The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1909-08-27
THREE ELECTIONS IN A WEEK


On the 7th of September school
election will be held in Blackfoot to
elect successors to C. w. Bergman
and Geo. F. Gagon. Both of these gen.
tlemen have served long time on the
board, Mr.. Gagon having been a mem
her for about sixteen wears. and he
says he thinks he has served his time.
He has devoted several hundred even
ings to school meetings. and only
those who have served the public in
this way know what it means to re-
spond to the call to duty. He has
asked heretofore to have somebody
else elected to fill his place, and
makes it stronger this time by saying
that if reelected he will not qualify.
We are informed that Mr.. Berry
man wishes to be relieved also, and
this being the case 1t becomes the
duty of voters to canvass the subject
carefully to find their successors.
Local Option Election
On September Sth comes the local
option election, and those who favor
the wet condition on the ground
that it will drive trade to Pocatello
seem about to be relieved OF any force
on that line by the prospect OF Ban
mock county going dry on September
first. With each succeeding week the
prospects for dry counties increases.
i. e arguments of the VETS
grow thinner. They say it will make
men violate the law by drinking
smuggled liquor, and they shrink
IRON making criminals in this way.
The absurdity of their position stands
Oh. in bold relief when we review the
a3pa ing record of crimes developed
timer the present system which they
have never seemed to worry about.
There are two arguments which
they bank on now; the Schools must
be maintained, and they want to
license saloons for the sake OF the
children, that they may be educated,
! though the record shows that they
| send boy to drunkard's grave
every two minutes in the United
States, and sixty five thousand girls
! to dishonored graves each year. Just
| why they are so anxious to have them
educated before facing their doom is
readily seen when we observe that out
Of $78,0O0,00 spent for drink IN
Blackfoot in tweleve months, only
$3,O25.00 of it got into the school
fund of the city, and $2,50O.O0 into
the state school fund, the remaining
$72,475.00 going into the tills OF the
saloons and their. associated Interests
The other argument Is the bug-a-
boo of higher taxes, which has been
lrefuted by the statements Of hundreds
Of men of high standing In localities
where it is in effect, but granting that
abolishing liquor trade will result in
higher taxes, the point to be decided
| is, Are we going to weigh dollars
and cents against human lives and
! human souls?" 1t is time for men
and women to 60 on record to show
| whether they have come to such a
4 state of mind that they think money
Il is made to serve the human race OF
the race made to serve the medium
of exchange.
The Bond Election
Following close on the heels o.
the other two, comes the city bono
election, on Saturday, September
18th, and this is being used as
club to induce people to vote the
county wet" on the Tuesday prev
ious. They say it will raise the rate
of taxes SO much If the county goe'
dry" they will be unable to pay tn
taxes anyway without sacrifice, ant
!. the bonds must be defeated or prop
erty holders will be ruined.
This argument falls to the grount
when we remember that the bond Is
!, sue is proposed as means OF STAY
ing off payment until 1919 to 1872
and IL any business disturbance come
/ of agitating the liquor question
!, will have been adjusted before pay
: ment begins on the bonds
t But the city improvements Will b
made, and If the bond issue is &c
| feated, the city council will simpl
Z take the other means at their dis
5 posal, and levy the cost OF the In
provements against the property 10
s Immediate payment, and II the "wets
t prefer to do it in this way and ca
n command the majority it will be don