Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1910-01-13
A VARIETY OF
THINGS POLITICAL
A PEEK BEHIND THE SCENES AS
VIEWED BY A STATE CAPI-
Toll WRITER.
The Authenticity May BE Questioned,
But the Side Lights Are Strong
and 1t Makes Good Reading
O'NeiI the Pivot.

the Boise Capital News, that our
readers may take it for what it is
worth:
Cold weather is a natural incubator
for politics, and the last three weeks
Of perfect conditions has resulted in
turning out an unusually healthy
flock of political ideas
The strongest and most noticeable
among the various breeds in this
state there are two factions which
should be known as Progressive"
and the CONSERVATIVES. The con-
seryatives are also repudiationists,
that is, they are out to punish for
keeping party pledges and to reward
for violating them. The progressives
desire to stand by the party's pledges
and those who have labored to carry
them into effect.
The Conservative" have agreed
upon Barney O'Neil as their leader,
and every effort is being made to adj
vance his interests. 1t was charged
during the last campaign. when
O'Neil was state chairman for the re-
publieans that he was the representa-
tive in Idaho of Standard Oil. Those
making the charge were denied the
necessity of producing any evidence
as the statement was never denied.
1t remains undenied even to this
date, and proof has never been called
for
O'Neils friends, the conservatives,
are enemies of the direct primary
law and it is from his camp that have
come all the complaints against that
law and all of the attacks upon it.
He is backed by the old-time line of
POLITICAL bosses and manipulators
from Hayes of Pocatello to Crane
and Thompson of Bonner and Nez
Perez counties.
Greatest and foremost. however, is
from the opponents of the local OPP
ton. law-those who labored during
the entire session of the last legisla-
ture to negative that pledge OF the
republican party. and who succeeded
insofar as the republicans of the
legislature were concerned. for the
bill was passed only by virtue of its
friends in the democratic ranks Of
the legislative body.
During the past week there has
been quietly carried on in this city and
vicinity the most active political
campaign that has ever been con-
Quoted under bonnet, which is
another way of saying. in secret.
Big Men Assembled.
During the past week there have
been in Boise and various portions
of the southern part of the state
ONeil himself, AL Filson, editor of
the Standpoint News and chief lieu
tenant of O'Neil in Bonner county,
]. l.. Naylor, who in the old conven-
ton days controlled republican des-
tines in Latah county and who is
still believed to be as potent under
the direct primary as the politicians
propose to see that those primaries
are conducted A. V. Chamberlain
of Occur d'Alene. former chairman
of the republican county central COM
mittee of Kootenai county. and
recognized among politicians all over
the state as one of the shrewdest
manipulators; G. W. Thompson, the
famous political boss of Nez Perez
county, to whose manipulation it is
generally conceded that the revolu-
tionary combination was worked out
at the last state convention, where
so many states were broken and
French was defeated in the face OF
the fact that he had a majority OF
the convention pledged to him; H
p. Knight attorney for the liquor
interests in the appeals argued dur
ing the week before the superm,
court, formerly an active democrati,
politician in the old Steunenberl
Aatof when ne lNCu III OnOoAOui
county, but now one of the reliabl,
republican politicians of Coeu
d'Alene; Major Fred R. Reed il
whose bonnet there has long been
congressional bee buzzing; John w
Hart, acting governor Of the stat
and generally believed to be one o
the shrewdest politicians in the state
an opponent of local option unit
pledged by the party convention. an
even then luke-worm advocate
so luke warm, In fact. that the liquo
interests up to the very end of tn
local option fight in the legislature
laid claim to his support
In addition to this formidabl
array of old-time political talent
there were here state officials. ca
cepting. of course. Governor Brad