The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-04-25
FUSION TALK WILL NOT FOOL
REPUBLICANS.

democrats, particularly those VINO nave
offices and want to retain them. are
so impressed with patriotic duty that
they propose to forget party lines and
join the republicans in selecting fu-
sion ticket for all state officers, in
Guiding of course candidates for sena-
tor and representative. 1t would be
unfortunate, they claim, to inject
bitter political fight at a time when
every energy of the people should be
directed toward accomplishing the
great task Of winning the war. and for
that reason they propose to forget
party differences and divide the Of
fees between the two great parties
In this the democrats of Idaho are
simply following the lead of the ma
tional administration, which has pro-
posed non partisan elections in sew
eral states. but never In those states
where the democrats were reasonably
sure of success. So far as has been
heard from In Idaho, few If any repub-
leans have fallen for this fusion bait.
Idaho is normally republican state
and all indications point to republican
success this fall, particularly in the
congressional election. Senator
Borahs reelection is conceded by all
parties, and it is almost equally GER
tain that Congressman Smith and
French will be reelected The only
fighting chance the democrats have on
the congressional ticket is the short
term senatorship to succeed Senator
Nugent, and that is a very slim one
1t is this situation that prompts the
unselfish patriotism now manifested
by the democrats. If they could in
duce the republicans to join in such
a combination the democrats would be
sure to retain Senator Nugent or
another democrat and gain one of the
two congressman, both Of whom are
now republicans, and would also re-
tain at least half of the choice berths
now held by democrats in the state.
The claim that an aggressive parti-
san campaign will interfere with the
war work of the government is alb
surd. AS a matter Of fact, change
in the control of both houses of con-
gress would probably prove to the ad-
vantage of the country not only with
respect to the war; but in many mat
tiers of legislation which deeply con-
Germ the people. Republicans in the
majority would continue to support
the president in all war measures,
just as they have in the past. Dis
cussing the proposed non partisan
ticket in this state. the Boise States
man says:
"The democrats are suggesting
that in certain states which are
normally republican, fusion tickets
CHI 10 ,oln
for some reason they do not think
it best to have any such arrange
ments in the solid south.
THE democrats have always
been ready to fuse with anything
and are now, and it is all right
to let them fuse, but not with the
republicans. Good government in
this country depends upon main
tanning in almost equal ST. ength
the two great parties, republican
and democrat. When these par
ties get to fusing with each other
in sort of horse trade it is
goodbye to the usefulness of
either one, and 1t would be better
to have each Of them become
memory.
In this state, If the democrats
had anyone with whom they
could beat Senator Borah, they
would be glad to make a fight.
No democrat will deny this. And
If they could win with a candi-
date of their own there would be
no fusion talk emanating from
under the eagle-capped dome. 1t
was common street talk after the
Wilson victory in 1916 that in 1918
the democrats would see to it that
Senator Borah remained at home
"In Wisconsin the democrats
said the only way to beat the
socialists was for the republicans
and the democrats to consolidate
their votes on one candidate-and
of course the only one they
thought absolutely safe was the
democrat. You know the ans
wer