The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-02-09
Rev. s. ". Warren on
the License Question

Editor SAN JUAN ISLANDER: Life il
full of surprises, and not the least of those
in my own life is that with which read
an article in the ISLANDER of Jan. rs, en-
titled "Officials Clash on License CUES
ton"
that it is the very height of presumption
for County Attorney to offer any advice
to County Commissioner as to what he
may or may not legally do; and our pres
emit attorney, after the time that re has
lived in Friday Harbor. ought to know
that in this county the county attorney is
elected purely for ornament.
Then, too, he was no doubt mistaken in
his Interpretation Of the law. or course /
am not lawyer, but anyone ought to
know that retiring Board of County
Commissioners have an inherent right to
turn the authority Of their office over to
the one of their number whs happens to
hold over instead of to the one elected by
tho voters of the county to receive that
authority. But the query arises, why did
they limit the authority thus delegated to
the approving of ona bond that was likely
to be presented? Why did they not give
him sole power to act upon all bonds that
might be hereafter presented. and to trans
act such other business for the county as
has heretofore been done by Board of
Commissioners. and thus save the tax
payers the needless expense of the nu-
merous meetings of the commissioners?
1t would also save the mileage which has
been paid to the Chairman in the past, as
having the sole power to do the business
of the Commissioners he could attend to
it in his OWE home. OF course it would
be slightly revolutionary, but revolutions
are quite popular nowadays.
| 1t is quite evident that our county at
| tOrney has sol1 out to the saloon interests,
else why should he try to prevent the is
suing of saloon licenses. What pity
that this is so, for since experience has
shown that they are no worse" in Friday
Harbor with three saloons than they are
with two" We could of course just as we'll
have that other thousand dollars as not
Nor is that all, if an increase Of fifty per
cent in the number Of saloons in Friday
Harbor would not make the moral con-
dition any worse, II once heard a steam
boat man say that it could not be any
worse than it is) then there is no reason
why the authorities should not continue
to Increase the number Of saloons by fifty
per cent jumps till every house in Friday
Harbor is saloon, and at thousand dol
lars each just think what lot of .roney
that would put in the county treasury
But all such talk is rot. You can no more
run saloons without running boys than
you can run saw mill without logs, and
my boy is not for sale to the saloons, nor
am l so contemptibly mean that I want
to sell my neighbors boys. I am proud
of our county attorney for the action that
he has taken in this matter. 1t shows
that he has the black bone'' to do his duty.
cannot, however, understand why our
old Board of Commissioners, afte- their
splendid record in Office, should at their
very last meeting put blot on that re-
cord by voting license to man who as
sheriff OF this county VIGOROUSLY failed to
do his duty in making the saloons obey
the law; and, not only 50, but, if reports
are true, he was, while sheriff, also si-
lent partner in the saloon which was run
by his son, and which was about the
worst shell hole" that was ever in the
county. And sincerely hope that this
license, and all others, too, will continue
to be "held up", and held so high that
they will be forever out of the reach of
any man who is mean enough to run a sa-
loon. Respectfully yours,
| 8. V. WARREN
| East Sound, Feb. 4.