Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-03-09
From Monday to Fri
day the Mayor Had
Time to Think Up
A Reply
And He FOUND NONE!
So, as the Challenge Was
Not Answered 1t Must
Be a Fact---Here 1t Is.

On Monday, March .. the Journal
asked the sheriff Mayor some qucs-
| tons.
on Friday, March 8, the Mayor made
4 speech t" his Democratic following.
He talked over Il lot Of topics and
he made 4 good many mistakes. but
he did not make the mistake of trying
to answer the journal he could not
Since hc did not bccausc he could
noD the Journals challenge may be
accepted as fact
So, it is worth rcprinting:
"ShaII 1t Be Business or Shall 1t Be
PoIitics?"
1t must be evident that the only
reasons that would prevail upon a
man holding a $i4oO sherffs office to
| run for third time for the ma yoralty
| of a city must of necessity be purely
political, unless We are willing to adj
| nit that the handspring that impells
| him to such an unWarrantab bic break
| ing of presidents is the desire to get
the second salary of $500. We have
| fol the first time in the history of
| of Konnebcc county and VIC trust for
|
nuaI income of more than $1i0O-huld-
ing the second Office Of mayor Of q
city, devoting thereto time paid for by
all the taxpayers of the county, and
| receiving therefor second salary.
| Is this business?
| We admit that it may be for the
sheriff mayor, but not for the taXpay-
crs VINO are paying him two salaries
for the same time
To them it would look like politics
pure and simplc-rolitics of the most
| indefcnSible character. politics that
| have never SO hcdSed about a Ken
nebcc county sheriff and which. in tho
interests of a sound public policy We
| trust many never be 50 again.
No. no, there is absolutely no bus
iress" in the running for the third
time Of the sheriff of kcnnebcc coun-
ty-paid we'll by the taxpayers to dc
vote his entire time and attention to
mayor of Augusta Such proceeding
| is politics. concentrated politics, moth
ing but politics. and politics that have
not the shadow of justification on
| any princiDic Of "buSincSs"
| Business demands that tho man who
serves the people Of Augusta as their
mayor should not hold at the same
time the fatlest office in the gift of
| the county.
| What business man in Augusta
| would feel that it was business to
Kermit his buokkcepcr. whom he was
paying for all his time, to devote a
considerable portion Of that same
| time to keeping the books of another
concern? We confess that we know
Of none. Why should the business Of
| kcnncbec county he conducted upon
| any different basis of service than the
| business of Il private citizen? If there
| is any good reason why it should W.
confess that ii has never been brought
| to our attention.
We fully believe that any man who
gives the office Of sheriff Of KcnncbcC
business administration should
devote his entire time and attention
to its dutieS-for there are many and
exactng duties connected with it
aside from the drawing of its $1,000 in
como.
1t is useless TO try to d"r"ivo tn"
voters in this campaign ~ y r"g"rj l.
phrases ana platitrdcS. 1t IL rI"no:
ferrous for the sheriff Of this ,o;tlt,
to plaCard the city Of Augusta with
posters claiming to be THE peoples
candidate" There is not 4 voter in
this city 50 lacking in intelligence as
not to know that the candidacy Of Il
sheriff for third term in the mayors
office il i political candidacy and
nothing else. lie is making this third
run because he and his party mana
gers have labored under the delusion
that hy 50 doing he can promote the
interests Of the Democratic party in
the forthcoming county, State and ma
tional elections. The second salary
would. no doubt be acceptable to him
in the future, as ii has been in the
past. but it is only an incident in tho
scheme of Democratic party politics
in which the sheriff is just now play
ing the principal role.
In view of these facts it requires no
small amount Of nerve for this can
didatc of the Democratic party to pose
as the peoples candidate and to 60
about button-holing Republicans for
their support.
The real peoples candidate is al
a
successful business man. n man Of the |
people. He is not a double office hold |
err. nor is he drawing two separate and |
distinct alarie from the pockets OF tic |
taxpayers. He holds no office what |
ever. lie is private citizen and the |
time he will give to the duties of the |
office to which he will be called at |
the coming election will be his own |
and not that Of the taxpayers of Ken
nebrc county.
Voters of Augusta. the issue is |
squarely before you.
Shall we elect the sheriff Of Kcnnc-
bee county to an office which he has |
no moral right to fill?
That is politics.
Or shall we elect Hon. Ira II. Ran
dali, splendid business man, and n
private citizen?
That is business
You have ben asked the question:
Shall it be business or shall it be
politics." We believe that your an