The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-11-27
IDAHO PANHANDLE PoLKTTCS.
The Narrow Escape of . Man Who Wal
Playing o Double Game.

The Narrow Escape OF . Man Who Wal
Playing o Double Game.
Some Of the things that have been pub
lished regarding the political campaign just
closed" said an old Northwestern newspaper
man. " bring to my mind q peculiar state oil
affairs that existed in tho Panhandle Of Idaho
during the campaign OF 1894. / was holding
down q Job as a reporter In Portland in 1898
when the campaign opened. for the battle be-
gan a full year before the election. and wa1ed
warmer as the time Of ballot casting drew near.
and through some chance I was picked out
as the proper man to go to Moscow. Idaho. and
take a rather peculiar part in the political
fight In that district. ..-., .......-..
william Mcconnell was striving to be re-
elected to the Governors chair. Besides this
aspiration. the aim OF McConnell's life was to
defeat Willis Sweet for election TO the United
States Senate. Free silver was the issue that
both Mcconnell and Sweet hoped to have pull
them through. and though Mcconnell had al
ways been known as . gold Republican. he
switched for this time.
Just at that time there had been organized
in what is known as the Inland Empire q
powerful Populistic order known as the Free
mans Protective Silver Federation. or. as 1t
was called by the Republicans. the shotgun
brigade This order was strongly opposed TO
Mcconnell. and was just as strongly in favor of
Sweet. whom 1t lauded to the skies. Ny part
OF the campaign was to go to Moscow. start o
small weekly paper on strong Populist lines.
support all the fanatical doings OF the fedora
ton. get the secrets OF the order. and Just be-
fore election split the order open by exposing
all their doings and fop the paper to McCon-
neIi,s favor.
implied, q shotgun brigade. for. about q year
before appeared on the scene, some 200 mem
surrounding farms. armed with shota uns and
erty by the sheriff for delinquent taxes. Ht
hold holders that stt they sS1 Intended ta n pG IN the % NEXT aes o oa@-
paign TO clean them, out. and that Bill McCon-
again. This threat, they carried out. Tor Ne.
Connell Is a dead letter in Idaho politics. I
that more than pleased the leaders Of the fed.
weeks before election. Two days betore s going 70
no1ncine Sweet. laudins McConlnHell' and max Ak
drawer Of my desk and S was P sdRins to Snow Hs " Il Il 70
the, political powers the next day, but never
article was a double loaded siug-neaded article
fTom lss M ifSss Rsse and sdE' fhs head ss z ff ines ss diSSS IS 2
had got Put an extra edition that morning with
ing n, fact. before I got out OF bed-some hot
headed federation member wrapped IL
around a brick and fired II at me through my
window without taking the trouble 10 raise the
sash. The brick reminded me that II was time
TO get up, and got up. ! started downtown.
but the fellow that, presented me. with the
morning paper was not the only brick throWer
on the street In fact, the way to my office was
lined with them. and before / had gone a block
j had become an expert dodger OF a miscella-
neous assortment ofbrick bats. eggs. rocks, and
other handy objects that seemed to come from
everywhere.
"Imanaged to reach my ONCE with only a
few bruises, and to get o few OF the leaders in
side and show them that / had no such article
set up in the office. and to prove that 1t was q
put-up job TO ruin their paper. This was neoas-
sary on my part, for there was q rope 10 the
crowd outside. and unless I could paciiy them
the chances were that I would have Occupied
other end would have, been made fast to the
My talk was good. for It had the desired eff
feet, and the ONCE was not pied, neither was l
hanged but the premature publication Of my
editorial article made my flop so weak when IL
Gid come that l. dld no ge9d and tho Art and
for though he was elected. the county ticket
there, was little use OF counting the ballots.
Tho way my article got into print was this:
! had q. young friend visiting me who was o
practical Joker, and he had read the copy
and he thought i would make a little fun for
the boys 10 send the story out. He sent IL. and
his sending II came near costing my hfe." -