Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-09-27
IDAHo's CONGRESSIONAL CONTEST

People from Idaho, of both political
parties, express the belief that Hon. John
HALEY will be reelected Delegate to Con
gress over Fred Dubois, the Republican
nominee An unsuccessful attempt is
being made to weight Mr.. HALEY by
charges of sympathy with the Mormons
The few semi-Mormon votes which will
be polled under the Test Oath law will,
so far as We can learn, be divided between
the two candidates, and it is quite GER
tain that the Republican nominee is
making strenuous efforts to secure the
lions share Of them. The platform Of
the Idaho Democracy, which is published
in the DEMOCRAT, is as strongly anti
Mormon as can be expressed in words,
and it certainly offers no encouragement
to the people OF that belief to support the
candidates accepting nominations upon
it. Mr.. Haley endorses that platform,
and has publicly expressed his most
hearty concurrence with every word and
syllable of its provisions, and he most SOL
EMMY promises to act strictly in accord
ance with its instructions, should he be
returned to Congress. His record as a
truthful and honorable man leaves no
room for doubt that he will act strictly
in accordance with his profession of prin-
ciples and his pledges to the people. Be-
ing better known to the citizens of Idaho
than his opponent, his word will natur,
ally inspire greater confidence, and the
people will feel safer in trusting him than
one who is comparatively a stranger in
the Territory. So far as the comparative
fitness Of the two men for the position is
concerned, it is unquestionably in favor
of Mr.. Haley. Possessed of an extraor-
binary amount of common sense, a plain
but forcible speaker, and of considerable
legislative experience, his thorough
knowledge of the resources and wants of
the Territory enable him to render him
self more useful in a representative ca
pacity than probably any other person of
either party that could be selected for
the position. Mr. Dubois made tolerably
fair U. S. Marshal, aiding quite materi-
ally the efforts OF a Democratic Judge and
District Attorney in enforcing the law
against polygamy in Idaho. That he
possesses any of the qualifications which
would entitle him to such promotion as
he seeks, however, will hardly be urged
by his most particular personal and polit-
ical friends. 1t is generally conceded
that his nomination was an iniudicious
one, and the support he will receive will
be entirely from political causes, or, in
other words, because he happens to be
the nominee of the Republican party of
the Territory. The attempt to add to his
strength by calumniation of Mr.. Haley,
will most signally fail. The falsity of the
charges is too apparent, and will inure
to the injury rather than benefit of the
one in whose interest they were made.
There is no reason why any Idaho Dem
ocrat should not support John HALEY,
while those who regard the Mormon
question as the only one worthy of consid-
Grafton in the campaign, will find in him,
as fully a sincere and far more capable
advocate of National legislation as is
needed to wipe out polygamy and treason,
than can ever be developed in the person
of his Republican opponent.