The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1916-02-24
IDAHO DEMOCRATS FIGHTING FOR CONTROL
OF PATRONAGE DAY AFTER ELDERS PLACE

War to the knife, the knife to the
hilt and the devil take the hindmost
is on for control of the democratic or
ganization in this state. | limited at
this some weeks ago in calling atten-
ton to the fact that Chairman J. T.
Pence and his advisers had decided
to ignore the plank in the national
platform demanding a primary cleo
tion in each state for the selection of
national delegates and member of
the national committee, according to
the Boise correspondent of the Lewis
ton Tribune.
Since then the situation has devel~
oped. Jerome J. Day of Moscow and
Wallace is now openly in the race for
national committeeman against Robert
H. Elder Of Occur d'Alene, the pres
ent incumbent, and the fight is on.
Ravenel Macbeth, the perpetual sena-
tor from Custer county and secretary
of the Idaho Mining association, is
leading the fight for Day. He asserts
that there is a general uprising in all
parts of the state against the present
regime and that his man will win in
a walk. Day has been in Chicago for
some time past in connection with
some scheme to finance Governor
Alexander's north and south railroad,
but even during his absence the cam
paign in his behalf has been pushed
forward with tremendous vigor
Bowen for State Chairman.
| But the fight is not to be confined
to this one point. On the contrary
Chairman Pence is to lose his scalp
| llso if the plans of the insurrectos go
through. The man picked to succeed
Pence is Arthur M. Bowen of Twin
Falls, a pretty strong man for the
place. He is a lawyer has served in
for a seat on the state supreme bench
against Justice Stewart in 1912. He
has many elements of strength as a
| politician and has been in open oppo-
sition to the faction in power since
the nomination and election of Presi-
| dent Wilson.
| These two-Day and Bowen-will
make a strong combination, it is con-
coded, as against Elder and Pence. 1t
will be a fight of the outs against the
! ms. Elder and Pence will have the
advantage of being in the trenches
They will have the disadvantage of
the widespread opposition that has
been aroused over the distribution of
the spoiIs, both national and state.
Appointments Cause Trouble.
In every place in Idaho where there
has been postmaster or other fed
eral official appointed there is hot
bed of revolt large or small, against
the men responsible for the making of
the appointment. This would be true
no matter who was the winner in the
scramble for the plum. There were not
enough of the good things to go
around among the faithful, and in al
the party is elated over his victory,
there are a dozen disgruntled over his
defeat. This is one of the curses of
the spoils system. 1t is charged too,
that in many instances Elder and his
kitchen cabinet were autocratic in the
making of ppointments-that they
put men in office with view to the
Strengthening of their political ma
chine, and not with a view to the bet
terment Of the public service, or even
with a view to satisfying the influen-
tial party members in the particular
community
Pence AIexanders Goat.
1t is unfortunate for Elder and
Pence, furthermore, that in most in
stances the men who secured the jobs
are now lying dormant while the men
who were turned down are out with
knives, tomahawks and bludgeono. Ell
der is charged up with the federal ap-
pointments that have been made while
Pence is cursed and execrated for the
sins of omission and commission of
the state administrations the minds
Of many he is made the goat for the
vagaries of Governor Alexander.
And so the fight is on and 1t prom
Uses to be dandy. The preliminary
skirmish will come at the meeting of
the democratic state committee in
Boise March 6. This meeting is called
to arrange for a state convention to
name delegates to the st. Louis con-
vention and to name a member Of the
national committee. The idea of hold
ing a statewide primary has been
brushed aside as unnecessary and toe
responsive, 1t is held that the party