American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1916-04-06
CANDIDACY OF ID. W. DAVIS.

Mr.. ID. w. DAVIS, OF American Falls,
candidate for the Republican nominal
ton for governor of Idaho, spoke TO a
fair-sized crowd at Meridian Saturday
evening at the old South Methodist
church. II was a bad night for a po-
litical meeting at Meridian because
the picture show always influences
the Meridian mind.
Mr.. Davis Is not the usual, gumshoe,
conventional. hamfat Republican poll
tician. In fact, he has not a politl-
clans poise-he Is a business man with
ideas. He Is a happy contrast to a
general multitude Of mediocre shrlmps
who spend hours telling the people
what they already know, predicting
an Alice In Wonderland Paradise II
they are elected, forgetting past fall
ures and working the wires of hope
and promise with the skill of a modern
advertising expert.
Mr.. Davis plan for making Idaho a
taxless state has so much of the Alad-
din's Lamp feature that Il Will pass
over the heads of the general multi
tude, bouncing off where It cannot en-
ter and passing unframed onward.
But amazing as II seems TO a super
fetal investigator, under safeguards,
his plan would be perfectly practice
able II Is only visionary to him who
does not understand finance and bank
ing. But In order to be put into ap-
plicatson, such a revolutionary scheme
ns he outlines could not even be start
ed without a complete change In the
machinery of state government without
throwing the door wide open TO an
open sesame OF graft and joyrlding
with public funds engineered by n
hungry and poorly paid legislature,
the general character of whom Idaho
has knowledge from past experience,
and concerning which theory Ii use
less.
Before anything OF such a startling
nature as this Is attempted there must
be direct Legislation, the short ballot
n complete n positive responsible
ity for behavior In office.
Mr.. Davis plan fits better into Ida
hos future than It's present and until
checks and balances are put In the
way OF disregard OF public demands
he cannot hope 10 be governor OF Ida
no and his candidacy will mean GER
tain defeat for his professions. Out
OF the scheme he outlines there Ii
real promise In the future because II
Will mean, II adopted and honestly
carried out In spirit. an application TO
public affairs OF successful business
methods. The writer has unraveled
the plan as II has boen ~preented by
MIR. Davis. In fact, II Is not a new
thing In banking-an everyday occur
nnce In some part of the country.
But the great amount OF money that
would be pouring into the state treas
ury Of Idaho under II would never
reach Its proper destination under a
legislative system whore responsible
ity to the public IL moi recognized. No
matter how honest the governor and
treasurer would be. "a combination Of
the venal and hungry would open the
treasury TO general loot. The state
payroll would enormously Increased,
pork barrel appropriations passed ov-
or the head OF the governor and an or
gy of rotten government that would
put Idaho on the front sheet OF every
yellow Journal this side OF Bagdad.-
Marcus Day In The New Freedom,
The following features OF Mr.. Days
comment are worthy of note:
1.-Mr. Davis In o n gumshoe pol
itician.
2.-Under safeguards his plan would
be perfectly practical.