The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1914-07-16
WHY NOT THREsH IT OUT NOW?

The Index fully concurs in the f
lowing very sensible editorial FRI
the Weiser Signal. 1t is a good til
right now, as the Signal suggests,
clean house. Let's have the facts:
"The first duty of Republicans
should be to relieve the organiza-
ton Of the necessity of defending
or apologizing for the acts of
candidates unworthy Of the sup
port of the electorate of the state
in short, to see that men are
nominated whose acts, official and
otherwise, cannot be attacked by
the opposition. The first duty
of a Republican newspaper should
be to point out the defects in the
armor of those seeking party
recognition to the end that only
good men may be chosen and par
ty success may be assured. This
is an unpleasant duty, and is usu-
ally avoided, because there is al
ways a demand that the press re-
main silent for harmony's sake,
but it is none the less a duty. As
between candidates of equal fit
ness the press should remain neu-
trail, but when the air is full of
rumors of exposures as soon as
the primaries are over in case
certain men are nominated, and
the alleged misconduct is fully
known to the members of the
press and all of the party leaders,
is it not the duty of Republican
newspaper men to give the Re-
publican voters the facts instead
of waiting until it is too late?
Republican voters are just as
anxious to see clean men nomi-
mated as the voters of any party,
but if the press yields to the de-
mand' for silence, how are they to
discriminate between the good and
the bad? Take for instance the
gubernatorial situation. 1t is
well known that in case of the
denomination of John NJ. Haines
the Democrats and Progressives
intend to throw a few broadsides
into US that may be extremely
disconcerting, to say the least.
They make no secret of the
charges they intend to spring.
Such being the case, is it not the
duty of Republicans to consider
those charges in advance of the
primaries. If they are such as
to preclude the possibility of
Haines' election is not our duty
as Republicans plain? If they
are untrue, should not they be
met now and then we can go into
the campaign with vigor and
force the fight instead of being
on the defensive? If Governor
Haines is not guilty of the Of
lenses laid at his door, he is en-
titled to a denomination and the
loyal support of every Republi-
can, but if he is guilty, would it
not be better for the party to
him at the primary and
go to bat in November with
man capable of shutting the other
fellows out?
"The Signal is anxious for par
~ harmony, but above all we are
for party purity and that means
party success. Holding such con-
we feel it to be the patri-
'tic duty of every Republican to
endeavor to get the facts, and if
careful investigation proves the
present governor unworthy OF the
of the voters he should
,e eliminated from the contest
IN September LIST instead of the
,arty being forced to go down to
iefeat with him in November.
The same thing is absolutely true
# at least one other aspiring
tate official. In view of the stu
ltion confronting US as party,
S not this the accepted time for
complete showdown in order
hat the voters may not approach
primary day, the day of our party
in ignorance of the real
1t is time the lead
RS and the press gave this matter
erious consideration. What say
he brethren?"