Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-07-02
SHARP CONTESTS
OVER PLATFORM
OF REPUBLICANS
Handling of Carey Act PROF
ects Matter of Debate in
Closing Hours of the
Convention.

The Republican state platform con-
vention finished its labors yesterday
afternoon after spirited contests over
a number of the planks that were
amended or rewritten and approved
The sharpest conflict broke over the
insertion of a plank scoring the hand
ling OF Carey act projects and urging
that some action be taken that will
lead to tho reinstatement of these
projects and bring relief to the settlers.
Owing to the fact that the convention
had. prior to reaching the Carey act
plank introduced by Senator Sweeley
of Twin Falls. approved a plank in
dorsing the efficient and business!ille
administration of the Republican state
officials" and the Sweeley plank ap-
peared to censure them, the delegates
thought the convention was being
placed in an inconsistent position and
they modified the Sweeley plank before
adopting it so as to give the appear
ance the convention was not criticizing
the present administration.
Allege Joker in Plank.
Although the convention adopted
what appears to be an anti-public util-
tiles plank patterned somewhat after
the plank Endorsed by the Twin Falls
convention, an impression now prevails
that It contains a joker in that 1t seeks
to amend the utilities act so as to per
NIT full development Of power and all
other resources OF the state" which
friends of the commission assert means
nothing less than an amendment to the
act seeking to take from the commits
sion the right to issue certificates of
public convenience and necessity, which
would nullify it's powers to an extent
that It's further existence would be IN
warranted. Senator Fairchild of Ada
county endeavored to gain the floor and
point this out but failed to secure a
second to strike out the plank,
Anti Prohibitionists Routed.
Representative Connor Of Bonner
county made fight on the working
mems compensation plank to secure
recognition of the work of the COM
pensation commission and was sue
cessful. Attacks were made on the
plank calling for the enactment of leg
islation putting the initiative, referen-
dunn and recall into effect without eff
feet and a conflict broke over the
plank calling for the sale of state lands
in larger quantities with the result this
plank was changed.
The anti prohibitionists made no re-
sistance on the floor of the convention
over the Endorsement of the prohibition
planks They realized the drys had
sufficient votes to carry the planks and
they were hopelessly in the minority.
Their main fight was made before the
platform convention, where they were
defeated. The planks were adopted on
a vote of 1871 $40 for and but 80 40
against.
Endorsement of the platform planks
sailed along smoothly until the COM
pensation plank was reached. Then A.
H Conner insisted that the plank be so
amended as to give recognition to the
wark of the compensation commission.
1t was explained by Senator Potts of
Kootenai county that this issue had
been tawen up by the platform COM
mittee but the committee did not con-
slider 1t was familiar enough with the
act drafted by the commits ion to in
1orse it, and therefore had not done so.
An attempt on the part of H. A.
Haussman of Idaho county to substi-
tute a plank cutting down representa-
ton in the legislature. to provide for a
one-house legislature failed He Of
fered the following substitutes: we
favor submission of a constitutional
amendment whereby the present form
of the legislature will be changed to
one house with a comparatively small
membership and with longer sessions
than are now in vogue"
S. L. Hodgin Of Ada county endeav-
ored to have substituted for the inia-
five referendum and recall miami the
state grange proviso covering this i'm
portant legislation, but he convention
decided to let the plank stand as re-
ported. This action was taken only
after a heated debate in which Senator
Fairchild gained the floor and accused
Chairman Hanson Of deliberately re-