Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-07-19
THE IDAHO POLITICAL PRoD1eAL SONS.


We imagine that when the prodgal son went to his
father he argued with him something after this manner:
Father my of life and the expense necessary
maintain in style suited to my station and i'll
cordance with the customs and habits OF those with whom
am associates the high cost OF living is Such ana the eX
pectaons of me by my friends OF such nature that
cannot possibly continue upon the allowance that you
have been making Now, you have abundant es-
tate which you intending to leave to any way just
give my share You will notneed and out OF it
will be able reduce my present disastrous financial
necessities such that the things that now press and annoy
will disappear, and moreover can make OF myself
the richest in the world with resources beyond the
dreams of any other man"
The father yielded to the prodigal's peadings gave
him his inheritance and sent him his way rejoicing.
The rejoicing however, for only time. The prodi
gal asceraned that changed conditions have their
problems that must be solved and their difficult
ties to be met lie soon found himself living upon huSkS
and again at his fathers door, broken starved suppant
for aid to meet his greater needs than those he believed
quitting when he began to spend his inheritance
Our Republican and Democratic politicians argue like
the prOdigal son. They say:
Our manner of life and the expense necessary toI
maintain state style suited to its station and in ac
cOdance with the customs and habits of her sister states
the high of administration is such and the expeca
lions OF her friends and those proud of her such
nature that she cannot possibly continue upon the
available Now there abundance in the
inheritance awaiting her. which should be hers to enjoy
now just give her that inheritance Immediately out of
she will be able to reduce her present financial distress
she will end her pressing necessities and bring prosperity
to all her people and moreover she can make of herself
the richest state in the world with money enough to en-
able her to live without expense and with funds beyond
the dreams of any other state that there will be no
taxes to pay
So having brought about intoerable condition of
nigh TAXATION the Republicans and Democrats are propos-
lng prodgal like to spend their Inheritance or even
worse to spend the inheritance the children of the state
and their arguments much like the arguments of the
spendthrft prodga The results if their demands are
granted to them will be like the results in the case of the
prodigal.
The Republican platform says:
Under existing methods disposition
amendment that win permit Of b sale
Of the agricultural lands Of the annually
The Democratic platform says:
the state to the extent Of 100 @
per year until the said lands OF
Suppose it does take centuries to dispose of these
lands, will not civilization last during those centuries?
Will there not be governmental problems solve then the
same there now? VIII not the fathers of the chill
dren of that day have much hardship to endure to edu
cate their children fathers have now? What right
have to take away from future generations those adj
vantages which intended to be permanent and what
right have to that burdens greater to
bear than will be the burdens of the futureq
The inheritance of these school lands was not given to
to waste spend 1t given for the benefit of
children forever If get rid of it all now we can
never replace and therefore, rob future generations
simply because we have been extravaganza reckless and
incompetent and because like the spendthrift and the
prodiga not content to our way and live
by our own exertions and our efforts
True, entitled to some of the benefits of this
Immense inheritance but not already taking
than share of it? What right have we to
demand opportunity to squander it ALL under
gments not whit better than those put up by the prod
GAL the results of our acts succeed promising, in