The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1908-08-15

emf TO De nominated by the spirit
of loyalty to republican form of government runs
high, Notwithstanding the sale of party and a
faction of party to the priesthood of Salt Lake
The Tribune has this to say the subject:
The Idaho democratic boosters for Mormon &c
CleSlast1clsm politics proving themselves
placabe and in return for favors expected from the
Mormon church, they have organized split on the
part of the minority of the delegates to their state
convention and have put UP boiling ticket in oppo-
sition to the regular ticket of their party in that
state. This will, of course if persisted in, give
little chance of Mr. BRYAN CARRYING the electoral
vote of Idaho The situation, therefore, invites the
attention of the democratic national committee to-
wards suppressng these boilers and whipping them
into party line If the boilers carry their war into
the legislative districts it will that there will
be chance for the election of democratic legis
lature. And the failure to elect democratic legis
lature in Idaho will mean suppression of the
sutut1onaI requirements as to the qualification of
voters We judge however, that the bolt at Wallace
IS merely a preliminary to further negotiations by
which the boilers will be compelled to recognize their
regular party organization. The oense Of the bolt
ers is so fragrant that they have not party leg to
stand upon.
If such a bolt were had in Utah, of course 1t
could be attended to right here at home, and the
regular party men would be squelched by the auth
orlty of the church, precisely the regular party
men of the republican party squelched four
years ago and the bolterse given control of the re-
publican party by the order of the church authorities
These same church authorities have kept the re-
publican boilers in charge of the pratca craft
here
since. Joseph F. Smith undoubtedly would do the
same thing for the boilers in Idaho this year if his
big stick were able to reach far enough to effect
his purpose. And undoubtedly he will deliver large
portion OF the Mormon vote there to the democratic
Dolters provided that boilers ticket remains in the
field on election day. He will do this in liberal
degree IN order to show the straight democrats what
they lost by not counting the Mormon favor in that
state. The fact will remain, however, that if the
democratic party had courted such favor it would
still have been left almost at the starting post be-
cause the church power is already committed to and
declared for Mr. Taft, was evident directly after
the republican national convention in June when
the church organ here gave out the authoritative
word on behalf of the church that Taft was the man
to be voted for That word, of course, stands good
throughout Utah and throughout that portion of
Idaho which is Mormon
President Joseph F. Smith would undoubtedly be
immensely delighted if he could play the same game
with the Idaho democrats this year that he did four
years ago with the Utah republicans But the Nor
mon ecclesiastical power is far less extensive in Ida
no than 1t IS in Utah In Utah this power controls
majority OF the votes against any possible union of
outsiders" In Idaho, the "outsiders' vastly out
number. the Mormon voters. And so there is
tlckliSh situation there which battles the ecclesiastical
politicians and renders their rule insecure In Utah
they are supreme, arbitrary unyie1ding exacting In
Idaho they are in the minority as a whole and
they stoop to sneakery, caolery and even beseech-
ment, such as they would not think of for moment
in Utah.
Still, the Smith "big stick" is bound to figure
largely in Idaho politics this year And from pres
ent INDICATIONS conceding that the boilers will re-
main defiant until election day they now are they
Will undoubtedly get the sop to console them of all
the Mormon vote that President Smith can throw
to the ticket And then they will point with unhoy
Joy to that vote and say to the straight democracy of
Idaho, Look what you missed by not listening to
us" And that taunt will be an utterly futile and
hypocriticaly false because if the democracy of
Idaho had listened to Mormon cajolery this year it
would still have been beaten by Taft lust as the
church organ proclaimed in June would be the
case wherever the Mormon influence is effective.
The figures indicate thnt Tho n-;.,o... 1~4: