The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-06-01
LET THE COUNTRY
VOTERS CONSIDER
Questions Concerning Candi-
dates They Must Answer.
Gone Of the Hop-scOtcheFs' Claims
Men Who DesOrtTheir Party Lose
the Confidence Of thePeOple-
Trying All Sorts Of Dodges.

Trying All S0rIs OF D0oges.
II Is no matter 10 what party one be-.
lorgs, II he becomes Identified with
that party. works for II. votes with it,
he loses the respect OF his fellow men
when he deliberately deserts that par'
~ denies its principles and Us plat.
form for private gain. II is no matter
by what name be calls his desertion,
whether fusion or by some Of the
harsher epIthets applied to deserter
from party standard, he ls looked
ppon by his fellow citizens, although
they may say nothing. exactly as a
man who deserts his regiment or ship
Is looked upon by his comrades in the
army or navy and how detestable a
deserter Ia to the government is
shown BY the severity OF the punish
ment prescribed for that crime.
Just what excuse. II any. John Hahn
offers Tor deserting the republican par
~ Is not xnown. but whatever II is. II
win have little weight with the voters.
Loyalty is the first requisite Of a
good citizen. That and the willingness
10 obey the rule OF the majority. are
recommendation that 20 a long ways
with the voter In securing his support.
No matter how excellent Mr.. Hahns
private character. that has nothing 10
do with his duties as public Office
holder.
Does Mr. Hahn. and the men who
have coaxed him into the false position
he occupies on the hop-scotchers tick
ct think they can delude republicans
TO believe that should he be elected,
he win go to the legislature and throw
down the men who put him UP TO run
and support republican men and meas
ures? No so. John Hahn. should he
be elected. viii 90 TO the legislature
and faithfully serve the hop-scotchers.
Having deserted the republican party.
he viii remain aloof and will aid the
hop-scoichers in their every scheme.
Let no republican be fooled.
But bad as was John Hahn's deser-
ton. seemingly TO crafty personal
opinion. the desertion Of Fred Wick
man was worse. Wickman went be-
fore the republican convention wanting
certain Office. He was not thought
fit by q majority OF the delegates, TO
Ill the place to which he aspired. but
was given another place on the ticket.
one which he was only too glad to
take two years ago. Angry at being
refused what he demanded. he desert
ed the party with which he had long
been identified and which had reward
ed him. and has the cheek to go to the
voters and ask them to applaud his
conduct In becoming deserter by vot-
ing for HIM. or all the offices in the
county the people should be most care
full OF their selection OF q sheriff. That
officer has at times almost unlimited
power which he can exercise rightfully
or wrongfully. for a little while, at
least. as he may see fit. The people
do not want to put their liberty or
property, or II even may be their lives.
In the hands OF man whose only
qualification is that he deserted his
party because he could not run 1t for
his own advantage and thus proved
alike his want OF gratitude and sta
bllity as man among men.
But II voters have no use for men
like Hahn and Wickman. who deserted
from one party only. what must they
think OF man like Billy Pohl, who
deserted from three parties in less than
week and then broke his word
pledged to friend, in his mad scramble
to hold on to the office Of coroner.
Pohl is a political outcast that has no.
where to lay his head. He deserted |
from the republicans and became re-
converted to democracy Then he
deserted the democrats and went over |
TO the so-called citizens" and when |
even that illegal body repudiated him. |
he came out as an independent after
having pledged his word to Charles
Mathena that he would not run as an
independent II he, Mathena, beat him
for the nomination. Surely Pohl can
expect no voter to have any conf
dence In him or support him. His con-
duct shows that he is determined to |
have the Office II he can get it, even at
the sacrifice Of political honor and his
pledged word as a man. He has all
along claimed the office of coroner
pays nothing II this be true what is
the secret of his anxiety to secure 1t,
and why is 1t that he is willing to act
as he has done for an office that on
ly brings work and no pay? Such
statements do not help Pohl. Nobody |
believes them. He is dead duck'
politically, and he should be.
80
What hurts the hop-scotchers in this
campaign is the absolute unreliability
of their so-called ticket, There is alb
solutely nothing and nobody behind
them.-nobody to vouch for them, ex-
cept themselves, and 1t would be a
chump who would not promise any