The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1916-09-08
THE


have evidently done some thinking
before going to the polls to record
their preferences, and they have in
some things shown evidence of sane
thinking and of being consistent and
natural. People may talk and joke
and make fun, but after all, the pub
lie have done some things that show
seriousness and a disposition to keep
within safe lines on things vitality
affecting their welfare. They have
in some respects shown a disposition
to rebuke officials who offended a
principle, and while they do that
there is hope for clean government.
They have in some respects indicated
that they have courage to maintain
q principle and to be loyal to those
who merit loyalty.
County Attorney and Sheriff
We have stated before that the one
vital matter that appealed to people
all over the county was the laws per-
tanning to drinking and gambling,
and thoughtful men and women
everywhere went to the polls with
that in mind. The vote to re-elect
the sheriff and prosecuting attorney
in the face of all the conflicting
stories invented and circulated, and
the exaggerations attending some in
cidents, seem to have been consider
ed with a grain of salt and the one
point kept in mind, that no big de-
liberate mistakes had been made
that could be charged to either Of
fetal, and since they both stood for
a principle, that was kept in mind
by the voters and the principle was
sustained. Their nomination was a
vote of confidence to those officials.
The Two Assessors
The vote on the assessor and his
opponent was a compliment to both
men. There was no charge of lack
of fitness in either case, and it was
simply a question of whether a man
who had served one term could be
beaten by another man who was less
.-nown and striving for the place
merely because he offered his service.
It was a good natured contest with
no principle at stake, and it is doubt
full II even the personality Of the
men cut much figure. If each of
them had been in the others place
1t is likely the results would have
been about the same.
Loyalty to a Principle
Peter G.. Johnston received a vote
that correspondent with his record
$nn fo - = En- IN n an1 LSn 1Nxyo1kxy 81
the temperance cause and the tenn
perance laws as they read today. He
was one of the authors of the pres
ent stringent statutes, and was nom
mated to serve again by about such
a vote as was given to Simmons and
Adair for enforcing the law as it
stands.
County Superintendent
The Ease of Mrs. Faulconer defeat
ing Mrs. Smith for county superin-
tendent was a surprise to many peo-
pie, and when analysed it was found
that people charge that the present
incumbent is considered too arbit-
rary, and that failure to have their
own Judgment recognized and acted
upon in matters where they were
concerned brought them to the polls
to deliver their recall. Mrs. Smith
did little If any campaigning and If
there was activity in behalf of the
other candidate it evidently brought
results. There las been a strong
demand for a man to fill this posi-
ton, the complaint being generally to
the effect that a woman is either
too arbitrary as is alleged in the
present case, or is too much disposed
to listen to SANDER and scandal when
Injected into school matters and let
them run their course while acting
upon the supposition that all the
salacious reports about anyone are
true. We have had county superin-
tendents in this county who were al
ways ready to listen to such stuff
and accept it as true without any
proof, and go out and act upon it.
1t is generally believed that a man
in that position would not be guilty
of such o~ffenses.
Notorious Person
The case of Mr.. Dickinson seeking
nomination for a place he had served
with notoriety, and appealing to the
vets on the ground that he proposes
to loosen the lid by legislative en-
actment and make it legal for a man
to ship in liquor for his own use,
brought a surprise to the general
public because he polled a good vote.
1t was pretty generally known to the
vets what his intention is, and it
was not surprising that he should re-
ceive their votes, but he evidently re-
ceived some of the dry vote that help
ed nominate the sheriff while it also
went to Dickinson for reasons not
yet explained to the satisfaction of
the general public. Bingham county
and the town of Blackfoot have done
many freak things in the past few
years that have made of them a
laughing stock over the state; things
that have brought our citizenship in
to censure and contempt, and when
word goes over the state that the
county has again nominated a man
to 70 to Boise who once brought the
county much disagreeable notoriety,
the county will again take it's place
in the minds of thinking people as
a place they might not care to live
in. Those who know about the Sage
case and his part in it; those who