The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1906-08-18

ELSEWHERE in this issue of the
~ ISLANDER appears the call of
the Republican county central COM
mittee for the primaries and conven
tion of that party for the nomination
of candidates for the various county
and precinct Offices. While it is an
"off year" in state and national poll
tics much interest is manifested in
the campaign for county Offices, as
there will be more than the usual
number of changes aud more than an
ordinary degree of uncertainty at
taches to several of the contests.
The law prohibiting any county Of
fetal from serving more than two
consecutive terms applies this year
to the officials in the Offices of sheriff,
auditor, assessor and clerk. Treas
urer Paine is eligible for denomination
and so is Commissioner Donahue. The
term of Commissioner Graham ex-
pires and a new commissioner must
be chosen in the Lopez district to
succeed him. While Prosecuting At
torney Wynn has served more than
two years, he has not been elected
but once and is eligible for reelection,
his first service, covering period of
several months, having been as an
employee merely, by appointment of
the commissioners.
/. For weeks past those who especial
ly enjoy playing the game of politics
have been engaged in the absorbing
task of ''slate making and prospect
i've candidates have been active in
their endeavors to form combinations
most likely to promote their chances
-'sas it was in the beginning, is now
and ever shall be-" so long as the
present primary system continues.
AS to the various candidates the
editor Of the ISLANDER does not pre-
sumo to be better advised than many
other citizens, hence in reporting the
current gossip as respects the sew
eral positions he speaks not 'as one
having authority but merely as a
"scribe."
For representative, VIM. Shultz,
of Ro> he Harbor, is eligible for re-
nomination and he has announced
that he 'would esteem it an honor to
again represent San Juan county in
the legislature. He has many warm
friends throughout the county who
are heartily supporting him, but he
has unfortunately incurred the strong
opposition of the most prominent Re-
publican in the county, Hon. John S.
McMillin, by whom he was employed
in confidential capacity for fifteen
years and to whose paramount in
fiuence" in the county he owed his
nomination two years ago. The dlf-
ferences between them are personal
and apparently irreconcilable. Roche
Harbor precinct cast the largestRe-
publican vote in the county at the
last election and it will accordingly
have the largest representation in
the next convention. Mr.. Shultz's 8
friends in the precinct have said he
can carry it, while Mr.. McMillin's ad-
herents seem very positive that he
cannot. If he fails it seems quite i'm
probable that his name will go on the
ticket. In that event the nomination
will most likely go to Gene c. Gould,
cashier of the San Juan County Bank.
Mr.. Gould is not candidate in the
sense that he is SEEKING the nomina-
tion, but the ISLANDER is authorized
to say for him that if it comes to him
he will take it, and if elected he will
strive earnestly to faithfully serve
the people as whole and not any
especial interest.
For places on the county ticket
proper most interest centers in the
contest for prosecuting attorney, not
withstanding the fact that the posi-
tion is the most poorly paid of any in
the county, considering the duties
and responsibilities attached to it.