The Twin Falls times., 1916-10-31
ALEXANDER DRY
IN 1909 FIGHT
Leader in First Local Option
Battle in Boise
CONSIDERED ONE OF THE MOST
POWERFUL PROHIBITIONISTS.
Efforts of Statesman to Discredit His
Motives Repudiated by Minister at
That Time.

INOopOuuluB 10 al inquiry ulduc VI 81 /
leading citizen of Boise by THE
TIMES relative to the attitude of Gov
ernor Alexander on the wet and dry
question in the local campaign, reply |
published hereunder was received yes
terday, and shows that during the
fight over local option in Ada county
seven years ago, Alexander was a
leading spirit in the prohibition cause.
The communication follows:
As I recall dates the local option
law was passed in the session of 1903,
! just at the beginning of the Brady ad
ministraton. The election was called
in this county in the fall of that same
year That was the first time citi-
zens of this county had been obliged
to take sides The sensation of the
county campaign was a meeting called
at the big Methodist church at which
Alexander was the chief speaker. Gov
ernOr Brady attended, but ] am not
sure he spoke Alexander made a clear
and telling argument for the drys,
and it was common opinion here that
his address was the outstanding event
of the campaign as far as the drys
were concerned From that time on
there has never been any change in
his affiliations here locally. He was
the acknowledged leader of the move
ment that overthrow the old charter
and substituted the commission form
of government. That in itself came
near being a wet and dry fight. Of
course we lost the first local option
fight. And Alexander lost heavily at
the time, both from a political stand
point and possibly from a business
, standpoint as we'll, as the vets under
: took a boycott of all dry business and
.rr.a.- 49,
y held another local option election and
: lost it also, and we eventually went
= dry by legislative enactment. But
: the vets have never forgiven Alexan-
der for his stand and there are some
here today who will vote against him
because of it.
During this campaign a story ap-
peared in the Statesman to the effect
that in an address at Caldwell, Rev
Charles b. Dalton, pastor of the First
Methodist church and leader among
the drys had cast some doubt on the
motives which actuated Mr.. AleXan
- der in his fight for a dry county. Rev
- Dalton at once wrote the following
| vigorous letter up to the Capital News
of August 25, 1919, denying the i'm
plications of the Statesman:
Boise. Idaho, Aug. 25, 1909.
i1QllOl I'd Blldl 4NCWS-
In the account in this morning
Statesman of my address at Caldwell
in behalf of prohibition it is made t.
appear that l expressed or left it t
be inferred that l entertained som
doubt as to the sincerity of the Hon
NJ. Alexander in his stand for prohibi
ton. This being precisely the opposit
| of what l did, l am at a loss to know
how any one gained such an impres
sion. / mentioned his name as on
of the many strong stalwart Dusines
men who refuse to be classified wit
the so-called taxpayers league. Som
one in the audience asked if he an
Gov Brady were not doing it for pc
litical effect / replied that l did NJ
think so, but that if they we're it onl
proved they had good political sens
and could read the handwriting on til
wall Alright. l also expressly state
that the question before us was M
political, and that / was not boostin
for either political~party. SO far {
my personal feeling for Mr. Alexal
der is concerned, l entertain for hi
high regard and do not for a mOmel
doubt his sincere attachment to Il
'- glorious cause for which 1 have give
- so much of whatever strength 1 hav
4 Yours cordially,
(Signed) CHARLES B. DALTO
The prominence given to Mr.. Ale
H ander's support at that time by Il
dry forces is indicated by the follo'
ing news story taken from the Car
tai News of August 30 1909:
With Senator w. E. Borah M. Ale
ander DR.. Blair and other promine
speaker on the stump for the loc
optionists and Mayor Rose and OF
ers of equal Importance speaking
the anti prohibitionists the campaii
of oratory to open September fir
n promises to be one Of the most inte
n esting that the peaceful voters ha
II been treated to for a long time. Tel
perance and anti-temperance is Nc
II the curb stone talk of the hour, a
III night addresses on street corners a
81 becoming a daily innovation.