Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1912-10-17
The Views Of : Republican On
The Political Situation
By G. w. DEMpSTER

When word came from Lewiston that
the Democrats and Republicans who
feared an open hight with Roosevelt
had won their point in the supreme
/ court, and that we should be denied
the right OF having the names OF our
candidates for presidential electors ap-
pear on the ballot. my first impulse
was to vote for Taft electors. realizing
that the fight ID between Roosevelt and
Wilson. and knowing that four electors
from this state for Taft would be Of
no service to him. whereas am COM
PEELED to admit that Wilson looks dan
gerous And SO argued that vote
for Taft would be only half vote for
Wilson.
The majority. however. seemed to
take the position that the rank Unjust
ice. the un-American spirit shown by
those who have endeavored to put a
formidable opponent out OF the running
before the fight. by running to the SUI
preme court: the yellow streak in
those who feared to fight Roosevelt a
fair open fight before the people, would
SO disgust the rank and file Of the
voters that they would be willing to go
out of their road enough to write in
the names of the presidential electors.
l did rot share in this opinion at first,
but after talking with many voters
have concluded THAT In my fear that the
voters would not go to this end to gain
a square deal. l was wrong, and that
they were right who commended that
there are enough voters in Idaho who
like justice and who are sufficiently
Uniformed upon the issues to write in
the names of the electors.
In the south the Democrats contrive
to dtsfranchise tire negroes or intimi-
date them from voting; In Idaho the
Democrats and Taft Republicans con-
spire together to disfranchise white
Republicans and Progressives. 1t re-
mains to be seen whether or not they
shall be allowed to deprive US of our
tights. The reason that the negroes
can be deprived Of voting IL that they
are generally ignorant, but this condi-
ton does not exist among the intelli-
gent men and women of Idaho who
think for themselves and know that
Roosevelt is fighting the fight Of the
common people. In spite Of the dec
laration of one Penrose that the null
themselves" l believe that they are.
Mr.. Penrose made this startling dec
laration in attacking Roosevelt for
daring to advocate a real government
by the people. He told the people they
did not know enough to govern them
selves, and then asked them b prove 1t
by voting for Taft. Such a statement
might have applied a thousand or two
10
apply today.
For some time past have seen what
has been seen by every close observer
of political affairs. namely. that the
fight is entirely between Roosevelt and
Wilson. This attempt to disfranchise
the voters of Idaho is only another of
the thousand evidences that both Dem
ocrats and machine Republicans recog-
nize Roosevelt as the man to beat.
Realizing that they could not win in
an open battle of ballots they attempt
ed to take dastardly advantage of
their opponent by not allowing the
VOTERS to cast their votes for Roose
welt. They did not reckon that the
people of this common wealth were in
telligent and had sufficient education
to center upon four names for presi
dental electors and write those names
in upon the ballot thereby voting for
Roosevelt. in spite of this ignoble at
tempt to deprive the people of express
sing their wish at the polls in No
vember.
The story Of the present struggle of
the greatest living man on earth, the
truest friend the people of this genera
ton ever had, Theodore Roosevelt,
against the great corporations that are
usurping the rights OF the common
people, reads like Gulliver's Voyage
to Lippiput. Indeed, as one turns
the leaves Of Dean" Swift's MASTER
piece. merriment gives way for amaze
ment, and the whole satire seems a
wonderful prophecy of the political war
of 1912. Read II you can without noting
the comparison, how the little men
tied CULVER. only to see their strong
est ropes snapped by the strength OF
the big fellow; how when they saw him
gain his freedom they rained their |
shafts upon him without effect; how |
they conspired to kill him by means Of
poisoned arrows, yet feared the stehch |
with which his colossal carcass would |
fill their country II they killed him; |
and how one Of the little men, more |
daring than the rest, tickled the man |
nose with his half-pike |
the big man to sneeze, and |
put the wouldbe explorers to
flight.
Let these modern political Lillipu-
tians beware lest their shafts OF false
hood chance to tickle the nose of
Roosevelt. and they get
blown away by the violence Of his
sneexe. His enemies tried to tie him
down last spring through the use Of
patronage. and through hand picked
delegates to the National Postmasters'
at Chicago. But through
sheer strength with a grateful people.
Roosevelt broke their rotten strings.
and by the people themselves, he was