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

Joseph j. Ferns election as mayor OF honolulu
is 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 one OF the most
effective political machines ever put together in 10
noluu 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 a surprise and manifesty it is not disappont-
ment to the majority of voters since five Repu0ll-
and two Democrats have been elected to the
board by a substantial majority.
Joe" Ferns election was secured BY comblna-
ton of several factors chief Of which 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 is a well-known
fact that the Lane-Fern race has again and again
been extraordinarily close. Even in "Repubhcan
years" Lane could not defeat Fern until 1914, when
the entire Democratic administration had become
obnoxious to the voters particularly on account OF
It's 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 140 and lost the fifth by about
425.
The contest for mayor in Honolulu is decided to
great extent on the personal popularity of the two
candidates, and Joe Fern has cultivated the pre-
cinct vote in season and ont Of season, unwearied
and undiscouraged because he was out Of the
mayors chair. He has been nominally 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
the election is at all close, this is swinging the
scales toward the Democrat.
Another very heavy factor in Ferns favor yester-
day was the strength of the Rose campaign for
sheriff. 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,
determination and thoroughness which delivered
the vote to him election day with certainty and
efficiency.
III he put into the conduct of his Office the untr-
ing effort and thoroughness of organization which
he has put into the campaign in the last three
weeks, Rose would not have aroused the opposition
that he 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. 1t was the vote
getting ability Of the sheriff and his jaler and the
fact that the Rose organization could deliver for
Fern well for Rose, together with "knifng" ~
Lanes supposed supporters.
All the influence that there was in the indepen,
ntyote-movement--and it proved to be the deter.
mining influence in the supervisor fght-was
against Fern. But Fern had the benefit Of solid
Democratic vote coupled with his personal popular
ity among the Hawaiian voters and this potential
strength turned into actual ballots at the polls
by the Democratic precinct organization and Sheriff
Roses fastworking corps of lieutenants and their
fleet of automobiles
In the primary election Lane got 2S77 votes and
Cohen 1882, total Of 1909. Fern got 1921.
UNDER THE sELECTIVE DRAFT.