The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1900-08-25

PioteSted and obedience to law
enforced upon all alike through the
established forms of law; that no
man shall be deprived Of life, liber-
y or property without due process
4 of law. ..r..- : r'0N-''' '
In this form, it was not, we have
reason to believe, the handiwork
Of Mr.. Hepburn, but it met with
MS approval, as it did with the ap-
proval of every member of the sub
committee, as far as it a0eut. But
II did not go far enough. Davis of
Canyon added to the resolution the
following clause: "n0r shall tile
natural righ Of any man to seek
legitimate employment be in am.
z0tse cartaiIed or antey5ered 70ith."
There was discussion over the
word "natural," and it was drop
ped. The> words "and obtain"
were added after "seek." So, at
the second stage of its formation,
the clause read, "nor shall the right
OF any man to seek and obtain en-
ployment be in anywise curtailed
or interfered with" The resolu-
ton in this form met with earnest
opposition from Mr.. Hepburn who
( then 'interpreted'' it as direct con-
demnation Of the permit system.
Nobody, for moment, thought of
questioning the correctness of his
| Interpretation, because nobody pre-
tended to know as much about the
permit system as he did. The po-
sltion taken by the committee was
that if the affirmation and procla-
nation of a sound political princi-
pie amounted to condemnation of
the permit system, so much the
worse for the permit system. Mr.
Hepburn gave it as his deliberate
opinion that the insertion of that
clause in the Republican platform
would lose Shoshone county to the
Republican party. This declara-
ton did not carry weight, because
Shoshone county had been lost to
the Republican party so long that
the memory of the committee ran
not to the contrary. Moreover,
Mr.. Dunn of Shoshone county took
issue with Mr.. Hepburn on that
particular point. After considera-
bic discussion, which was rather
heated on Mr.. Heyburn's side and
cody determined on the side of the
five members, the situation was re-
duced to the point that Mr.. Hey
burn must either acqulesce or op-
pose in general committee, which
meant carrying the fight on to the
floor of the convention. This
course Mr.. Hepburn wisely fore
bore TO follow. He then asked
that, ''or contract for, labor or EN-
ployment," be inserted in order
that the right Of free contract might
be square1y asserted for the employ
er as well as the employee. There
was no disposition on the part OF
any member of the committee to
abridge the rights of any one, SO
the words desired by Mr.. Hepburn
we're inserted. The clause in its
third form hen read: "Nor shall
the right of any man to seek and
obtain, or contract for, labor or EN-
ployment be i'll anywise curtailed
or int,rfered with" In this form
it went before the general commit
tee where it was subjected to an
other change. The committeeman
from Idaho county, we believe,
suggested that after the word 'em-
p1oyment," the words, 1n accord
ance with law" be inserted, and
explained that the purpose OF his
amendment was to make it clear
that the Republican. party was not
endeavoring in its platform to ad'
vocate the contract labor system
to which American work1ngmen
were 50 justly and strenuousIy op-
posed. So these words were IN
serted and the clause as 1t now aP'