Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-09-20
GOSSIP over
IDAHO POLITICS
Special Correspondent at
Capital Sees Things
Coming.

BOISE, Ida, Sept. ia special to
the Salt Lake Inter Mountain Repub- ,
lican says: Republican politics in
Idaho is warming up much earlier
than heretofore, and the air is already
full of gossip that involves candidates
and policies for the approaching cam
paign. The state convention which will
send delegates to the national conven-
ton is at least nine months away, but
the attitude that Idaho will assume
toward the tariff question and candi-
dates for the presidency Is already a
subject of considerable discussion AT
this distance it is not possible to fore !
cast to any degree of certainty the
/ outcome on either point. In fact the
| sentiment on the tariff will not be
known until after the platform Is
adopted by the state convention.
Old politicians see a battle royal
Just ahead between the "standpatters,"
led by Senator Hepburn, and the re-
visonists under Borah. In the last
two campaigns the state convention
accepted the platform as it came from
the resolutions committee, without de-
bate on the floor and yet the party
completely reversed itself on the tariff
question in the short space of two
years. It declared for sweeping re-
vision of the tariff schedules two years
: ago and demanded that every trust
made article be placed on the free
list" That plank was written by Boz
t rah Last year Borah was busy with
2 his fight for the senatorship and SEN
l ator Hepburn quietly slipped into the
3 platform a plank declaring for a
a "standpat" protective tariff policy.
In the next convention, however, 1t
is certain that the matter will be
threshed out on the floor of the con-
}. vention. Hepburn will be candidate
e for reelection and will not be as free
a to dictate as he might otherwise be,
t and the chances are in favor of VIC
$ tory for Borah and tariff revision AS
n Idaho is essentially a producer of raw
material In the form of wool, lumber
d and lead. it is not unlikely that the
: fear of injury to these products will
II cause the interests behind them to Of
r fer vigorous opposition to any tariff
e tinkering." On the other hand, q
It large majority of the people, especially
the Independent voters, would welcome
a reduction in the schedules of manu-
: featured products as a remedy for the
o monopoly evil. Both ideas will be ably
i defended in the next convention, with
|, the chances in favor of the revision
q lists.
y Hepburn has the best of it at pres
: ent in the race for senator. State
y Chairman Brady has a large personal
e following and may contest for the
n toga, but thus far no one has been
: able to get an expression from him in
Q regard to the senatorship. The outcome
Q of the senatorship will be Influenced
$ by the attitude that both Hepburn and
Brady assume toward the convention
9 nomination of senator. In the past
both have been vigorous advocates OF
the election of senator's by the legisla-
r ture. In the last convention cam
$ paign neither could find words sufii-
a GENTLY strong to denounce the conven-
e ton nomination idea. The people will
u watch with considerable interest to
: see If Hepburn Will reverse himself OF
: this point as it would be manifestlH
q to his interest to do so. Rrady is ar
astute politician, while Hepburn Ii
y quite the opposite. If both candidates
q were content to leave the senatorshiI
IS to be settled by the legislature. the
II convention would hardly take the mat
e ter in its own hands. In that even
: Brady would have the best of the sit
q uation and could make trouble fol
II Hepburn in the Legislature. 1t is pos.
sible, therefore, that Hepburn will ex.
perience a change of heart on this i'm.
~ portant question