Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1916-07-01
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION
POLITICS AND
PUSINE SIS

Nv NNNbt NfOiy pOdJ has uCdIu dt
some time in their lives that bust.
ness and politics will not mix, but
il Is becoming more and more i'm
pressed on the minds of men and
women who pay pretty strict atten-
tion to the trend of affairs that ii
might be a pretty good thing to mix
a little business with politics. 1t
seems that ii politics could be re.
duced to a straight business propo-
sition the result may prove benefit
clal to the taxpayers. We agree
heartily with this sentiment, but are
still firm in the belief that there can
be no mixing of business and poll
tics when a big industry goes into
politics for the sole purpose of adj
vancing its own interests through the
medium OF legislation, because it is
almost as certain as death that some
other industry is going to suffer if
the representatives of that industry
succeed at the polls. When a lot
men have banded themselves to make
fight for what they consider their
rights and have succeeded in electing
men who favor their position, it is |
fair to assume from past perform
ances that in their zeal to protect
their own interests by legislative en-
actment they are very apt to lose
sight entirely of the fact that they
are begislating out of existence some
other industry that is of just as much
importance to he welfare of the
state as their own might be.
Unfortunate as the condition may
seem, the campaign just opening at
this time is going to resolve itself in
to fight between the sheepmen and
the cattlemen of the state to see
which will gain control of the legisla-
tme. Ever since the first of the
year the cattlemen have been work
ing diligently perfecting an organiza-
ton through which they hope to
present solid front and poll a solid
vote for legislative candidates who
will enact legislation favorable to
their interests. They are out in the
open; they make no secret Of what
their purpose Is, and we take it for
granted that as natural consequence
the sheepmen will exert every influ-
ence at their command to protect
themselves and their industry. II
either side gains sufficient strength
to put over the desired legislation
without any great amount of aid
from neutral sources, the effect on
the state as whole will not be as
disastrous as II both sides elect
considerable number of men, for in
the event of such a condition every
bill that goes before the legislature
will be considered on the basis of
trading asset for the vote of one or =
the other Of the warning factions
rather than from the standpoint of
merit or the welfare of the state at
large. =
The fight of the cattlemen will be -
to have the priority rights law re-
tanned and to have the herd district
law repealed. If the sheepmen gain
control they will certainly have the
priority rights law repealed and they =
may endeayor TO have the herd dis -
-rict law retained on the statute
books. The success of either side
will work to the detriment Of the
other, but still there seems no way of
avoiding that very condition unless Is
he people of the state, in sections
where neither OF these industries te
lave any great hold, will send good, tn
Iolid, well balanced men who are Co
absolutely neutral in this range fight O.
o represent them in the Legislature, IL
md then see to it that those men o
,xert themselves to the end that 10
hese big industries get a square
leal The state cannot afford to al
lave legislation enacted that will j..
work any great hardships upon either
# them We need both in equal In
Measure and 1t should be looked up
IN by every voter as his duty to do tn
within his power to see qu
hat whatever legislation is enacted
Will be of such nature as to promote Be
he interests of both these industries Oh
ather than destroy one of them in
he interest of the other. There S.
must be some middle ground upon 81
Which this range question can be to
olved in fairness to all concerned,
nut just solution will never be ac- Be
emphasized by the representatives of pr
ither side of the controversy, and in err
be interests of harmony and good an
dill among our citizens and for the
'elfare OF our stale it must be justly B.
Dlyed. sec