The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1914-11-06

imaginary, of the convention of for
meT days is still too recent and too
preJudiced 10 make its restoration
feasible. In the absence of anv ap-
proved measure, there will doubtless
be so many and such divergent
schemes proposed at the next session
as TO make agreement or compromise
impossible during the few final DAYS
IN which the average legislature is
really at serious work Then, if and
when the proposition for repeal is ac-
tiVely taken up, an opposition and a
clamor will arise that are not heard
so long as the subject is only academ-
&c. The moment the subject takes
definite and authoritative form, the
self-constituted friends of the Den-
pie will be furnished with fresh am
munltion in their waning war against
the bosses, the privileged classes, the
forces OF plutocracy and OF pelf and
ali the Otker favorite explosives. The
noise OF handful of demago Laes will
again be mistaken for the voice OF the
sovereign people, an there will be too
many WeaIl!LgS, I. filings, trrmmers
and vain Upstairs who fancy tn y have
Just started on great political career
t. enable dny neat.Nay to be made in
such an atmosphere. At the present
time many unsteady people are ag-
grleved at the law simply because they
or their favorites failed to win places
on the ticket under its provisions
They care little or nothing for the
public penalties and injustice it works,
but care verv much for the personal
disappointment they have suffered
Their outcry will not last long, or be
OF any assistance in solving serious
question. On the contrary they will
be back, many of them, championing
the so-called peoples cause should the
issue once be Suuarely put.
But perhaps overshadowing all of
these reasons in determining the
probable fate of the question is the
result of Tuesdays election. The can
didates and the political party carry
ing the day then will probably lose all
incentive for the repeal of the meas
ure that brought them to their goal
The losers will have an added griev-
ance, but they then will be in the
minority and powerless. Other con
siderations, more local and incidental
will have a bearing on the subject
For one thing, it is generally agreed
that the Mormon church will oppose
repeal of any remedial amendment.
The church is now able to make the
nominations of the dominant party
and could also make them for the
minority party should it see occasion
to switch or even to divide its vote. 1t
is not believed this church has the
slightest intention of relinquishing
any part of this power, or any other
power SO long as it can prevent. The
church can, of course, defeat a repeal
or remedial bill in the legislature
either through parliamentary tactics
or by trafficking on some of the bills
which may mean a great deal to vari-
GUS sections or interests, and to pro-
cure which legislators are willing to
make many sacrifices. Take county
division bills, for instance, or appro-
priations for the institutions, to say
nothing of prohibition, in which sub
jects as we'll as on any others of inter-
est to them, the Mormons will as eff
fectually decide the law of the state
as they do the nominations and the
elections. The primary law itself fur
niShes another source of difficulty in
arriving at any effectual result on
this, or amy other public topic. The
operations of this law have had the
effect of preventing or discouraging
organized, coherent action as party
policy or public policy, and an indi-
vidual scramble for offices and for
legislation is about all that is left If
this estimate of state politics is severe,
it is probably not too severe in view
of the wretched and costly results at
which the whole state is rising I'M pro-
test and wrath, yet without know
ing which way to turn for relief.
OF course, this is no time for people
who have been disappointed, deceived
and betrayed in their politics to fold
their hands, to go fishing, to take to
the woods or otherwise evade their
own share of responsibility in the past
and in the future of the politics and
the goverance of their state. The
| first step to something better is il