The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1916-08-18
CAPTAIN DAVIS CERTAIN
OF NOMINATION FOR
GOVERNOR


visitor last Saturday and in the even
ing addressed good sized crowd on
Main street His audience would un-
doubtedly have been much larger had
it not been for very violent dust
storm which came up a short time
before the hour scheduled for the cap
tain to begin his talk
During the afternoon Captain Davis
discussed the campaign with a rep
resentative of The Tribune. Like all
the other candidates who have visited
Caldwell he appears rather sanguine
of success and was not averse to
stating the reasons which cause him to
believe that he will win success at the
polls in September.
Said Captain Davis: 81 think l am
going to win because l have deserved
to win. l have made a fight against
political graft in Idaho and in favor
of higher standards of public service
which cannot fail to bring results. OF
late | have been insistent as strongly
as possible that the people open their
eyes and size UP the campaign that is
now being made under the Primary
Law of this state for the nominations.
In many of my speeches I have
pointed out that a candidate for the
governorship cannot mail one letter,
under two cent stamp, to half the
voters of Idaho without exceeding his
expense limit l have pointed out
where candidates for this office have
spent as high as $4,000 to $4,000
and then signed sworn .affidavits that
they had spent only the small amount
the law allows. $3.50. I have also
taken the position that a candidate
who deliberately and flagrantly VIC
lates the law with reference to the
spending of money is trying to cheat
his way into office and that every
honest voter who hopes for better
government in Idaho should vote
against such a candidate just as he
would against small pox. The people
honest candidate and expect to find
an honest official.
Standards Too Low.
| have also tried to emphasize the
fact that dishonesty in nominations
almost invariably and inevitably lead
up to dishonesty in office. The moral
standards which would permit man
to cheat his way into office is, after
all, the same moral standards which
were involved in the recent action OF
a member of the land board in getting
a loan for himself of state funds under
very irregular circumstances which it
was my opportunity to expose to the
voters of the state
In the past these violations of the
law have won success in Idaho, but
| do not believe such thing can be
put over in this campaign. The people
are awake and are just now beginning
to discuss this matter. They are
watching their mails for instance, and
watching the placing of great quaint
ties of cards and posters and photo
graphs and are arriving at their own
conclusions as to the candidates who
are honestly striving to live within the
law Mere talk about constructive
policies does not avail. The people
realize that fundamental honesty and
higher standards of service are essen
tally constructive and that dishonesty
in any form is essentially destructive.
w C. T. U. Can't Be Used.
I'm the past, also, some of those
who have violated the primary law in
Idaho have been able to align in their
support some of the so-called moral
elements of the state, such as the pro-
hibition forces, the w. c. T. u. or
ganizatlon, women's clubs and also
certain church organizations. l very
much doubt if the effort to make the
same alignment can succeed this year
notwithstanding the fact that there are
evidences that it has been very gen.
orally attempted. These honest work
ers are coming to see that, from the
moral viewpoint from which they
work, there is no difference in lending
aid and encouragement to a man who
will violate the law for his own ad-
vantage to get into office and in lend
ing aid and encouragement to one
who violates the law after he is in
office.
"All these things are and have been
for some weeks working heavily in
my favor. have started a fight in
Idaho which | feel is bound to sue
coed in the present campaign, but even
though it does not win now, | have
served notice that it will never be
abandoned, so long as l live, until the
time does come in Idaho when a man
can be nominated and elected to the
governorship of this state on the basis
of merit and not on the basis of the
dirty dollars which he or his friends
may be willing to spend to corruptly
l. L -