Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-08
The Situation in That State De-
cidedly Mixed.
FIGHT FOR THE Sen ATORSHIP
How the Pan Handle is Opposed
to the South.
VOTE OF THE MORMONS
special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

The political situation in this state is
| decidedly mixed, and II is not very easy
| for any one to foretell the outcome. To
| begin with, there are the geographical con-
| ditions TO contend with, and in Idaho they
| are more difficult than in most of the west
| ern states. There are two divisions, south
ern Idaho and the Pan Handle"-that strip
| OF state that separates Montana from
| Washington, and reaches up to the domin-
| ions of her aged highness, Queen Vic. The
Pan Handle is a very rich and very pros
porous portion of the state. 1t is not near
| ly as populous as the southern part, but the
| Inhabitants seem to be mostly politicians
and very shrewd ones at that.
The Pan Handle is anxious to have a
Senator. 1t had one for about two months
and Mcdonnell who has since been gov
ernor, gave way, owing TO the lottery for
terms, and in which he was worsted by
| Shoup, and came back to the state, where
| ne has been prominent figure. Since then
| the Pan Handle has waited for the expira-
| ton of Shoups term, SO that il could Sc
| cure the Senator which was promised way
| back when the constitutional convention
| was acid, and before the state was admit
| tel. The legislature to bee elected this fall
| VIII elect successor TO Senator Shoup and
| this is the opportunity that the northern
portion of the state is seeking to secure
| ! place in the upper house.
Senatorial Candidates.
There are several candidates Willis
sweet Of Moscow, now the representative
IN the House. is one. He is from the Pan
Handle. He has y rival in w. b. Hepburn
OF Osborne. who also halls from north
iuaho' and who is making a good fight
In southern Idaho there is hut ono c.n-
uidate SO Tar. Senator Shoup wants to sue
coed himself. His candidacy rests unon a
iouhdatlon that is not at all secure ana il
is possible that before the contest advances
very Tar he will pull out Some time 40
Shoup concluded that he was not fitted for
tne senate. 1t was about the time of ne
sIlNer ESnt, when men who could make long
spe~ch@s and could fight long and hard i'm
the open senate seemed to be th,. SORT of
men That were needed. Shoup told Sweet
SO. II is claimad that he would not be a
cahuluate. lie went further than this and
wrote confidential letter to a friend in
Idaho, saying that he would not seek re-
election: This friend straightway nun
lished the letter pun
How Sweet Was Beaten.
Another fact which complexities the sim
alton is The late state convention and the
results. Senators Shoup. Dubois and sweet
united in telegram before the convention
was called urging that a candidate be norni-
rated for Senator by the convention Whom
the election of delegates was in proeress
sweet felt that II would not do for Mct'on-
! ell To DE nominated for governor. and re
maze big fight against him. The con-
/
their home county. when the dele.at,
We're instructed for Mcconnell by a small
ajority and Sweet was mdorsed for Sena-
ter. When the convention met the rgbt
between Sweet and Mcconnell was still in
progress. Sweet was finally compelled to
Withdraw his opposition to the governor
ana the contest was upon nominating a
Senator
Here the friends Of Shoup got into the
game and 10y the most skillful management
defeated the resolution to nominate can
didate for Senator by a bare majority of
I five. Everybody knows that had the con-
vention named man that Sweet would
have been chosen. Shoup said that the
convention. having failed to nominate a
candidate. he felt at liberty to enter the
field; that he had told Sweet that il the
latter secured the nomination for Senator
lat would be the end of it so far as he was
concerned.
! The result is that instead of having a
| fair field Sweet has great many obstacles
| in his way, and not the least is the bitter
ness which the contest with Mcconnell has
! left.
What the republicans Who are not in the
| fight fear, and what is possible, is that
when the legislator Convenes the majority
| of the republicans will be small that
few men could prevent an election. and that
| the friends of the rival candidates will be
| so bitter among themselves that they will
split in factions. as did the legislatures of
| Montana, 1shinSton and Wyoming two
| years ago, Il result in no election.
Fears of Fusions.
There is another thing which the repub-
| leans do not try to conceal as being in the
| way of success. The popuists are very
! strong in Idaho. The silver legislation is at
| the bottom of it, There is a great deal of
| fusion going on between the populists and
| the democrats, especially upon legislative
| tickets. 1t is possible that when the votes
! are counted it will be found that the fusion
| combinations will have control of il, and
election. There are two pOpulist candi-
dates for Senator in the field James Gum
aud VIII. Claggett: The latter was former
! ly republican. He will be remembered as
| the man who contested the seat of Dubois,
when the state was admitted, or rather at
the close of McCcnnell's term. Since he
was turned down he has become a pOpulist.
Gum has been nominated by the populists
for Congress.
The Mormon Vote.
The most uncertain element in the con-
test in Idaho this year is the Mormon vote.
When the constitution was first adopted the
Mormops We're not allowed to vote, but this
year they will, under a recent constitutional
amendm, mt, exercise the right of franchise.
There are about 5000 Mormons in the state
who will vote at the coming election. II
they should go in any great number to
either party they would make that party
successful but, like other classes, they will
probably divide.
i he republicans say tnat the majority of
them will vote the republican ticket. Here
tofore the Mormons have been democrats,
but even in Utah, where they have made
the democratic party a power, they are di-
v.ding in tier political allegiance In the
early days in Idaho, before the state was
admitted, the Mormons were generally dem
ocratS Senator Dubois had several con-
tests with TEEN, but now, since the church
has aban1 oned polygamy which was the
objectionable feature in the Mormons the
ostracism which was strong enough to ex-
clUde them from the ballot has ceased 1t
vas republican legislature which en-
franchsed them, and Senator Dubois be-
came their champion when the church edct
against polSSamy was promulgated.
Mormon presided over the republican state
convention and pledged the support of the
Mormons to the republican ticket
4 Hard Fight Ahead.
Leading republicans here say that the.
senatorial affair is in a great deaf of a
mess, and they expect a very hard fight if
they are successful at all. 1t is believed
that the republicans VIII elect the governor
and that Wilson will be an easy winner for
Congress. Gum, the populist, and j. NJ
Ballentine, democrat, making a hard
fight, but the republicans can poll more
votes than either of the other parties. The
danger to the republicans is in fusion but
neither Gum nor Ballentine will get ont of