The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-11-05
SOME CAMPAIGN
STORIES REFUTED
UNFAIR ATTACKS UPON SCHOOL
SUPT. AND SHERIFF
Sandwith Misrepre-
sented-The Facts About the Coun-
ty Debt and It's Reduction-Why
Bonds Are Now Outstanding.

The ISLANDER regrets that the
Democrats in their campaign in this
county, in their eagerness to make
capital for weak cause, have re-
sorted to misrepresentation of facts
and sought to create false impress
sions by telling partial truths only
relative to the conduct of public af-
fairs by Republican officials.
They have industriously endeavor
ed, among other things, to prejudice
voters against the superintendent of
schools, who is a candidate for re-
election, and incidentally against the
commissioners, by calling attention
to the fact that the superintendent
was allowed $89 for attending the
convention of county superintendents
at Spokane, whereas the expense ac-
count of Assessor Court for attend
ing the assessors convention in the
same city was only $50. What they
do not tell the voters is that both
bills were rendered in accordance
with law, which says in the one in
stance that superintendent shall be
allowed mileage at the rate of ten
cents a mile and in the other that as
SCISSORS shall be paid actual expenses.
A half truth is generally little better
than a lie. We do not charge that
our Democratic friends have deliber-
ately circulated what they know to
be an untruth or a half truth, but we
do say that few moments devoted
to fair investigation would have con-
vinced them of the utter absence of
any legitimate campaign argument
in the matter referred to.
Saloons and the Sheriff
They have also caused to be print
ed in their Bellingham organ, which
has, during the few weeks of it's ex-
istence, achieved a reputation for
mendacity surpassed only by the Sc
attic Times, of which it is an off
shoot, series of slanders and false
statements which they seem to ex-
pect to bring grist to their mill on
election day. Among these is the
statement that Sheriff McCrary is
financially interested in one of the
saloons of this place and that he will
do nothing to prevent the liquor deal
ers from viola ting the law by running
their saloons on Sunday, selling liquor
to Indians, violating the anti-gam-
bling law and allowing minors to fre-
quent their places. 1t is true that
Mr.. McCrary's step-son, not his
son, lis a partner in one of the sa-
looms and true also that he went into
the business contrary to Mr.. Nc
Crarys earnest advice. The Demo-
cratic candidate for representative,
| who is assist tant cashier of the San
Juan County bank, knows very well
from what source the young man OBJ
tanned the money which he put into
the business. It was obtained at the
bank and secured by mortgage notes
taken for the sale of real estate
which was the yourg mans individ-
ual property. The county commits
sioners, the county auditor and the
county treasurer know very well
that the sheriff has no interest in any
of the saloons in any way and tcey
know further, what every citizen
should also know, that the sheriff is
not prosecuting officer and has no
more authority than any other citi-
zen to file complaints against liquor
dealers or any other persons for vio-
lating the law If complaints are
filed and warrants issued it is his
duty to serve the warrants and bring
defendants into court, and he has
never been remiss in the performance
of any such duty He is charged
with responsibility for needless depu-
ty hire, especially here on the Fourth
of July. He did swear in four depu-
ties on that day but the Democrats
carefully refrain from explaining to
the voters that two of them served
without pay On two occasions when
boxing contests were held here he
engaged deputies to promptly quell
any possible disturbance that might