Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1906-09-21

Have not the people of this state
seen apostle Denrose, likewise
a polygamist, leaving his Office il
Salt Lake City and coming at the
request of the political leaders in
Fremont County, Idaho, anc
changing its political complexion
in a night? Is there, in this de-
mand that the Mormon Hierarchy
should refrain from interfering
in the political affairs of Idaho
any partisan politics? If so
then the evidence of LEADING
men both in the Democratic and
Republican parties must be dis.
regarded. Who can view the
last session of Idaho legislature
without the blush of shame man
ling his cheek? Did not repre-
sentative Ainey, Republican of
Canyon County, stand up in the
house of representatives and de-
clare that he had been approach
ed by members of this eccesiastic-
al organization and told that if he
voted for certain measures, his
usefulness as legislator was end
ed? Have the men of Idaho be-
come so docile in their subsection
to Joseph F. Smith of Salt Lake,
that such a statement can be
made by one Of their representa-
Itives and they not resent it?
Was it partisan politics when
acting under their constitutional
duty, the judges of the Supreme
Court of this state wisely sug-
gested to the legislature of this
state that a change of venue bill
be passed, in the interest of
justice? And yet was this
Democratic politics when this
measure advocated by the Su-
rene court composed of two Re
publicaus and one Democrat)
and introduced by so prominent
a Republican as Judge Richards
of Ada County in the House, the
Mormon speaker left the chair
and descending to the floor of
the House, characterized the bill
as the weapon Of character as
sassins, and, with passion, de-
clared it an insult aimed at the
Mormon people. Why? When
this change of venue bill was dis
cussed in the Senate, Senator
McBerth, in advocating it's en-
actment, stated that if this bill
should be passed, it would be the
death blow to polygamy; and on
this statement, notwithstanding
the recommendation of the SUI
preme Court of the state, and in
order to continue this abhorrent
practice, the influence of the
Mormon Hierarchy in the Senate
forthwith killed it.
Are the citizens of Idaho who
are striving to lift Idaho to the
high place occupied by her sister
states in civic authority and
public morality, to be called
partisan when they insist that
laws which have proved effica-
cious in other states in pre-
venting disease and in fostering
public health, be adopted in this
state? If in agitating against
the control of the affairs of Idaho
by the Mormon Hierarchy, we
be called partisan, we point to
the experience of DIR. France,
Republican representative from
Shoshone County in the last
legislature, as an example of the
power of the church to oppose
and defeat the best interests of
this people. DR.. France, at the
request of the State Medical
Board, introduced a Board of
Health bill which in effect, pro-
vided the machinery for stamp
ing out epidemics and contagious
diseases, and provided for the
collection of the vital statistics
of the state. Idaho is the only
state of the American union
which has not such law and to
the credit of the medical pro-
fession of this state, they en-
deavored to place Idaho in line
with the hest medical and ecianti-