Lewiston inter-state news. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1905-1906, 1905-05-12
DUBOIS FOR GOVERNOR
Boomlet a eoomin' for the Senior
Senator.

For governor of Idaho. Fred T. Du-
bois, says the Spokesman Review.
A scheme is Matching among the Ida
no democrats to make Senator Dubois
their candidate for governor next year,
and when the senator returns from the
east in a few days he will have a
choice between forbidding the use of
his name or entering into an active
campaign for an Office which every
body knows he does not want.
Many Of the senator's warmest po-
litical friends are urging his nomina-
ton for governor. The next Idaho leg
islature will elect his successor In the
senate. and the legislators Will be
chosen at the same time the governor
is elected. The plan is to run him for
governor, and. should the legislature
be democratic Immediately re-elect
him to the senate.
Despite all his political battles and
rows, many democrats believe that
Senator Dubois is more popular per-
sonally with the people than any other
democrat in the state; and. in putting
him at the head Of the ticket they
believe they would be naming their
strongest men. In any event they say
his nomination for governor would
give the people chance to say direct
ly whether or not they approve his
public career and want him returned
to the United States senate.
1t goes without saying that the NOM
nation of Fred Dubois for governor
would precipitate the fight for and
against the Mormon church in it's most
virulent form. If the church has a
bitter and unrelenting enemy in the
United States senate it is Senator Du-
bos. Last year. under his leadership,
his friends forced plank in the DEM
ocratic platform declaring war on the
church. On that issue they ran ex-
Senator Henry Heitfeld for governor,
and while he was beaten. he ran sew
eral thousand votes ahead of the demo-
cratic national ticket.
The ultimate aim of the Dubois men
is to disfranchise the Mormons on the
ground that they owe an allegiance to
their church superior to that which
they acknowledge to the government
OF the United States. If Dubois could
be elected governor he would probably
pull legislature through with him
which could be depended upon not only
to return him to the senate, but to bar
the Mormons forever from exercising
the right of suffrage.
Senator Dubois is leading the fight
In the senate to unseat Reed Smoot,
the Mormon apostle who was elected
to that body from Utah. He is putting
In the recess of congress in enlisting
the cooperation Of civic and religious
bodies In the past. Ifhe can secure
the expulsion of Apostle Reed Smoot
he will have won from that great body
a decision that good Mormon can
not be a good American citizen-for
that is the gist of the argument against
Smoot
Senator Dubois himself has said that
the Mormon church controls one third
of the vote of Idaho. To be elected
governor Dubois must have behind him
the great proportion Of the gentle
vote. There is no doubt that money
galore would be poured out from Salt
Lake. the headquarters Of the church,
to beat him.
But women vote in Idaho. That fe-
male vote-naturally antagonistic to
tI,o IL.
men. II 1t can be rallied Dubois can
win: otherwise he is beaten. He wants
Z" return to the senate, and, though he !
Will naturally be reluctant to make the
race for governor. he will have everv-
thing to gain and nothing to lose, and
ne may be persuaded by his friends
to make the race.