The Idaho scimitar. [volume], December 14, 1907, Page 2, Image 2

About The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908

Image provided by: Idaho State Historical Society

                
What the Poll Showed.
The industry of the New York World during
the three or four weeks in which it was trying to
prove that the Democrats of the Nation did not favor
the nomination of Mr. Bryan for the presidency
would have been valuable in a better cause. The
World sent a number of men to Washington to
gather the opinions of Democratic senators and rep
resentatives as to the availability of Mr. Bryan, ex
pecting to encounter a sentiment against his nomi
nation.
Forty-four out of seventy-six senators and repre
sentatives to whom The World question was pro
pounded replied without hesitation that Mr. Bry
an was the only possible nominee. Thirteen
believed it would be possible to find some
one else and eleven made no answer. Governor
Johnson, of Minnesota, found favor in the sight of
one and Lieutenant Governor Chanler, Senator Cul
berson and Governor Folk were hinted at. But the
overwhelming voice of the lawmakers was for Mr.
Bryan and The World had to admit it after its
search for opposition.
The New York paper fights unceasingly the ris
ing popularity of Mr. Bryan. It has been running
in its columns a map upon which was marked out the
territory that had become Republican under the
leadership of the Nebraskan and it was unfair
enough, or forgetful enough, to include the states of
Missouri, Idaho, Nevada, Montana and Colorado,
which rejected the Democratic ticket under the lead
ership of Judge Parker, the ideal candidate of the
party in the estimation of The World.
It omitted to mention, in another lapse of memory,
that in 1900 Mr. Bryan polled G,300,016 votes, while
Judge Parker polled 5,079,041 votes in 1904. It does
not mention that, but for the opposition of the Her
ald breed of Democrats, Mr. Bryan would have been
elected in 1896 and probably in 1900. But it goes
into the haunts of distinguished men for proof that
the party does not want him and fails as it has
always failed.
Admitting the situation, the New York paper con
vinces its understanding that, while the Democratic
party does want Mr. Bryan for its candidate, it
wants him on the kind of a platform that The Herald
itself would favor. This is a species of illogical rea
soning that will not influence belief, for it is the
principles of Mr. Bryan that the masses admire more
than the man. It is what he stands for that brings
him new adherents as the years go by. If he repre
sented the beliefs of the New York Herald, he would
not be mentioned in connection with the office of
President of the United States.
It is probable, however, that the fight in New York
against a candidate of the people will continue and
that in the end the Nation will have to refuse to lis
ten to the voice of its metropolis. The Herald and
other papers of New York are as bitter in their
opposition to Mr. Roosevelt as to the Democratic
favorite.
Democratic Anti-Mormonism.
Although the city of Salt Lake achieved an im
portant victory over the Mormon hierarchy under
the name of the American party, there is no move
ment in Idaho for the general organization of a new
party with which to encounter the evil of polygamy.
The lines are already distinctly drawn.
As an organization, the Republican party repre
sents polygamous interests and the Democratic party
opposes those interests. This has been made clear
by the trend of events. It was an issue during the
campaign of 1906 and also in 1904, with the Demo
cratic party squarely on the record as the opponent
of the Mormon church, on account of its polygamous
teachings and practices.
The issue was placed on broad ground in 1906 by
the chairman.of the Democratic party of the State,
who said in an address to the people of Idaho :
No partisanship has dictated the course of the
Democratic party in presenting this issue (polygamy
and unlawful cohabitation), for at all times, disre
garding the possibilities of deriving advantages by
truckling to the Mormon hierarchy, the Democratic
party has sought to occupy the high ground of citi
zenship which looks solely to the welfare of the
State and the preservation of those homes which
are at once the glory and safeguard of a republic.
We affirm unhesitatingly that polygamy is not only
practiced in this State but is increasing to an alarm
ing extent, and if the people of Idaho will entrust
the affairs of the government of the State of Idaho
to the nominees of the Coeur d'Alene (Democratic)
convention and the legislators from the various coun
ties who endorse the Coeur d'Alene platform, we will
pass such laws at the next session of the Idaho Leg
islature as will enable us to prove this assertion.
The State has a party well founded in its inten
tions to uproot the evil and there is no demand for
any other organization, as there was in Salt Lake.
It has taken the step in advance, has divorced itself
from Mormonism and it invites the cooperation of
all good citizens that it may, in their name, over
come a practice that is blocking the progress of the
State of Idaho.
An Agreement Fulfilled.
On the day that Oklahoma became a State, 560
saloons in the Oklahoma territory portion of the
State were closed not to open again. In the Indian
territory portion of the State, prohibition had long
been in effect. The State placed a prohibitory
clause in its constitution because it was required by
Congress for the protection of the large Indian
population. But for its agreement to abolish the
traffic in liquor, admission would have been denied
the State. The act of the people by which 560 sa
loons were closed was therefore compulsory, and
while constitutional prohibition was made irrevocable
for a term of years, it is clearly revocable. Clothed
with the garments of statehood, Oklahoma becomes
sovereign. It can amend its constitution. It can
destroy it and make another.
The United States has had some experience with
constitutional promises and enabling act commands
in the cases of Idaho and Utah and it knows how
readily such agreements can be dishonored, although
they are organic. It was stipulated in the contract
with these two States that the practice of polygamy
should cease and never be revived. It did not cease.
and in the State of Idaho the legislation to carry
out those provisions of the constitution prohibiting
polygamy was repealed.
It may be that a majority of the people of .Okla
homa, the voting people, are in favor of prohibition
of the liquor traffic, and if so they will have no
trouble in maintaining the constitutional provision
that shut up 560 saloons in a single day. Practical
prohibition is "local option'—it must be sustained
by public sentiment to be effective.
It is understood that Oklahoma joined the sister
hood of States in a petulant mood. The territory
had long been deprived of its rights and was still
denied its rights unless'it would agree to the terms
of Congress. It accepted everything, but perhaps
with a mental reservation like the one that reposed
in the mind of the Mormon hierarchy when it was
casting off Federal authority.
In his inaugural address, the Governor of the new
State of Oklahoma delighted his constituents with
the remark that "the sun has lighted the pathway of
a million and a half of people emerging from the
disorder and discontent of bureaucratic government,
restricted to the point of helplessness and neglected
to the point of oppression, into a condition of liberty
in self-government."
There was no gratitude in the heart of the Gov
ernor for the boon conferred by the National Con
gress and he declared that it was not the mission
of the people of the State to "thank the public
officers in overgracious terms who have finally per
formed a long and unjustly deferred duty, and that
it "would be in the nature of hugging the feet of a
dilatory debtor who finally pays his just indebted
ness.
Who can say what will happen in Oklahoma
that it has shaken off Federal authority through a
now
promise to be strictly good in its future years, as
goodness is interpreted under the dome of the Na
tional Capitol and at the White House?
The Indian territory half of the new State is in
terested in the existence and enforcement of pro
hibitory law in common with the ex-slave States of
the South. It has a large negro population and
experience testifies that the man of color is a better
citizen when all alcoholic stimulant is eliminated
from his system. So the State may take kindly to
the new order of things and maintain and perpetuate
the agreement it has entered into with the Federal
authorities.
Its case is an interesting one in connection with
the violated promises of the Mormon church, which
demonstrate that ante-statehood agreements with the
National Government are not binding upon the State
and that the delinquent party may even be sustained
in its delinquency by the political power that governs
the. country.
An Error Corrected.
Under date of the 3d of December, The Scimitar
is in receipt of a letter from Bear Lake County,
posted at Montpelier, which says :
I take the liberty of setting you right upon
the statement made in the second column,
page 8 of The Scimitar, regarding Walter
Hoge. Walter Hoge is not the brother
in-law of President William Budge, but the
father-in-law of Judge Alfred Budge. Judge
Budge married Walter Hoge's oldest daugh
ter. Walter Hoge himself is a polygamist;
all his sons are by his second wife, whose
maiden name was Beck.
The Scimitar bows in humble retraction of the
statement that Bishop Budge was a living example
statement in the presence of this unsigned
andum, and begs to give it to the public with
apology for publishing anything of an anonymous
character.
meinor
an
This reminds The Scimitar of a burst of fury
from Bishop Budge some three years ago. In a
speech at the Weiser convention in the early stages
of the campaign in 1904, some speaker made the
of polygamy and that he domiciled in Paris "with
his four wives.
The bishop took exception to the
soft impeachment and over a signed article in one
the Idaho papers said that the speaker knew
better, for he was "only living with three wives and
the speaker knew it."
This same Walter Hoge above referred to is the
one that was mentioned in The Scimitar's issue of
the 23d as being a member of the Republican State
central committee at the present time.
Whether Mr. Hoge is father-in-law to Judge Budge
or brother-in-law to William is not of material con
sequence outside the family, as the point sought was
that one of his established Mormon principles and
polygamous affiliation ought not to be made
spicuous by any political party,
edgment of an alliance. The error pointed out does
not make it necessary for this paper to budge from
i ts position as a chronicler of events within a nu
merous domestic establishment,
Spokane has spoken, through its Chamber of Corn
so con
It is an acknowl
merce, its Merchants' Association and its Grocers'
Association, as representative of the Inland Pacific
Northwest, against the recommendation of the
ident's message in behalf of a parcel post system,
suggested by the Postmaster General. Spokane
serts that a parcels post system would be harmful
to the retail and wholesale trade of the Northwest,
retarding development and crippling business,
pres
as
It
feels that the great centralized department stores
would be too strong for country dealers to cope with
if assisted in their transactions by the Postoffice De
partment.
Yes, ma,am, :
the convict was saying,
jist for trying to flatter a rich man."
"The idea!" exclaimed the prison visitor.
"Yes, ma, am.
"I'm here
I jist tried to imitate his signature
Tit-Bits.
on a check.