The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1918-05-03
TAYLOR WILL SCRAP
Sees No Reason to Lay Off
Political Came.

campaign of 1918" So says S. ID.
Taylor, chairman OF the republican
state central committee, Ia reply to
oyertures open aud secretive which
the democrats Of the state have been
making since they conceived of the
idea Of putting up Borah- Nugent
ticket in order to avoid a senatorial
contest this year.
"a bipartisan ticket would not be
practicable" says Mr.. Taylor, seven
II it were desirable. A fusion ticket,
10 its final analysis, would necessarily
be a hand. picked ticket, selected by
few politicians. 1t is unthinkable
that the people of Idaho would stand
for such a thing. The history of
political fusion has been political
confusion.
The by partisan idea as advanced
is always coupled with the observa-
tion that a political campaign would
divert our energies and our attention
from war preparations. This would
be serious ii true, but in fact IL does
not require any great amount of
energy to 90 to the polls and cast
your ballot and have your vote
recorded, and instead of diverting
attention from war preparations, it is
more likely to direct attention to
them.
THE claim that there should be no
politics during the period of the war
is fundamentally wrong. The laws
of the land and the spirit OF our free
institutions enjoin certain political
duties on every citizen, war or no war.
and the citizen who fails to perform
those duties is not conserving good
government. Good government is an
essential toward winning the war.
II good government is best advanced
by having hand picked governors,
congressman and United States
senators, then the whole American
idea of representative government is
wrong. BY the way, what has
become of the political slogan that
used to be advanced with such fury
Let the People Rule?'
"There may be some simple minded
persons who honestly believe Ia q
III partisan ticket, but there is much
evidence that the idea is principal,
supported for political camouflage Il
put some fellow over who could moi
be elected upon his merits nor tht
merits of his party. No man WHIT
believes ln himself and his partl
would be afraid to come before th'
whole people of the state OF Idaho.
Let no one be deceived for
minute that this fusion idea is
matter OF patriotism, SO far as ]
applies to its big push. 1t is polite
OF the most subtle kind-the yer
thing that it processes to wish t
avoid. Ii there were no senatorial
situation 10 Idaho, some people no'
urging fusion would scOrn 1t. ldah
is a Republican state. There are tw
United States senators to elect, an
Borah is conceded to be over the toI
by what process of reasoning does To
great personal and political popularit
OF Senator Borah, Republican
entitle the Democrats to the otht
senator?
when did the Democrats cease
be partisan? It certainly must hay
been since April 2. the date of Ut
Wisconsin election. 1t has not bee
observed that they are conceding ar
senators to Republicans 10 Demo
cratic States--the war situation do
not require bipartisan ticket
such states! Democrats are not
all afraid that political campaigns
Democratic states will divert OF
energies and our attention from W
preparations, but their solicitude I
Idaho Is sublime-nerye.
1.-THE best thing that can happ'
for Idahc-and the thing that W
happen-aId the course that W
make Idaho strongest to concentra