Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1907-01-05
SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
SENATOR HEYBURN's BALK.

In announcer Column the MINING NoWS
presents to its readers the full argu-,
ment of Senator Hepburn in opposition
to the proposed direct primary law to be
enacted at the coming session of the
legislature of Idaho. The article comes
to Idaho through the correspondence of
the northwest press association, and it
presents, first hand, the views of the
Idaho senator on the primary system in
this state. The article has appeared IN
the state press generally; it has Gre
ated excitement in the field of politics,
among those who voted for the party of
Hepburn with the expectation that party
pledges would be carried out, and gov
eminent would be brought nearer the
people. The senator's stand against
the direct primary has caused surprise
and CONSERVATION among the leading
republican newspapers in Idaho, and
many of them that labored with Hey
burn for the success of the ticket last
November are now forced to differ
with him and favor the carrying out of
party pledges that the party may keep
the faith of the voters in the future.
Without entering upon discussion as
to the merits or dement's of the direct
primary system, it will strike most
people as being very peculiar that SEN
ator Hepburn should offer such strenu-
Gus opposition to it at this time. Sena-
tor Hepburn was a member of the COM
mite that drafted the platform on which
his party went to victory in Idaho last
election. The other members wanted a
plank for 'direct primary law" but,
it is said, the senator blue-penciled the
word direct for sake of brevity. "
The platform, as written, was accepted
by the convention, and it appeared to
be pretty we'll understood that this par
ticular plank called for primary law
patterned after the Oregon law. 1t
was so accepted by Mr.. Borah, candi-
date for United States senator; it was
SO preached and proclaimed by nearly
all the campaign orators and newspap-
ers on the side of the republican cause.
Newspapers in the state frequently COM
mented that political parties in Idaho
had held their last convention.
Senator Hepburn took very active
part in the last election campaign, but
it is not recalled that in one of his
speeches he made that he spoke out
against the dangers he now sees fol
Idaho if the state adopt the primary
election system. 1t is natural to sup
pose that Senator Hepburn directed the
policy of several newspapers during the
late campaign, but none of them ther
saw the dangers in direct primary
system of which the senator now com
plains. Senator Hepburn must have
heard campaign speakers utterances
and read newspaper articles on the pro
posed primary election law for Idaho
and yet there is no record that he, tn.
father of that platform, informed sucl
speakers and newspapers that they hat
placed wrong construction upon it
Senator Hepburn knew that the Idaht
democrats declared for direct primar,
law in their platform, but it is not O.
record that he ever opposed it.
Throughout Senator Heyburn's com
smunication there is the under curren
of ''holier than thou" The key to hi
argument is found in his expression
THE proposed direct primary law is
menance to government based upol
political principles represented by tn
republican party Senator Heyburl
has been good and obedient servant t