Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1906-07-20
A Principle at Stake.

to mislead the people regarding the
opposition which exists to the plan
of nominating or endorsing candi
date for United States senator in
state convention. The advocates oil
the plan say the opposition in Ban.
mock county ls the result of "Brady
dope;" that IN Ada county 1t is the
offspring of federal officials headed
by Judge Beatty; that in Kootenai
county it is the effect of Charley
Heltman's evil eye; that in Bear
Lake county 1t is the elimination of
Mormon perversity; that In Idaho
county it is Judge Ailshie's dlcta-
ton; and so on down the line.
Wherever the people dare enter a
protest against the convention
scheme they are promptly branded
as the tools and dupes of political
trlcksters, or the hirelings of ma
chine manipulators. The endeavor
is to make il appear that at present
the contest is personal one, waged,
40 far as the opposition is concerned,
in the interests Of favorite local as.
pirants in the different sections of
the state. The contrary is the truth.
The opponents of the convention
scheme are striving for principle,
not for a person. Their personal
interests are as diverse as their occu-
pations, but in their devotion to II e
right and in their allegiance to
American institutions and ideas they
are a unit. Their fight is neither
for or against Mr.. Borah, Mr.. Moss,
Mr.. Brady, Judge Beatty or any
other individual asplrant for the
United States senate. The fght is
against pernicious attempt to defy
the constitution of the land; it is
against the subtle subterfuge, the
object of which is the subversion of
the Law, and it is for the mainten-
ance of our political institutions as
the fathers handed them down 10 us
until such time as those institutions
shall be altered in the manner pre-
scrlbed by their founders.
The great number of prominent
Republicans who condemn the con-
yention plan is alone enough to re-
fute the charge that the opposition
is of personal nature, and to brand
as absurd the imputation that it is
prompted by selfish or Interior
motives. They stand for principles,
not men, and their campaign IS for
the continued observance of the
forms of law. The opposition is
with American ideals, but
is antagouistic to any form of
anarchy be il ever SO cunningly con-
cealed or artfully inculcated.
In marked contrast with this pat
riotic and unselfish course, the apol.
ogists for the convention scheme
admit that their object Is to seat Mr..
Borah, to the exclusion of all others.
in the senate. They care for the
man, not the principle. Mr.. Borah
has announced that unless
he secures the convention endorse
ment he will not be candidate be-
fore the legislature, and along those
lines his adherents are making their
light. Yet this aspirant for the
highest honor within the gift of the
state, as indicating the lengths to
which he would go to accomplish
MS ends, encourages his followers
TO support the convention plan by
quoting with approval these words:
'sThe constitutional method is easily
annulled when the people will it.
This is remarkable language from
one whose sworn duty it is to sup
port the constitution. He favors a
'hange in the method of selecting
senator's provided for In the consti.
tation, if THAT method be convenient,
but at any rate he wants change,
sven If the constitutional method
must be annulled through the action
r.