The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1915-04-22

publican party The case of Senator
Poindexter Is quite different from that
of the ordinary progressive who re-
turns to the republican party. In the
first place, he was elected to the senate
as a republican, and it is significant to
state in passing that his republicanism
was questioned at that time by repub-
leans Of the state Of Washington who
had known him as a democrat But
he went 10 the senate as republican
and II was up to him then to prove his
sincerity In affillating with the party
Did he do it? He did not. On the
contrary, he furnished conclusive evil
dence that the suspicious resting
against him We're well founded. He
was one of the most active in foment-
lnB lIOuple WHICH tulIIluAleu III lIle
formation of the progressive party,
and most vehement in his denunc4a
ton Of those who refused to abandon.
the republican party. He slandered
and maligned them in the most in
sulting manner, and his interview in
a Spokane paper last Sunday shows
that he has not changed his attitude
toward them, albeit he now claims to
be a republican and would affiliate
with them again.
Even this could possibly be over
looked, but his record in congress since
that time should be held against him
for all time. With the meeting of the
new congress he registered as a pro.
gressve, the only one in the senate,
and professed to be adhering to the
true principles of the republican party
as represented by Lincoln. How well
he practiced those principles Is shown
by the fact that he lined up with the
democrats in the senate on practically
every question upon which party lines
were drawn, even to the extent OF Vot-
ing for the free trade Underwood tariff
bin. Is 1t any wonder mat his repup-
lcanism is questioned now? Is it to
be wondered at that he is suspected
of simply trying to use the republican
party as means to be returned to the
senate?
The introduction of the resolution
calling for information regarding tine
smelter trust investigation, to which
Mr.. Norman attaches so much import
ance, signifies nothing. Any senator
could have presented the resolution
without compromising himself in the
least Such resolutions are often Of
fered merely as an accommodation to
a constituent. If his act in this case
was service to the people of this
district, 1t was an insignificant offset
to the damage he did in helping reduce
the tariff on lead 2pd zinc, thus open
ing the way for the Importation of the
peone produced ores of Mexico.
The Idaho senators probably de-
clined to introduce the resolution for
a double reason. First, although the
investigation had direct bearing on
mining operations in Idaho, no request
for action had evidently come to them
from this state; and second Mr.. Nor
man being a resident of the state of
Washington, his request should natur-
ally be taken up by a senator from
that state.
SO far as the Miner knows there Is
no specific proof required to estab-
fish ones republcanism, but common
decency would suggest that he should
be reasonably consistent in supporting
the fundamental principles Of the
party and that he should credit the
rank and file of the organization with
as high a sense of honor as he claims
Polndexter shows that he does neither,
and 1t Is right that his republication
should be questioned
DR.. MOWERYS STATEMENT