Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-06-06

joseph j. Ferns election as may OF Honolulu
IL the one surprise Of the city election yesterday
The triumph OF Sheriff Rose was foreseen several
days ago as indicated in the Star Bulletin and was
insured yesterday morning when Que OF the most
effective political machines ever put together in Ho-
nolulu got under way and began to deliver votes to
the head Of the police department
The vote for supervisor ran almost exactly as this
paper had indicated even to the comparative stand
ing of the defeated candidates The result here is
not surprise and manfestly it is not disappoint-
ment to the majority Of voters, since five Republi'
!. cans and two Democrats have been elected to the
board by a substantial majority.
Joe Ferns election was secured by q combina,
ton OF several factors chief of which was the failure
OF Republican workers to hold the normal Republi'
can vote for John c.. Lane. That Lane was knitted
by Republicans angered and disappointed at the re,
suit Of the recent primary election seems certain
To the veterans in politics here it IL well.known
fact that the Lane-Fern race has again and again
been extraordinarily close. Even in Republican
years' lane could not defeat Fern until 1914, when
the entire Democratic administration had become
obnoxious to the voters, particularly on account OF
Its inexcusable opposition to the local Improvement
law. In that year Lane won the fourth district by
700 votes and the fifth by 200 Yesterday he won
the fourth by about lao and lost the fifth by about
425
The contest for mayor in Honolulu is decided to
great extent the personal popularity Of the two
candidates and Joe Fern has cultivated the pre-.
ctDct vote in season and out Of season, unwearied
and updiscouraged because he was out Of the
mayors chair. He has been nominaliy county jailer
for the past two years, but in reality he has been
the Democratic candidate for mayor, and has work.
ed necessarily on that basis.
dispassionate glance over the election figures
Of the past four city elections shows that Fern has
larger personal following than Lane, and where
tie election Is at all close, this 10 swinging the
scales toward the Democrat.
Another very heavy factor in Ferns favor yester.
day was the strength Of the Rose campaign for
sherih. This was by all odds the most vigorous fight
Of the day, With plenty Of men, plenty Of autos,
plenty of precinct workers, plenty Of general city
WORKERS Rose plunged into the campaign, following
the somewhat alarming primaries, with an energy,
dissemination and thoroughness which delivered
the vote to him on election day with certainty and
efhciency.
II he put into the conduct of his Office the untir.
ing effort and dhoroughness Of organization which
he has put into the campaign In the last three
weeks Rose would not have aroused the opposition
that be has stirred up in the past two or three
years
Roses big vote is popularity supposed to have
pulled Fern across 1t was not the "split ticket"
Propaganda which elected Fern. It was the vote.
setting ability Of the sheriff and his aier and the
fact that the Rose organization could deliver for
Fern AZ well for Rose, together with "knihng By
Lanes supposed supporters.
All the influence that there was in the indepen.
tyote.moyement-and 1t proved to be the deter
mining influence in the supervisor fght-was
against Fern. But Fern had the benefit of a solid
Democratic vote coupled with his personal popular
ity among the Hawaiian voters, and this potential
strength was turned into actual ballots at the polls
By the Democratic precinct organization and Sheriff
Roses fastworkfng corps Of lieutenants and their
1eet of automobiles.
In the primary election Lane got 2s77 votes and
Cohen 1892, total Of 1909. Fern got 232l.
UNDER THE sELECTIVE DRAFT.