Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1925-11-20
NOVEL PLATFORM
ELECTS SHERIFF
Erie, Pa, Takes As Officer Man Who
Confesses To Liking "Lilxker"

An Erie, Pa, special to the Bal
timore Sun, comes this interesting
story:
Erie county, Pennsylvania, may
not be land of milk and honey,
but after January 4 it's going to be
something equally as good. For
that take the word of Major Tom"
Sterrett, retired officer of Ma
rines. At present, Major Sterrett
is columnist on the Erie Daily
Times. On January 4, he will be-
come Sheriff of Erie county.
Running on the strangest plat
form within the memory of the old
est resident, Tom" Sterrett was
hoisted into office November by
the biggest majority ever given any
candidate in the county. And this,
after he had won the Democratic
nomination in the primary and had
come within twenty-eight votes of
winning the Republican nomination
as WELL
Says politics Is The Bunk.
Major Sterrett launched his can
didacy as a joke. In his column he
wrote:
Politics is the bunk. How would
it be to abandon the bunk? I'm a
wet I'm so wet don't wear rub
bers when it's raining. If you elect
me I'll be just as wet, but l won't
passyfoot about it.
When I'm elected 1 promise you
one good liquor raid. I'll put on
my false whiskers and my gum shoes
and go down the road piece and
hide behind a tree. When nice big
automobile comes along loaded to
the hubs with liquor I'll seize it,
take it down to the Sheriff's office,
and put the 'likker' away for my
friends during my term of office.
No Enforcement From Him.
"A lot of people think that if I'm
elected I'll get drunk and burn down
the Courthouse Well, we need a
new Courthouse.
MY opponent says he never took
drink in his life I've been doing
nothing else but taking drinks all
my life. Erie isn't Western min
ing camp. There are State troops
and Federal prohibition agents and
local police who are charged with
the express duty of enforcing the
prohibition laws. You needn't look
for any prohibition enforcement
from me unless from some superior
authority.
IF there are 149 speakeasies be-
tween my house and my office, I'll
go down the street and tip my hat
to every one of them
Former Sheriff Opponent.
That was the platform of Major
Thomas Garfield Sterrett. His OPP
ponent was Harry NJ. Moomy, a for
mer Sheriff, member of the Re-
publican State Committee
chairman of the Republican county
committee. Under normal condi-
tions. Erie county is Republican by
5000 majority.
election the old-time politicians
told Major Sterrett. 1.-THE people
won't split their votes for you"
Wait and see,'' was Sterrett IS
reply. 'I'll kid Moomy until he's
the maddest white man in the State
of Pennsylvania"
Tells Truth About Himself
And then Major Sterrett started in
to tell the people of the county the
truth, the whole truth and nothing
but the truth. He told them how
many times he had been drunk. He
also told them about how his wife
had divorced him and how they had
remarked. He followed this up by
asserting that when Moomy was
Sheriff, twelve years ago, he had
made 100000 out of the office
And then he cried:
Move over, Mr.. Moomy, and let
another hog put his snoot in the
swill bucket"
IF l am elected Sheriff / will
close the motion-picture theaters on
Sunday or in any way attempt to
enforce the blue laws-what will
you do, Mr.. Moomy?" was one of
the broadsides he hurled at his OBJ
ponent. II am los per cent. wet.
Ill be the wettest Sheriff in seven
countless was another of his battle
cries.
Made Moomy Mad.
As he predicted, Mr.. Moomy be-
came the maddest white man in
Pennsylvania, while Major Sterrett
became Sheriff-elect.
The politicians who had been
friendly to him, then thought they
saw chance to tell him whom he
should choose as deputies. But at
O'Clock on the morning after cleo
ton he walked over to the manag-
ing editor of his newspaper and
handed him a piece of paper. On it
were the names of his deputies.
He had selected John Applebee, a
traffic patrolman, as chief deputy.
For second deputy he had picked