The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1915-09-24


"the Old Bay State" Massachusetts.
still clings to the annual election, and
il comes to pass that in that state
they have politics served all the year
around; for no sooner is the COVER
nor seated in Office the first Wednes-
day of January than the politicians
begin to pull wires for the next years
choice; and occasionally, as this sum-
mer, it gives them hot politics through
the heated term of the year. That
state has been passing through a
transition period during recent wears.
and while for a long time only Re.
publicans were chosen to Office, more
recently Democrats have been chosen
for governor, but only once has the
Democratic state ticket won out, and
that only for one year; several of
Democratic governors were able men.
and on their personal merits and re-
cord easily secured reelection, some
times serving three terms. Senator
Lodge is an able man, and Massachu-
sets will probably follow her Gus
tom of keeping him in congress as
long as he lives or desires reelection;
but of late years he has been losing
his grip on the Republican machine:
and few years ago a Mr.. Foss,
manufacturer near Boston, differed
sharply with him, and was treated TO
a cold shoulder" by the party lead
ers; he then offered himself to the
Democrats, or rather they easily per-
suaded him to accept a nomination
from then: that has been frequent
practice with them; when they saw
rent in the opposite party lines they
have abandoned their own long time
wheel-horses, and called on some
"black-balled" Republican to carry
their standard; and sometimes when
national politics have been mixed, or
during some time of some new poll
teal gospel, they have carried an cleo
ton, and, as said above, if the man
showed himself worthy he would get
two or three terms. Three years
has been the usual limit, except dur
ing the Civil War. when Governor
Andrew served much longer; and
hundred years ago under the old Fed
eralist party, governors sometimes
served ten or more years at time.
Foss accepted the nomination, was
reelected twice and attempted ano-
Their reelection; but by this time the
OClhO(ldlS ld0 OCRdH " Vi
and particularly after he tried to get
the nomination for president at the
Baltimore convention when Wilson
was nominated; that year the Demo
Gratis swept the state and chose Walsh
for governor, and he has done so we'll
that about the only fault now found
with him is that he is still Demo
crat; his party leaders, particularly
those of Boston, are not very warmly
for him. Meantime the Republicans
having lost the governorship for two
years, are trying hard this year to Sc
cure for nominee man who can Sc
cure the Office; last year a former
congressman named Mccall. who
made a fine record in Washington,
but was rather independent, was the
party nominee after a rather warm
primary campaign; he failed by few
votes; but the Republicans carried all
the other state Offices; the Lieutenant
Governor was named Cushing; in
most of the states of the Union the
lieutenant governor is only zone who
stands and waits" in our state and
Connecticut, and l do not know how
many other states, he presides over
the senate, with a vote in case of a
tie; in Massachusetts, there is what is
is called the Governors Council. an
institution which has survived since
Colonial days; the state is divided in
to some four or FIVE districts called
council districts, and men chosen to
be the governors advisors; in case of
appointive officers they vote on the
governors nomination, which. as it
includes all the judges of the state,
who hold Office for life. makes their
Office of some consequence, all the
state papers, like proclamations, are
issued by the governor, with the ad-
vice and consent of the Council: and
the lieutenant governor is a member
of that council, but does not preside
over the senate. So the lieutenant
governorship has been considered an
excellent training in state-craft. and
often been the stepping stone to the
governors chair. Mccall being de-
feated last year it was generally sup
posed he was down and out" for that
Office, and Lieutenant Governor Cush-
ing aspired for it; but McCalPs
friends believed him better man to
win from the Democratic Walsh. For
the past two years the Progressives
have been in the field, and Prohibit
ton and Labor also; but this year
the Progressive leader announced he
would not stand again. Prohibition is
burning subject and William Shaw:
long the very acceptable Secretary OF
the Young Peoples Society OF Chris
tian Enedavor, announced himself a
candidate for the primary on certain
conditions, but has now Withdrawn;
thus all through the summer heat the
political pot has been sizzling hot and
boiling over: and to make all the more
steam in the voters kitchen. Foss'
who was supposed to be politically
dead has come to life, and is very
much alive; ne is acknowledged to be
a shrewd politician; and early in the
year declared he had always been a
Republican, although the standard
bearer of the Democrats several years