The Boise citizen. (Boise, Idaho) 1906-1910, 1907-01-18
G00DING
Is BLUFFING
Goodwin Writes OF the
MESSAGE
B0RHH'S SUCCESS
Obtained by Sitting His
WelI=Known Views
on rlormon Issue

Goodwin's Weekly of the 18th inst.
fires few hot shot at Governor Good
ing's message and incidentally pours
broadside into w. E. Borah, as follows
Some highly diverting features ac-
.companied the assembling of the Idaho
legislature last Monday. Governor
Gooding sent in message, which, com
ing from such a source, is exceedingly
interesting. That man who owes his
election solely to Mormon votes should
favor the re-enactment of the test oath,
aimed to disfranchise the Saints, and
who, having been a corporation lobbyist
at divers and sundry sessions of the
legislature, should now urge the crea-
ton of railroad commission, are two
picturesque features of Idaho politics
So far as the test oath is concerned
Governor Gooding wants it so broad
ened as to disfranchise every man of
unclean life In this he differs from his
distinguished predecessor in office, the
Hon William John Mcconnell, known
variously as Hell Roaring Bill' and
Poker Bill" Testifying at Washing
to as a witness for Reed Smoot Gov
ernor Mcconnell, speaking from the vast
depths of his knowledge of Idaho pol
itics, said
Il am not sure that it would be wise
to disfranchise all adulterers"
Governor Gooding, reelected by Nor
mon votes, would do we'll to take coun-
sci from this uterance of his predeces-
sor. Gratitude alone demands that he
do so.
As a matter of fact Gooding is bluff
fng, which is the only element OF poll
tics that he knows anything about. Prior
to delivering his highly moral message
to the legislature he assisted in the
'frame-up" by which J. Frank Hunt,
a bishops counsellor, was made speaker
of the lower house. Frank Gooding
and everybody else konws that no Nor
mon speaker, controlling the commit
tees of the lower house, will permit the
passage of any bill providing for the
of the test oath. His mes
sage on that subject is mere gal
lery play designed to deceive further
the few Gentiles who were hoodwinked
into voting for him last fall.
Governor Gooding probably would not
deny that for several legislative ses-
sions preceding his election to the gov
ernorship, he appeared at Boise regu- /
larly as the special representative of the
He cannot deny that dur
ing the last legislative session he lent
his influence as governor to defeat a
railroad commission bill similar to the
one which he now advocates as the sal
1ation of the state Why, then, is he
advocating a commission now? The
answer is simple
Gooding was defeated in the Gentle
portion of Idaho last November He
vas saved from total and absolute de-
eat by the Mormon counties The great
,ains made by the opponents Of eccle-
iasticism in the recent election have
Gooding that there will be
ig Gentle victory in Idaho two years
renee. and, by posing as the cham
ion of the down-trodden and op-
ressed, he hopes to win for himself
much Gentle support that he now lacks.
The chances are that no commission
i'll will be enacted by the present Idaho h
legislature Gooding would prefer that
t would not be; failure to enact it would Il
ermit him to go before the people two
ears hence on the plea that his election
rould be the only salvation Of the state
rom the menace of railroad greed. And,
nless he is unable to work some such !