Despeaux, so that Democratic cutting
had little to do with the result.
Of course such a tremendous overturn
could have been brought about only
by the operation of powerful causes.
No one cause accounts for 1t. All the
ca uses it would be difficult to discover,
unless every voter could be induced to
disclose the considerations which affe3ted
him. Some OF them are, however. patent
to everybody. A lax enforcem ent OF the
prohibitory liquor law was one of them.
When Sheriff Cram was nearly defeated
because of his vigorous enforcement OF
the law he interpreted 1t as indicating
popular opposition to that kind of en-
forcement, and during the remainder Of
his administration he pursued a more
liberal policy. The sheriff who sue
ceeded him was still more ''liberal," and
there were signs Of restiveness among
the voters when he came up for re-
election. At the close of his administra-
tion the restiveness had increased and
only the expectation that his successor
would adopt O more stringent policy
averted an outbreak then. That expecta-
tlon was not realized to the extent de-
sired, though 1t is only fair to Mr.. Des-
peaux to say that his enforcement of the
law has been fully as good as that OF
most OF his predecessors, while the reve-
nue. accruing to the county has been
considerably larger under his admins
tration, Mr.. Despeaux happened to be
the sheriff when the people concluded
that they wanted a policy which they
had previously endorsed, or at any rate
had seemed to endorse, radically changed,
and it is to this fact that his defeat is
largely due. Had the public been feel
ing the way it apparently felt yesterday
when most Of his predecessors came up
for reelection they would have ex-
perienced equally crushing defeat.
Another factor which figured in yester.
days election was undoubtedly the fee
system. Logically, perhaps that should
have had nothing to do with it, The
legislature is responsible for the fee sys-
tenn, and not the sheriff. But people
are frequently not logical. The big reve-
nues which have accrued to the sherlff's
office have undoubtedly stirred up a good
deal of feeling and some Of this showed
itself in the bolt Of yesterday. One of
the first duties for the legislature to at
tend to win be to reform the present
law and place the sheriff on a salary.
There were undoubtedly some votes
thrown for Mr.. Pearson in the hope that
the radical enforcement which it was
Believed would follow his election |
would sicken the people of the prohibit |
tory law and help along the movement |
for its repeal. Many Democrats, and |
probably some Republicans, were inhu-
enced CHIEFLY by this consideration.
OF course a sheriff cannot be in Office for
two years without making some person
al enemies, and doubtless MIR. Despeaux
lost some votes through this cause, but
we imagine their number was insignih-
can't. Some of Mr.. Despeaux appoint
ments were unfortunate and contribut-
3d in certain localities to materially re-
1uce his vote.
What the election seems to mean on
It's face more than anything else is that
The people want to experiment with a
different policy than that which