Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1890-10-06

potency. His skill a. an organizer
was signally unaffected when, in
Oregon 4 few years ago, be mansg. d
to secure the election Of Senator
Mitchell against the combined oppos,.
ton Of nearly two. thirds of his
partisans.
With the "dark horses" We have
nothing to do at present, as none OF
them are likely to cut any figure in
this fight.
Were the election Of United States
Senators by direct vote of the people,
we believe that fully four>ffths of the
voters, Democrats US we'll as Republi-
cans, would with one voice select
"Shoup and Dubois" But the people
having delegated thier power to the
Legislators whom they have just
elected, these officials now have the
deciding voice in the matter.
In other States United States SEN
atcrs are elected without particular
reference to their geographical loca-
ton within the State; and were the
same conditions to obtain here, the
way to select Senators would he clear,
the only restriction being that they
must come from the ranks of the vic
torious party. But Idaho has always
been hAmpered with a sectional, an
unrepublicsn issue. That issue has
always been made by the North. At
first it took shape rs q fight for the
Territorial capital. Later on. as an
annexation movement. This last
came sear proving fatal to our auto.
nomy and resulting in the partition Of
Idaho, and its division to its neighbors,
Washington, Montana, Utah, Nevada,
and Oregon.
This sectionalism was manifested
10 the Republican State Convention,
in the adoption OF the following:
Resolved, That i. is the sense of
this convention that justice to all por
tons OF the State requires tina, one of
the United States Senators to be elect.
ed by the first Legislature of Idaho
shall be from Northern Idaho.
The vote on its adoption stood 81
for to 80 against, several delegates
not voting, and among the latter be-
ing all the then nominees to the Leg.
is!ature. In advocacy OF the reso!u
ton it was urged that the North would
come down with Republican major.
ity of $500 to 1000 votes, that it
would make most substantial contribu.
tons to the campaign, etc. On the
strength of these repre- seutatious, the
resolution was allowed to pass unchal.
lenged except by tho votes xb owe re.
ferred to.
Had the North fulfilled its promise
and come south with a Republican
ma ority of even $500 votes, its pow.
or would have been well-nigh irre>
sistible, and it could certainly have
dictated the choice of at least one
United States Senator. But AS it did
not give much more than one fourth
of the lowest promised ma !ority, its
Influence cannot be nearly so great.
Again: There arc "a votes in the
Legislature, of which the four north>
ern counties have l04. These count
les have already secured one Congress
man in the person OF Willis Sweet.
These questions therefore arise:
Firs,ly.-Are 10! votes out of 81
entitled to two thirds of the entire
representation Of the State in Con-
gress?
Secondly lis the resolution re.
ferred to binding under existing cir
cumstances? And,
Thirdly.-Shoud such a resolution
be considered budding upon the party
under any circumstances?
If these questions be answered in
the negative, then the way will be
clear for the election Of two Senators
hot from "Sou,h" Idaho, but from
the State at large-and these will
undoubtedly be Shoup and Dubois.