Kootenai County Republican. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1899-1903, 1902-04-04
THE CITIZENS TICKET A WINNER


-Four Out OF rive Candidates Elected by q
Small Plurality.
Tuesdays election resulted i'm VIC
torp for the Citizens ticket, four out
of the five candidates on that ticket
being successful. The new board Of
trustees will be composed Of II. G.
Culver, p. ii. Moran. j. NJ. Bradley,
Chas. Il. Foss and o. L. Peavey.
Mr.. Peavey was the only man elected
on the Independent ticket.
The election passed of more quietly
than was expected, and u much small
er vote was pollcd than had been an
ticipated by those who took an active
part in the contest. The number Of
voters registered was 2oi, and OF these
only l59 voted or attempted to vote.
The number OF ballots actually counted
was l5l, eight having been rejected.
A number Of challenges were made.
but most of the votes were promptly
sworn in, leaving the number OF at
temptS at illegal voting at the mini
mum. In nearly every case the at
tempt at illegal voting was a direct
result OF the wrong Interpretation Of
the law governing village elections.
The form Of the registration oath
used was not the proper one for viii
lage elections, but the form used at
general elections, which says nothing
about residence OF three months in
the village being required and only
mentions a residence OF 30 days i'm the
county. This gave many the impress
ion that IA residence OF not more than
30 days in the village entitled one To
vote for trustees. The only attempt
at really illegal voting was by man
who had been i'm the United States
since 1862 and who had served in the
war OF the rebellion, but who IL
seems had neglected TO become a citi-
zen. No i'll feeling was evident in the
matter OF challenging and In major
ity of cases it was done for the amuse-
ment OF hangerson.
The interest exhibited in and about
the polling place would have given one
the impression that hotly contested
election was going on. but the lack Of
interest, or lack OF organization
shown in the matter OF bringing vot-
ers to the polling place, indicated
that such was not the case. A normal
vote would have beer at least 80 per
cent of the registration.
The issues before the people OF
Standpoint were not clear to a ina jori-
ty of the voters until day or two be-
fore the contest took place, when the
tickets In the field became known as
as the wet" and so-called ''dry" tick
ets meaning saloon and anti-saloon.
The Citizens ticket was known as the
wet" from the fact that two candi-
dates on IL were saloon men; the other
was known as the dry" ticket, mere
ly because 1t was in opposition to the
wet, and not because its candidates
were prohibitionists. The result
shows that the so-called saloon ele-
men will have one representative on
the town board, but it is not believed
that any attempt will be made by
that element to control the board In
the interests Of saloons or to make
Standpoint more wide open town
than at present. The majority OF the
people here are in favor OF having the
saloons conducted In a lawful and or
derly manner, and any attempt To
change that order Of things would be
met with strong and determined op-
position. The saloon men appear to
recognize this and are not likely IL
jeopardize their business interests by
any i'll advised action through the
medium Of a town board.
The following is the number OF votes
received by each candidate on the two
| tickets: