East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-03-03
OFFICIAL CAREER OF HARVEY k. BROWN,
CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR.

bIoWn OF Baker City, one of the many
republican candidates for the guber-
material nomination, "is a blue law to
the man who wants to break 1t. 1t
follows that the only correct manner
OF treating all laws Is to enforce them.
III they are improper laws and should
be repealed, the enforcement will de-
Velop the fact. Every state has some
laws that are ignored. A continued
toleration of this condition will mean
the fall of the republic"
There may be some question as to
Sheriff Browns qualifications to Judge
or the ultimate effect OF such a con-
dition, but there can be no question
as to his personal belief in what he
says. For the past two years Mr..
Brown, as sheriff of Baker county,
has been waging war against the sa-
looms and gamblers. His weapons
have been the law, and success has
been his. 1t is matter of history,
however, that that success has been
attained at tremendous cost.
Sheriff Brown has completed two
terms as 'reform sheriff" Because
of an unwritten law in Baker county
no man is eligible for a third term
Brown is therefore a reformer out OF
job, or he will be In June. He con-
siders his work not yet completed.
Likewise he desires a wider field He
wants to be governor. He may or he
may not be. Powerful special interests
oppose him.
At the same time Sheriff Brown is
a welcome entry in the gubernatorial
race because he has injected new
element into the campaign. That ele-
ment is reform; not the intangible and
abstract reform of carpet-bag politi-
clans, but reform la Folk. His plat
forms principal plank is law enforce
ment This plank menaces many in
terests in Oregon. But Brown cares
not one whit. II elected governor he
says he will cause all laws to be en-
forced to the letter. He has pursued
that rather unusual policy to complete
success I'm the county of Baker, and
he believes that he can duplicate the
job in the state of Oregon.
The Fight In Baker.
Every conceivable obstacle was
thrown in Sheriff Browns path when
he began law enforcement in Baker
county. His own party leaders fought
him. His erstwhile closest personal
friends deserted him. Anonymous
threatened him with
death. In the mouths of all Baker
county saloon men and gamblers his
name is mathematical.
Huracca ht, cro nlxo ~, ono cI1n a,,l
cursed by "open town" supporters on
the other, he has maintained the even
tenor of his way. 81 am not fight
ing you fellows" he tells the saloon
men. Il am fighting nobody. I am
merely doing my duty as a sworn Of
ficer of the people. Here are the
statutes of this state and here is my
oath of office. / have no option in
this matter. The law must be en-
forced, hurt whom 1t WILL"
The Opening Gun.
1t was two years ago at the very be-
of Sheriff Browns second
term, that he began the crusade. He |
really tried, to enforce the anti-gam- |
bling law and Sunday-closing law four |
years ago, when he was first elected. |
but he bumped up against stone wall |
in the person of the district attorney |
who, besides being not in sympathy, |
flatly refused to do his duty.
When Sheriff Brown was triumph
antly reelected he carried with him
to success Leroy Lomax. a brilliant
young attorney from Union county, as
district attorney. With the assistance
of a grand jury in the circuit court |
the sheriff secured l53 indictments
against Baker county saloon men for |
fragrant violations of the anti-gam-
bling and Sunday closing laws of the
state. The indicted men formed a |
powerful combination to fight the /
cases, and employed two of the lead
ing lawyers of the county to defend |
them.
Brown a Stand-Pattcr.
Hon. John L. Rand, state senator,
now a republican candidate for con-
gress, and Hon. Charles A. Johns,
mayor of Baker City, and now a re-
publican candidate for governor, |
were the lawyers retained by the in
dicted saloon men. Before the cases
came on for trial they waited on the
sheriff at his office and implored him
to abandon his moral crusade. you
will wreck the republican party of this
they told Brown. THE party |
is not in sympathy with the move"
They spoke by the card. They were
both party leaders-Rand of the
Mitchell wing, and Johns of the
Moody faction.
Profanity is sometimes pardonable.
Sheriff Browns answer to his accus-
ers will go down in history. He said:
"If as you say. the enforcement of
the laws of this state will result in
wrecking the republican party of this
county, then to hell with the republic
can party of this county. 1t ought to
be wrecked. But 1t will not be. What
you mean is that your leadership Will
he wrecked, and there | agree with |
YOU. There is satisfaction In knowing |
that a big majority of the republican |
voters of this county will shed no tears
on that account. So far as l am con-
cerned, this interview is ended. You
have my permission to 60"
A Sweeping Victory.
They went. Next day the trials
ommenced-before a circuit judge |
who was the district attorney during |
Browns first term as sheriff, and who
had after his overwhelming defeat for
reelection been elevated to the bench
I'm the newly created Tenth district by