The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1909-04-03

not tell which was which. Matters
foreign to the platforms have been in
culcated upon the public mind, and
now the campaign is being waged, not
upon the policies laid down in the
respective platforms, but upon the
! frenzied fears and fanciful doubts that
disturb the minds of agitators. For
instance, some shrewd Lecoq has dis
covered community of interests be-
tween the election of Gowen and a
bunch of street and alley franchises.
1t is charged that Gowen administra-
ton will grant Mr.. Sebree franchises
on all the streets and alleys, now I'M
occupied, for electric railways and
electric lights. That is the charge,
and in all fairness, The Tribune feels
that it should deny it. Readers of The
| Tribune will remember that in our last
issue, we took particular pains to state
the position of the Citizens party. We
tried to state the position of that party
from the standpoint of its followers,
|
that now we state the position of the
Taxpayers at this election. In the
| beginning we wish to reiterate our be-
| lief that the two platforms express
the honest convictions of the two par
ties, with no mental reservation or de-
sire for evasion, whatsoever. The
question of improvements is the issue
in this campaign, and upon that ques
ton the Taxpayers are unreserVedly
committed to the policy of progress
and Improvement If elected, the Tax
payers will accomplish all the public
| improvements, possible and consistent
with the public welfare. Permanent |
improvements will be made on the |
streets and alleys. Sewers will be laid |
wherever necessary. Public health |
demands the extension of the city |
water system and this will be done as |
rapidly as demand arises; public sa-
fety demands more and better street |
lighting, which will also be accom-
plished as fast as advisable. All eff
forts will be made to thoroughly
cleanse the city, and to keep it clean.
Discretion and judgment are prom
ised in the expenditure of all public
moneys. Those are the platform
pledges and the end of them brings us
to the beginning of the things that are
not mentioned in the platform, but
which it is charged the Taxpayers
will attempt to accomplish. These
latter are franchises.
AS stated above, some patriotic Lee
cog has discovered a clue, which leads
him to think that Mr.. Sebree is going
to get some valuable franchises in the
event of Governs election. Perhaps
he is. We cannot see that it is in any
wise worse to grant Mr.. Sebree a fran
chise for an electric railway than it
is to grant the same thing to Mr.. w.
e. Pierce. The Citizens certainly did
the latter, and we think that the pub
lie approves of their action. We think
that the people of Caldwell are will
ling to grant capitalists franchises on
every street in the town, provided
those capitalists will build, maintain,
and operate the railways. Caldwell is
willing to offer any reasonable in
ducements to railroads of all kinds.
However, we can assure the people
that the matter of franchises has not |
been even thought of prior to the pro-
mitigation of the discoveries of Lecoq.
No promises were offered and none
were asked by Mr.. Sebree or anyone
else. The purchase of the electric
light plant of the Caldwell Power Co.
cannot come up within the next two |
years. Franchise of no kind will be |
granted or extended unless it is the
best interests of the people to grant or
extend them. We think the people can
safely trust the councilmen on either
ticket to look out for the welfare of |
the public. They are all honest, faith
full and public-spirited men. They are
not going to be deceived, cajoled, or
bribed, into betraying the commu-
nifty. Let the citizens AMI taxpayers
bear in mind that the candidates on
each ticket are still their friends,
neighbors and acquaintances. Let
them remember that because these
men have good naturally permitted
themselves to become candidates for
a thankless job, that they are not arch
conspirators seeking the life-blood of |
the community.
Corporal pTTNTSuNTENn AnATU