The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1904-10-28

tlOn. But Wnen the party HdS noiuiiidt-
ed worthy candidate, candidate who
would honor any party or any office it
does insist that if man considers him.
self republican in any sense of the
word he is morally bound to support
his own nominee and not betray him on
account of the cajoling of any set of
men outside his party or within. If an
indecent man, a man OF the shameless
ness of whose character there is no
doubt, has foisted himself on the party
by any means whatever then the TIMES
will not be found asking republicans to
vote their tickets straight in that partic-
ular instance. But no such excuses or
claims can be made for the desertion of
our candidate for sheriff.
Then with an honest, capable, genial
candidate, who was made the unani-
nous choice of the convention, placed
before them, how can honest party
pride permit Shiawassee county republi-
cans to do anything else than give Mr..
Mimic one of the biggest majorities of
any man on the ticket? He won his
nomination fairly. He has played fair
by his party in his support of the rest
of the republican candidates on the tick
ct, and party honor and party pride de-
mand that the party do its part and
stand Loyalty by him. Party pride usu-
ally runs high in Shiawassee county and
in the case of the sheriff this year of all
years, in view of the published records
OF twelve years under republican sher-
ifs and three under democratic sher-
iff, it should run higher than ever.
And indeed what have the democrats
of the county to show for the trust which
was committed to them by too easy re-
publicans? Extravaganza, just extrav-
agance That is, that is the easiest
term which can be applied to it. Think
of it. Read the figures again which
show the almost incredible increase in
the expense to which the taxpayers of
the county have been put in the matter
of the conduct of the sheriff's Office.
They are given in another column for
convenience in referring to them. For
nearly four years the county has been
held by the throat in the boldest man
ner imaginable while its treasury has
been relieved of an amount of money
which must make every taxpayer and
every farmer in the county fairly hold
his breath in amazement. Look at the
figures again See the splendid nerve
of the man who during the first year he
held the Office of sheriff put in bills for
nearly double the amount of any years
bills for any preceding sheriff! But this
is the man who is at the head Of the
democratic machine which is today ask
ing your votes for his democratic nomi-
nee for sheriff! Then see the jump his
calm assurance took last year after hav
ing made sure his election two years
ago this fall-thanks to tie votes of de-
luded republicans His expense bill
last year was nearly three times greater
than the biggest expense account for
any one of the twelve preceding years
and nearly four times greater than the
average for these twelve years of repub-
lican administration of the sheriff's s
Office. The first three years of Daniel
J Gerow's administration of the sheriff's
Office cost Shiawassee county $35, 449. 46
or only $40, 1888. II less than it cost for
twelve years under three different re
publican sheriffs. Last year his ex-
penses were more than fifty per cent
greater than they were for the year
before. If his bills for this year have
increased at the same rate over last
years as last years did over those of
the year before then they will amount
to more than $4,000 this year. This
is not unfair to presume since for some
reason best known to himself up to the
present time the sheriff has not filed
his full bill to date for the current
year. This fact is deserving of notice
in itself as little popularity incident
to campaign years for two years ago it
is asserted the same thing took place.
Up to the time Of election only few
nominal bill were filed while the elec-
tion safely over and another two years
assured bills to the amount of over $S,-
600 were filed. Only approximately
$4,000 brought in up to the time of the
November election and over $4,000 in
less than two months after that time!
Does it look as though he cared to go
into that campaign on the strength of
his economical record? But what will
this increase for this year mean, an
increase entirely natural to expect
judging from the increase of last year2
1t will simply mean-and this was ap-
proximated last year even-it will
simply mean that one year under the
control of the present democratic ma.
chine will cost the county more than the
entire four years of any one of the three
preceding republican sheriffsl Is that
the sort of an administration that Shia-
wassee county taxpayers and Shiawassee
county farmers want to stand forg