Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-03-02
"ShaII II Be Business or Shall 1t BE
PoIities?"

| It must be evident that the only
! reasons that would prevail upon
man holding a $4,000 sheriffs office to
run for a third time for the mayoralty
of a city must of necessity be purely
political, unless we are willing to ad-
nit that the handspring that impells
him to such an unwarrantable break
ing of precedents is the desire to get
the second salary of $500. We have
for the first time in the history OF
Kennebec county and we trust for the
last time, a notwithstanding an ALL
nual income of more than s44OO-hOld-
ing the second Office of mayor or d
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-
ers who are paying him two salaries
for the same time.
To them it would look, like politics
pure and simple-politics of the most
| indefensible character. politics that
have never so hedged about a Kenne-
bee county sheriff and which, in the
interests of a sound public policy we
trust may never be so again.
No, no, there is absolutely no 'busi-
ness in the running for the third time
of the sheriff of Kennebec county
paid well by the taxpayers to devote
his entire time and attention to his
duties-for the second Office of mayor
of Augusta. Such a proceeding is
politics, concentrated politics, nothing
but politics. and politics that have not
the shadow of justification on. any
principle of business"
Business demands that the man who
serves the people of Augusta as their
mayor should not hold at the same
time the latest office in the gift Of
the county.
w iietL az hdoooNu
would feel that it was business to per-
nit his bookkeeper, whom he was pay
Ing for all his time, to devote con-
siderable portion of that same time 10
keeping the books Of another concern?
We confess that we know of none.
Why should the business Of Kennebec
county be conducted upon any differ
cnt basis of service than the business
of q private citizen? If there is any
good reason why it should We confess
that it has never been brought to our
attention.
We fully believe that any man who
gives the Office Of sheriff of Kenneoec
q business administration should
devote his entire time and attention
to its duties-for there are many and
exacting duties connected with it aside
from the drawing of its $4,000 income.
It is useless to try to deceive the vot-
e.s IL this campaign by a resort to
phrases ard platitudes. 1t is prepoS-
ferrous for the sheriff of this county
to pllcard the city of Augusta with
posters claiming to be ''the peoples
candidate" There is not a voter in
this city so lacking in intelligence as not
to know that the candidacy of n sher-
iff for a third term i'll the mayors Of
flee is u political candidacy and moth
ing else. He is making this third run
because he and his party managers
have labored under the dcluSiOn that
by 50 doing he can promote the inter-
ests of the Democratic party in the
forthcoming county. State and ma
tional elections. The second salary
would. no doubt. be acceptable to him
i'll the future, as it has been in the
past. but it it only an incident in the
scheme Of Democratic party politics
in which the sheriff is just now playing
the principal role.
In view Of these facts it requires no
small aniount of nerve for this candi-
date OF the Democratic party to pose
as the peoples candidate and to go
about button-holing Republicans for
their support.
The real peoples candidate is al
ready in the field, q sterling citizen. Il
successful business man, a man of
the people. He is not a double office
holder. nor is he drawing two separate
and distinct salaries from the pockets
o. the taxpayers. He holds no Office
whatever. He is a 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
nebec county.
Voters of Augusta. the issue is
squarely before YOU.
Shall We elect the sheriff of Kennebec
county to an office which he has no