The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1915-11-18
PRIMARY LAW AND 0. v. ALLEI

ton OF o. v. Allen In the last pri-
mary election. He gave the Boise Daily
Statesman the credit for turning the
trick by saying that 1t knew all about
Aliens crooked work and had the Boise
paper refused to support him he would
mot have been nominated. We had no
idea that the Statesman was such an
influential newspaper, and 1t certainly
ought to feel under obligations to the
senator for giving 1t such a boost. Such
an estimate of the influence of news
paper coming from q politician OF ma
tionai repute is flattering in the sx-
IRENE. and the Boise paper Is to be con-
graduated. But the Signals attempt
to put Borah right Is little amusing.
1t says that the senator's remarks could
mot be construed as referring to the
Republican papers OF the state, We
are not willing to let 1t go at that
and assume that the Boise Statesman's
support Is equivalent to a nomination
on the Republican ticket In this state
The fact OF the matter Is. and Borah
and his enthusiastic newspaper sup
'porters know 1t to be fact, the pri-
mary law. and not the Boise Statesman.
was responsible for Aliens nomination.
-Culdesac Enterprise.
The Signal has too high regard for
Brother O'Donnell to think he would be
unfair In the discussion OF matter of
Importance, but we must confess that
the foregoing smacks of unfairness
Brother ODonnell is too intelligent to
misconstrue the Signals language into
anything like suggestion that the
Boise Statesman or amy single nesuspa-
per In the state could nominate a man
for office regardless OF his fitness for
the position.
The statement OF Senator Borah, re-
peated by the Signal, was that respon-
sibility rested with a certain newspa-
per, which was the leader of the OPP
position to the primary law, rather than
with the law itself, for the nomination
Of o. v. Allen The name of the news
paper was not mentioned but 1t has
been common talk ever since the Alien
Coleman exposure that months before
parties went to Governor Haines and
told of the money Allen and his broth
or were spending In the purchase OF
ranch straightforward of dollars in a
single purchase-and warned the gov
ernor that something must be wrong.
When the governor refused or failed to
act. the same party, or parties went
TO the owner of the Boise Statesman
and tried to enlist his support in a
movement to investigate the affairs Of
Allen and his accounts with the state.
but he, too, refused to take the initia
tive. Notwithstanding he expressed hds
conviction that things were rotten in the
state house.
Now, when this same newspaper at
tackled the primary and cited Ailen's
nomination as an evidence Of its failure
to accomplish what it's sponsors claim
ed for 1t. Senator Borah naturally threw
the blame where 1t belonged--on the
newspaper, or newspapers, II there were
others. which knowing there was some
thing wrong failed to give the people
the benefit of their knowledge and sup
pressed facts which the Signal and one
or two other newspapers IN the state
would have given much to possess
The mere support. or mon support. of
o. v. Allen by the Statesman might
have made no difference m the result.
but If the Statesman had announced its
opposition to him and had accompanied
that announcements with the facts in
Its possession. o. v. Allen would have
been buried under an avalanche OF
votes for the reason that every other
newspaper In the state would have pub
lished the truth and the voters. know
Ing he was unworthy. would have re-
fused him their support In short the
thing which Senator Borah criticised
was the attempt to throw upon the
individual voters the blame for NOD
defeating man whose perfidy they
were ignorant OF. while the very organ
making the charge SUPPRESSED Its knowl.
edge of his SHORTCOMINGS
The statement that the primary wal
responsible for the nomination Of al.
hem is as unfounded as the statement
that Senator Borah traduced the entire
press of the state. The same influ-
ences which suppressed the news Of AL.
lens misconduct and questionable trans
actions until 1t was too late for tn.
Republican voters to get ut him in tn.
primary and sent Attorney General Pet
erson and other members of the stat
house crowd over the state to pleas
his cause, would have controlled a par
ty convention. and the little camp FOL
lowers OF the Statesman and Idaho,
official plunderbund would have worhes
over time In the interest Of the rims
at a convention just as they did Il
the primaries.
The Signal had an inlling that some
thing was wrong. but was checkmate'
twice In Its efforts to get at the truth
and one man who had promised us 4
help In the Investigation we were ma
king was given position to keep hi
mouth shut. Notwithstanding We wer
unable TO get THE facts and dared no
make a public charge for fear of bein
mistaken and running the risk Of II
bel suit, we were satisfied in our owl
mind that Allen should be defeate'
and we wrote him that his candidac
was "a blunder and his nomination
would be a party calamity" II tn
other Republican newspapers OF tn
state had done the same thing he woul
have been defeated. Many Of ther
doubtless did not know his official con
duct was under suspicion. but Others
particularly those who are trying I
shift the blame somewhere else. di
know there was lot Of smoke an