Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1914-05-16
LET THE PEOPLE
DECIDE AT POLLS
Senator 5orah Offered Resolution
to Place Repeal Of Canal Tolls
Before Electors.


the caption of Senator Borah ID
Wise; let the people determine" re
Gently appeared the following editoria
TN the Washington Post:
Senator Borah on May Q offered
In the Senate the follwoing resolu
ton which Is so eminently in accord
with the spirit of our institutions that
It Is exceedingly difficult to per-
ceiye how any senator can vote
against 1t.
Whereas the three political part
les now represented in the executive
and legislative departments of the
government, and which alone viii
have to do with the pending legis.a-
ton, went before the voters in the
last national campaign solemnly COM
mitted to the policy and the justice
of exemption of tolls from American
vessels engaged in coastwise trade;
and
Whereas the three candidates for
the Presidency individually declared
In favor of the justice and the Wis
dom, Notwithstanding such pledges
and platforms, to impose tolls
upon American vessels engaged In
coastwise trade; and
Whereas national honor and the
fundamental principles OF represen-
tative government require that we
deal In the utmost good faith with
the electorate, and that all public
servants carry out the pledges solemns'
ly made to the people and upon and
by reason of which pledges they are
delegated to act for the people, and
Whereas at the approaching No
yember election the entire House OF
Representatives and 80 members of
the Senate are to be elected, all OF
whom must be elected by popular
vote: and
Whereas In this way referendum
for all practical purposes may be
had upon this Important question
heretofore submitted to the people
and
Whereas no injury Of any moment
can possibly arise or be incurred by
reason OF delaying the passage of
this bill for the next few months:
therefore.
BE 1t resolved, That a vote upon
H. R. 1885. providing for the repeal
of that poortion of the act of August
"a, 1912, providing for the exemp-
ton of tolls upon vessels engaged In
coastwise trade shall be postponed uR,
til after the convening of Congress,
December z, 1914, to the end that
this matter may again be submitted to
the voters OF the United States whose
right and privilege 1t Ia to finally de-
termine this question
"Sepa:or Borah favors committing
the people.
Senator Borah knows well the
condition the Republican party found
itself In during the campaign of 1912
was brought ON by it's failure to car
ry out the platform pledges given
In 1908 In the manner and spirit that
the people understood they would
be carried out.
Every Democratic member of the
United States Senate Is aware of the
calamity to the Republican party that
followed as the result of its failure
to carry out it's platform pledges
1T Is not possible for the Democrats
10 party to escape the political disas-
ter that 1t will merit If 1t repudiates
the platform pledge and the candi-
dates promise as to the tolls exemp-
ion on American coastwise vessels
passing through the canal,
Let them indulge in no illusory VI
slons as to that fact.
'The great majority Of the Ameri-
can people 10 against repeal.
"The yaSt majority of the rank
and file of the Democratic party Ia
strongly patriotic and favors a policy
OF Americanism.
1.-THE vast majority of the rank
and file believe implicitly in every