The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1914-12-24
STRANGE IF TRUE


Tribune a day or two ago, the Miner
was surprised to notice a statement
from correspondent of that journal
to the effect that Hon. Moses Alex
ander, democratic governor-elect OF
Idaho, would be tho first member OF
his faith to be chief executive o!
any state.
Comparatively few persons pay any
attention to the race OR creed of men
in public life, SO that the average
citizen is not an authority upon a
subject Of this kind, but if the fore.
going statement is true it is rather
remarkable.
Montana once came very nearly
having a member of the Jewish race
as governor of this state far nearer
probably than most citizens of this
state are aware, the question turn
ing upon the count in the democratic
state convention held in Helena in
1900, when Hon. H. L. Frank was q
candidate for the nomination against
Hon. Joseph X. Toole.
A nomination at that time on the
fusion ticket was equivalent to an
election, and some persons will al,
ways believe that Mr.. Frank lost out
through an error in the count of
votes.
Without question the most promi-
nent man the Jews have contributed
to public life in this country was
Hon. Judah P. Benjamin, who was
United States senator from Louisiana
when the war between the states
broke out, and was afterward at
torney-general, secretary Of war and
for three years secretary of state in.
the Confederate cabinet.
Mr.. Benjamin was a man OF sur
passing ability. for he escaped after
tho war to England, where he be-
came a leader Of the bar, acquiring
practice estimated at between $7O,-
600 to $4,000 a year.
Dying, he left behind him a monu-
ment in the shape Of his famous legal
work, benjamin on Sales"
If it be true that Mr. Alexander
is the first jew to become governor
of state, it seems passing strange,
although the Miner can freely admit
that it has not paid sufficient atten-
ton to the creeds of prominent men
to either deny or confirm the state
ment.-Butte Miner.
The reason more Jews are not the
chosen people in the political as we'll
as the commercial world is because
81 very few of them are politically
inclined. We believe the political
arena will record less unsuccessful
Jews than any other nationality. in
comparison to the number of Jewish
aspirants.
Adolph Sutro, an English Jew, was
elected mayor of San Francisco on
the Democratic ticket about the tim,
OF the reign of Dennis Kearrey and
the anti-Chinese riots. He too posed
as an anti-monopolist and a friend
OF the workingman, and against poll
tical graft and extravaganza, He was
the promoter of the famous Sutro
tdnnel that ventilated and made nos.
sible the successful working of The
Comstock mines. After selling his
tunnel for $1,000, 900 he invested it in
the sand dunes of San Francisco,
where he built the finest bath house
IN the world at that time. and made
the beautiful Sutro park which over
looks the Pacific ocean and the Cliff
House. Close by he started the subur.
ban town Of Richmond which in a
few years had a population of 10000
suburban residents. He also estab-
lished five cent car fare from Fris.
co to the ocean, distance of about |
rs miles. He was too nervous and
excitable to get any pleasure or profit
out of politics, and too outspoken and
candid to cope with scheming politi- |
clans who worried him to death which
occurred soon after his term ex-
PRED. He died at his home in the
park where he lived with a maiden
daughter who was robbed of her ia
theirs corpse before it was cold by
married sister living in San Fran
cisco, the wife of prominent doc
tor. His estate was left badly en-
numbered and the prey of soulless
lawyers.
julius Kahn of San Francisco has
been prominent congressman since
he defeated Thomas Barry, editor of
he Star, twenty years ago. and has
been an honor to his race
State Senator Eddie Wolf has been