The Boise citizen. (Boise, Idaho) 1906-1910, 1906-12-28

FILES BILL
PdU6tt6 Paper Shows
UD Hunt
VIOLATES PLEDGES
OF HIS PARTY
Infamous Bargain OF Bosses With
the Mormon Leaders Boldly
Denounced

The Payette Independent having
been called to time by the Rexburg
Standard for opposing the candidacy
of Mormon Bishop J. Frank Hunt for
speaker of the house comes back with
the following bill of particulars:
"In the campaign of 1904 the Re
publican party of Idaho, recognizing
the fact that our laws were lamentably
weak on the polygamy question, and
that the Democrats were making cap
ital out of this condition of affairs,
pledged the Republican legislature, if
elected, to provide remedy The leg
islature was elected ]. Frank Hunt,
a Mormon, was chosen speaker, with
out protest from the Independent or
any other Republican paper, as it was
supposed that the intention on all
sides was to be honest with the voters,
and in due time the subject of legis-
lation on the polygamy question came
up for settlement Several bills bear
ing on It were presented. One of them,
known as the "Polygamy" bill, made
polygamy-that is, the act of plural
marriage crime, and provided pen
alties therefor; another measure known
as the Unlawful Cohabitation" bill,
was directed against unlawful cohabita-
ton, and was generally conceded to be
as strong as was needed along that line;
while third, known as Change of
Venue" bill, provided for a change of
venue when required, the intention be-
ing to make it possible for the prosecu-
ton TO obtain readily change of venue
whenever it seemed probable that jus
tice might not be had IN any court be-
cause o Improper influences.
"All Of these bills were presented by
Repubicans-the Unlawful Cohabita-
ton bill, in particular, being fathered
by one Of the most prominent and con-
sistent of the party's workers in the
state-but the 'Polygamy1 bill, as sub
sequently developed, was presented by
Republican who had no intention of
having his party deal honestly with the
voters on this question.
In the discussion that followed it
was pointed out that there was but lit
tie, any, new polygamy in Idaho, and
that the "Polygamy" bill would be prac-
tically useless if passed, whereas prose
cutions might be brought with good ef-
feet under the Unlawful Cohabitation"
bill, and that the Change of Venue"
bill was likewise needed if the Republi-
can party was to make good its pledges
to the voters with the strictness that
honesty required
and what did Mr. Hunt do then.
with the great power of his position be-
hind him, and the full knowledge of Just
what he should do in order to place his
party in light that could not be ques-
tioned' Did he, like a good RepubIi-
can, with his party's best interests at
heart, throw the weight of his influence
in favor OF the Unlawful Cohabita-
ton bill and the Change of Venue
bill, which he knew would be effective !
or did he, ike trickster, with his own
ends TO serve, throw his great influence,
given him BY his party. into the contest
in favor Of the @Pelysa.,.yys BILL 5;lIl, shi sEhie
OF which, without the other
bills, he knew would be a farce, and
which the whole state knew would be
a farce?
But these questions are useless.
What Mr. Hunt did is matter of his
tory with which ali are acquainted.
He helped put through the worth