Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1909-11-18
A LESSON IN CONTRASTS.

NonCoiOu VI AitCltolol uuAlcu az
ton and a well defined purpose are
Irresistible factors in the accom-
plishment Of a desired end; and the
employment of these factors by the
land holders in the sunnyside dis
trict in its present enviable posi-
trict in its present enviable uosi-
ton. Enviable, not so much due
to the fact that the boon of water
IS now assured, but because the
settlers have left their interests in
the hands of strong, capable and
conscientious committee, the men,
bers of which were elected (not
appointed) at a mass meeting held
ia Sunnyside on November /. The
mass meeting was well attended by
the representative men interested
in the welfare of that community
and district, and for that reason the
settlers have confidence in their COM
mittee and realize that through it
action on all matters can be ex-
pedited. This committee investi-
gated conditions in a most thorough
manner and was prepared to take
an active part in the negotiations
between the State Land board and
the Southern Idaho Reclamation
company last week. The members
of the committee impartially in
vestigated the merits Of the bona fide
proposal to reclaim the Sunnyside
lands, but did not stop there. They
looked into the reputed proposals
as well, and hence were in a position
to act intelligently and promptly in
the interests Of those whom they
represented. They did their work
so thoroughly that the feeling of con-
hdences and satisfaction amongst
the settlers is practically unanimous.
The contrast between confidence
at Sunnyside and chaos at Mountain
Home is most obvious; and this
difference in feeling is apparently
traceable to the different spirit mani
tested at the mass meetings held in
both places. The meeting at sunny
side was attended by the people
whose interests were vitality affected,
and matters were threshed out pro
and con. The meeting at Mountain
Home appeared to have been called
in a spirit of bias and prejudice
and the business, banking and tax
paying interests We're conspicuously
noticeable by their absence. A COM
mittee was appointed to go to Boise
and ascertain facts so that intelligent
action could be taken. How wen
that committee performed the task
assigned to it. anyone who heard the
disjointed. evasive. verbal semi-pro-
misses made on behalf of the indi-
viduals or company whose interests
seemed to have been made the para
mount issue at the meeting is able
to Judge. 1t is not our purpose to
disparage the efforts of that COM
mittee; but we believe that if it had
impartially gone into the merits of
the case. its report would have pre-
cluded the adoption of resolutions
such as We're adopted.
And this brings us down to the
oft-repeated and well-founded state
ment that unity of action is thing
almost unknown in Mountain Home.
We believe this is due entirely to
the lack of interest displayed by the
business men and heavy taxpayers
Of the community. They manifest a
spirit of complacency and appear
willing that the sentiments of the
community should be expressed al
haphazard and irresponsible mass
meetings. This is wholly wrong
and Maverick is willing to be classeC
as a public scold if thereby it car
arouse the business men and tax
paers to a sense Of their civic duty
No mass meeting should be con
sidered so unimportant that the
business men can feel justified il
staying away Until they take thu