The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1915-12-16
THE ATTITUDE OF SENATOR
BoRAH

has been spoiled and rendered ineffec
tive and useless through the pernicious
activity of fool friends The position
of Senator Borah at the national re-
publican convention in 1912 was one
party and has made him a possibility
for the republican nomination for pres
ident this year, albeit he disclaims any
intention Of seeking it. The fact that
he was an ardent progressive and took
Ia conspicuous part in the fight to seat
Roosevelt delegates, and then when the
bolt came he refused to leave the re-
publican party, combined to give him
commanding position with both the
regular and progressive elements. He
is therefore in position to WELD pow
erful influence in drawing the two
elements of the republican party to-
gether for the campaign of 1916, and
be it said to his credit he has been US
ing his influence earnestly to that end.
He has evidently recognized that the
situation Is not one sided that all the
patriotism and political honesty is not
concentrated in the ranks of the pro-
gressives, that the so-called stand
,atters are not wholly bad and that in
order to restore a united party each
ide must concede honesty of purpose
to the other and sincerely resolved to
accept the platform and nominees, of
the convention. That seems to be the
view taken by Senator Borah since he
has been devoting his efforts to har-
monizing the conflicting elements of
the republican party. But recent
issue of Golfers Weekly contains a
which the Idaho senator is placed in
quite different attitude. Not satisfied
with quoting the senator on numerous
questions now engaging public atten-
ton. Mr.. Allen undertakes to explain
Senator Borah's inner feelings toward
the republican party in a manner quite
at variance with popular understand
ing. , Mr. Allen says:
Senator Borah gets ready for the
contest of 1915 with full realization of
what another fight with the standpat
element means, He had control for
Roosevelt of all the contested cases
before the credentials committee at
Chicago in 1912, He knows what sort
of fight he is going into. He realizes
that the words safe and sane soon will
creep into the columns of the standpat
newspapers; that the country again
will be asked to sit in humility at the
feet of those who think that God gave
to a few men of big affairs the mis-
sion of saving representative govern
ment in their own way, for their own
and that the word sacred
wherever used in the constitution re-
fers exclusively to the right of prop
erty
This is the essence of the fight In |
1916 in the republican party, as it |
was in the fight of 1912. Progressive /
thought will not follow the conserva-
tive type. 1t is doubtful II it will ever
again trust the present leadership of
that type to be ordinarily honest in a
convention"
II this expression reflects the real
attitude of Senator Borah toward the
'epublican party then his usefulness
Is a peace maker is at an end. 1t
hould not be forgotten that the ele-
nent contemptuously referred to as
tandpat is the republican party, and
he leadership Of that party will COM
are favorably. to say the least, in or
mary honesty, with that OF the pre- s
entious organization which undertook I
0 wreck II in furtherance of the per-
onal ambition OF one man. The be-
rayal Of the republican party by Z
Roosevelt finds no counterpart for !
aseness in the political history Of the /
ountry, and it III becomes one OF his
blowers to even Intimate the absence !,
: ordinary honesty among the leaders "