The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1906-09-01
A Personal Statement

A Personal Statement
To the Voters of San Juan County:
As candidate for the office of county au-
ditor have recently canvassed the county
people in regara to the coming local cleo
ton.
The only objection have heard urged
against me as candidate is the fact that I
am not known in political life, and as
there are many that have not been able
to meet personally, it seems proper that
I make short personal statement in the
ISLANDER to my standing and clai MS.
l.:y family came to the country now the
United States i'll 1880, when it was Brit
ish poss, ssion and settled in the good old
colony of Massachusetts Bay. They did
their part in subduing the wilderness and
controlling the savages, and from that day
to this they have been instrumental in
bringing our country from a primitive
wilderness to it's present position of pros
perity and power. They have served in
it's armies in times of war, and in its legis-
latur,s and executive chambers in times
of peace. One member was governor of
one of the New England states and u. S.
senator, where the qua ificAtions for those
offices are at least as his h as those required
in the newer states OF the west.
In the civil war OF lS61-5 the three boys
of my fathers family were all in the fed
eral army, while the old man, upwards
of 20 years of age and unable to stand the
vicissitudes of campaigning, served as
provost marshal of his district.
AS to my own service in that war, 1 en-
listed as private in 1861 when barely II
years of age, served through the various
non commissioned grades, and in Sept.
1862 was made lst lieut.. of a company,
and retained that grade through my per-
iod of army service, which comprised
between three and four years of active SER
vice.
Since the close Of the war l have EN-
gagged in mining, logging fishing etc. and
was for some five or six years altogether
employed as government clerk on
treasury and army accounts.
1 have also served as deputy clerk and
recorder (the same office called auditor in
this state) in two counties in Colorado and
Wyoming, have worked great deal ON
abstract Of title work and drafting, and
have probably done more work on official
records of govt, state and county than
any other man in San Juan county; sc
that the routine of county official work is
thoroughly familiar to me.
I have lived in San Juan county at
West Sound and Deer Harbor for the past
nine years, and have never before apl lie
for public position in the county.
In politics 1 may be called Liberal
porter of President Roosevelt, but find
good in all parlies-and evil as we'll.
1 earnestly oppose all bossism, rings,
cliques and every form of MACHINE pol
-itics-holding that machine politics is
the bane of our elective system, and am a
thorough supporter of the plan of direct
nominations at the primaries.
I ask the cordial support Of all to w1om
these views commend themselves, and
hope for nomination at the Republican
convention.
If elected to the office of county auHitor
l can assure all that the work will be
thoroughly done, and all having business
with the Office will be treated with proper
courtesy and consideration.
The report has been circulated that ]
d m not a proportv o,Upor II, thic ooY,,,fy,
which report is utterly false, as I bought
small place at Deer Harbor early this
past spring.
In conclusion I will say that if elected
to the office Of county auditor / have no
further political ambition. Isimply want
this office because I am thoroughly fanil-
iaf with it's duties, and finding myself
now at 81 years of age in poor circum-
stances the salary attached to the office
will admit of the necessary improvements
on the small place 1 recently purchased
and enable me to pass the evening of life
in some degree Of comfort.
Respectfully,
VIM. G. CRAFTS
We, the undersigned have been person
ally acquainted with Mr.. Crafts, candi-
date for auditor, for some years past, and
can vouch for his ability and integrity,
and cordially recommend him to the
favorable consideration of the voters at
the coming election.
j. III. BOYCE
Supt. Orcas Lime Go.
j. T. STROUD
Merchant and P. M.
Deer Harbor, Wash.