Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1908-07-16
Denver Convention
BY JOHN H. GARRETT

POLITICAL affairs of the state OF |
Idaho. Lest we forget ii should be
recall ed that prior to 1896 he was
a leading light in the Republican
party of Idaho. In fact, the state
is indebted to that party for the
honor of numbering Dubsis amongst
it's residents, for it was under
Republican administration and as
a Republican that he received the
appointment as United States Mar
shall for the Territory of Idaho in
the early eighties, and his alle-
glance to that party was I'M
questioned. The senator has
pcnchant for riding the very crest
of the topmost wave of popularity
and when, in 1896. the people oil
the country seemed free silver
mad and the election of Bryan APP
prard to be almost forcgone con-
clusion, he promptly tumbled out OF
the Republican band wagon and
got into the van of the Bryan CO.
hcris as a Free Silver Republican.
BRYAN was defeated that year and
Senators Dubois, Pettigrcw oi
South Dakota and thousands OF
others found themselves outside
the breastworks of the own party,
although up to the fall OF 1900
Dubois maintained his attitude as
Silver Republican. At that time
he was elected TO the senate by flu
sion of the Silver Republicans, Pop
ulists and Democrats and 1t was
about the same time, as he stated
in his speech before the crcdcn-
riaIs committee at Denver, that he
Joined the democratic party. Dur
ing the campaign of 1900 he as
sumed leading part and became
practically the dictator Of machine
politics. His free silver balloon
had collapsed and he began to look
around for another issue that would
appeal to popular fancy and enable
him to retain his mold on the party
machinery. An antiMormon
crusade seemed to be the thing.
BY cleverly playing upon the pre-
iudices and sentiments of those
no believe in the purity of the
home and non-intcrfcrcncc in poll
tics by religious denominations ne
worked up an issue of really ma
terial proportions and at the same
time, although this phase probao.
" did not manifest itself to mos
of us at once. tried to weaken thu
time rhqperea- aRda4aaiffssfbh or ri ( tai
as state and 'he manifsto of IT,,
Mormon church against pIura
marriages il s a well known fac
that polygamy was practiced il
Utah and undoubtedly in portions
OF Idaho and unquestionabiy Their,
have been isolated cases of it sine,
that time, but the proposal to dis
franchise the entire membership o
sect tor the sins of @ few SAVIOR:
TOO greatly of. the persecution.
which inspired our forcfathers il
their efforts to establish the foun.
dations OF this land of personal lib.
cKty. However, this is a digrcs.
sion. Dubois undoubtedly felt that
in the Mormon issue he hae
launched craft which would again
safely land hin in the haven O
the Senate in 1906. From 1905
TO 1906 he waged fierce and un
compromising fight against tn,
Mormon hierarchy aud so calles
church interference in politics anc
hesitatcd to take 40 course which
y 10 ufr L. hAl
ON the party organization. In tn
state convention of 1906 he wen
SO far as to have the delegate
from five Mormon counties throw
ont Notwithstanding the fact tina
there was contest against the del
egation OF but one county. Tn
other delegates we're unscated 70
40 other Cause than that they be
forged to the Mormon church. Ii
1904 the antiMormon fight wa
pretty hot and great many Demo
Gratis stood by Senator Dubois 70
harmouy's sake If for no othe
cause although many of the leader
disagreed with him as early as 90,
and hur dreds of them refused L
accept his leadership in 1902. Il
1900 / heard Senator Dubois argu
ruent against the Mormon churcl
and, like great many others, be
licvcd at that time that the cntir
Southeastern portion of the stat
was reeking with polyga amy and tina
every man had as many wives as h
desired or could support; that plu
raj marriages were still being coun
fenanced and that it was impossible
for gentle to live in the Mormon