The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1916-09-29

they hurt their town and themselves
Probably everybody in town wants
to see the streets improved and wants
to see Shilling paved, but not all OF
them can vote for bonds while they
remember the favoritism that has
been played, and the disposition to
pave Shilling and make it nicer be-
cause 1t is already incest. It is hard
to convince them that this world op-
crates in harmony with the theory
of the survival of the fittest. 1t is
hard to convince them that appro-
priations of public money are intend
ed for those that have the greatest
pull to get them and the best location
to expend it on. 1t is hard to con-
vince them that it is right to build
up a privileged class and be con-
tinually giving them the advantages
of education, of position and culture,
and then keeping them there because
they know best how to use it.
The editor of this paper did not
receive higher edication." His
father and mother did not have the
price. But we borrowed good many
old histories and read them, and got
the idea that those old republics of
southern Europe that have always
been the pride of the worlds civiliza-
ton and are referred to as models
of good government, finally went to
the dogs because they had privileged
classes. When the masses became an
gered and full of resentment because
of the selfishness of those who had
the advantage, when the burdens
grew heavy supporting the favored
classes, when the public conscience
had become scared by the visions OF
daily injustice, when the mere power
to carry out a wish became the
authority for doing it, then the
masses in their passion exercised the
authority, and chaos supplanted cor
rupt government.
In those days there were no news
papers or other means of communi-
eating with all the people, and of
making dispassionate analysis OF
wrongs and the ways to correct them.
In our time, some sober mind with
a desire to do good and to avoid
extremes with a desire to call peo-
pies attention to slight wrongs and
point out the inevitable results of
allowing them to go on, may appeal
to the patriotism Of the people to
administer the check before the harm
is great, and to administer it with
such a degree of deliberation and re-
straint that little harm will result.
The Idaho Republican takes the
view that Senator Thomas Is the
best qualified man in the county to
fill a place in the senate. That Peter
G. Johnston is the best qualified man
in the county to represent this county
in the house. We believe they are
both sufficiently trained in such work
to be able to accomplish more good
than anybody else we could SEND
there They have an acquaintance
with the men of the state, and with
the usages of legislative bodies. that
makes the new man seem inefficient
in comparison. We believe both men
are honest. We believe 1t to such
an extent that we would be willing
to hand either of them sack OF I'M
counted money to deposit to our
credit in the bank, and we should
feel assured it would be done and
our interest protected to the last
cent. But we believe too, that II
they had appointments to make and
their sons wanted the jobs, we could
with equal safety bet every douar
in the sack that the boys would be
appointed. -
After analyzing the whole situa-
lion and considering all the matters
herein referred to, we believe II
would be a mistake to retire them
and elect new men. We also believe
hat each of them will be better,
broader and more unselfish in states
after the publication OF this
,hapter than he would have been
1ad it been suppressed. We do not
mink the matters referred to In this
.hapter constitute sufficient reason
'or defeating such well trained and
1seful men, nor do we think they
will again commit the offenses herein
'eferred to.