The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1913-08-29
Pertinent NEWSO OF
State WITH OUR
own Comment
Millions of Bushels of Wheat
Raised on Idaho
Dry Lands.
DISPUTE GROWS WARM


Will Continue Development Work
Dietrich Upholds Right of the
State-Nugent for Senator.
Who ever thought of Bannock
county as anything except the place
of abode of Pocatello and Mccain
mon with its counter attraction in the
"Gate City" business? Or who ever
thought of Pocatello except as the
residence of Senator Brady, a motley
crew of Bannock Indians, toughnuts
and whatnots1 Nobody ever did and
the fact shows that there is some
thing radically wrong with the think
ing apparatus of most of u.s.. Bannock
county and Pocatello have a great
many things besides their spectacular
attractions. For one thing the coun-
ty is one of the greatest wheat pro-
oucers in the state and Pocatello is its
county seat Estimates of this years
Srain crop are placed as high as twen-
ty million bushels, although the more
conservative estimators place the fig
ures at between ten and fifteen mil
lion bushels. Taking the lowest fig
ure the greatness of the farming in
dustry must startle all of US. In ad-
dition Pocatello is the center and
metropolis OF a section of Idaho that
will this year produce between so and
rs million bushels of grain. South
eastern Idaho has developed wonder
fully within the past few years. Sci
entific principles applied to dry farm
ing have wrought wonders. Millions
OF acres, that for years were consid-
cred nothing but desert waste, are
now producing immediately and con-
tinuously Today there is more mon
ey in dry farming in southeastern Ida
no than there is under irrigation.
Wheat, oats and even alfalfa are rails
ed IN abundance without the applica-
ton of water except that which falls
on the just and the unjust alike.
A magnificent empire is compre-
hended by the dry farming section of
Idaho. The southeast proper and the
two counties of Blaine and Cassia
have an area of 23,5l5 square miles
or upwards of 100000 acres, or
nearly half the entire area of England
and Wales combined. Of course a
considerable part of this is in noun
tains mutilated, frequently, by forest
reserves. But the people farm away
back IN the mountains as they do in
the Long Valley country. Is there
any wonder this people is a proud
people and somewhat given to domi-
neering the rest of the state?
The foregoing reflections were
Drought to mind by a recent issue
Of the Pocatello Tribune which pur-
ported to give reliable estimates on
hammock county. Others who have
visited the southeast this year corrob-
crate the estimates made.
The Dispute is Warming Up.
A very pleasant dispute is in pro-
gress between Governor Haines, aid
ed and assisted by Secretary Davis,
and Hon. G. H. Martin having Chair
man J. H. Gipson as his intermediary
and second. The arguments usually
get through Mr.. Gipson and to the
Capital News thus giving Mr.. Martin
the entire moral support of the Pro-
gressive party. The question in dis
pute is the priority of adoption of the
short ballot idea. Mr.. Martin thinks
that he got it among the first and
proves the assertion by priority of
PRONUNCIATION. Mr.. Haines had it in
his system for some time but awaited
the psychological moment for an
nouncing his affection. We are thank
ful the authorship Of the idea is not
IN dispute. The short ballot idea is
not of such Minerva-like perfection
in wisdom that the virtue of discovery
10 any great advantage, neither is pri-
GRITTY of adoption any great credit. In
fact we rather admire him who was
able to hold out the longest and
rather suspect the majority of the
people are the same. The sole virtue
the short ballot has is a semblance OF
popularity.
The only advantages claimed for
the short ballot 10 that 1t relieves the
voter OF judging SO many candidates
before election and keeping tab on SO
10 to make few men directly re-
sponsible for government The fewer
the men the shorter and better the
ballot. Reduced to its last idea Will
liam the Second OF Germany would be
the personifcation of the short bal
lot in all its glory. His ballot would
size up we'll to cipher with the rim
knocked off. However, 1t is some
little way from downright popular
government. Vesting government in
few men tends to centralize and con-
centrate government which is the d.
rect opposite OF popular government.
A eoncomitant with the short ballot
advocate Is the initiative and refer
endum. In this case one function of
government 10 to be scattered to the
four winds. The advocate Of the two
says to the voters, "You are mighty
good judges of laws but mighty poor
judges of human nature. You are
capable of deciding questions which
able lawyers and learned judges de-
x,otetheir lives to solving but when
comes to electing a state auditor
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