Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1918-10-11
The Inside Facts About
County Auditor Nomination

on the day of the primary that Joe
Molloy was not to be made chair
man. As county chairman Molloy
set to work to put his own nomina-
tion over, regardless of the senti-
ment of the people. and, in fact, it
was accomplished over the protest
of the writer, who went to Molloy.
as republican county chairman, and
told him that our information led
to the conclusion that the republi-
cans of the county favored Mr..
Kaufman. and that no nomination
be made. We had information that
led Is to believe that proxies were
then being gathered from precinct
committeeman by Mr.. Molloy and
his co-workers, and we went to Mr..
Molloy as county chairman and in
substance said
I'VE have canvassed the county
enough to know that the sentiment
among republicans is that we leave
the nomination of auditor blank;
that this was no time to start
fight with the country at war; that
it were best to endorse Mr.. Kauff-
man and let him devote his entire
time to his work, now increased by
the war board work. We told Mol
10y that the Clearwater Republican
had fought ring rule in the demo-
cratic party; that we would fight it
in the republican party. and that
we demanded that the republican
county organization take no action
until the republican voters of the
county were given an opportunity
to express themselves. And as coun-
ty chairman Mr. Molloy promised rs
no snap judgment would be taken"
We then served notice on Mr..
Molloy as republican county chair
man that personally and through
the Clearwater Republican, we
would fight any republican candi-
date that the organization might
nominate by ring methods. regard
less of who the candidate might be.
be.
Between the primary and the
hand picking of Molloy by himself,
we talked with Molloy, as county
chairman, about again endorsing
Mr.. Kaufman, and Mr.. Molloy said
that he would insist, as condition,
that Mr.. Kaufman fire Mrs. Fisher,
give the Republicans all the depu-
ties, and contribute 500 to the re-
publican campaign fund.
Mr.. Kaufman never made this
proposal, as Molloy now alleges the
editor of the Republican made. Nor
did we, in reviewing the situation
before the republican meeting last
week say that Mr.. Kaufman did.
We told what Molloy had proposed.
and when Molloy jumped to his feet
and declared he was going out and
tell the democrats that Kaufman
was proposing to throw them down.
we turned to Molloy and said
that proposition. not Joe Kaufman,
and you know it,"
Molloy then said that Orcutt, not
Kaufman. had proposed it. and we
again. with all the force at our
command told Mr.. Molloy that he
DID make the proposition. and that
Joe Kaufman was innocent Of any
dishonorable thing as democrat
We repeat it again that Mr..
Kaufman never made auy such a
proposition, and that so far as any
promises made by Mr.. Kaufman is
concerned he is entirely free to
run his offimce as he feels will best
serve. the interests of the taxpayers
of the county.
Without regard to politics Mr..
Kaufman is the hardest working
official in our county; he puts in
pie than any other man in the
| court house. He is absolutely hon
est, clean, conscientious and worthy
the high respect in which he is held
by the citizen of his county, regard
less Of politics.
Is It in the interest of the people,
then, that he be kicked out?
Molloy and his clique are de-
manding that republican hold the
job; they ask us to subscribe to the
doctrine that yellow dog republi-
can is better than an honest. clean,
efiicient democrat: they want de-
cent democrats to help the republi-
cans but denounce and read out OF
the party republicans who hold that
the duty Of every citizens is to ex-
alt citizenship above partisanship
and that high grade democratic
ofiicial is to be preferred to ring
republican.
Lastly. and the most damaging
phase of the whole case is the fact
that Mr.. Molloy has boasted how