The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1908-02-15

ignorance that such monentuouSe question had beer
raised and that the Mormon issue had again been in
eced into our politics by the poygamist Hierarchs
It was more than year after the Legislature
adjourned before the state was appraised of what
had taken place.
When the Democrats state committee met in the
spring of 1904, to prepare for the campaign that
fall the subject was brought UP in the committee
meeting and the people put on their guard that they
would be called upon to vote for against Con-
sttutional convention and the object for which the
new convention was to meet fully disclosed I'm
mediate1y there was such a protest throughout the
state that the Republican leaders became alarmed
The machine had not been perfected then and the
offensive and defensive alliance between the Mormon
leaders and Republican leaders was not defiant
and notorious as it has been since and is at the
present time.
Governor Morrison, The Statesman and many
other powerful factors among the Republicans gave
notice they would not support the scheme. Unless
the Republican party would endorse the conspiracy
it was doomed to failure, the Democrats were
unitedly opposed. 1t evident that the attempt
to force it the Republicans would tear the par
ty to pieces.
Mr. Bagley from Bear Lake, Mormon, was At
torney General at the time and he extricated the
church and the party from their awkward predica-
ment by rendering an opinion, by the request of
Mr. Borah, that the resolution of the Legislature
calling for the Constitutional convention was i'm
properly drawn in consequence null and void, and
that the question would not be submitted to the
people at that time
The Mormons were appeased by the assurance of
some of the Republican leaders that the obnoxious
"test oath" would be eliminated at some more op-
A. "a
would never be enforced against them
The above stated facts are we'll known and many
more could be added.
1t was plainly the design of the Mormon Hierarchy
to bring Idaho securely under their control as
Utah is This could be done by taking the test OATH
out of our State Constitutions thus removing the
only safeguard the American citizenship of Idaho
has against the tremendous power of this reasonable
and polygamist organization. They made their COM
bination with the Republican leaders, it still holds
and up-to-dae the Republican leaders have been able
to deliver the Republican votes.
The good women and men who give numbers and
responsibility to the Republican party are growing
FESTIVE They are paying high price to keep the
machine" in power
4ou cannot expect diginihed administrations nor
can you reasonably expect men in high places to re-
NN' NiCulI OH STATE Wnen they are the product
OF combination between poygamous organization
and place seeking politicians The Mormon leaders
feeling confident of success, after making their com
Dlnaton with the Republican party leaders,, de1ber-
ately threw down the gage of battle and made the
issue.
The Democratic party accepted the challenge and
he contest is now and will be fought to a
inish
Inc issue IS perfectly simple one The Mormons
ma their ally the Republican machine demand that
10 laws shall be passed to punish poygamous living