The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1918-09-27
SOME RECENT POLITI-
CAL HISTORY

SOME RECENT POLITI-
CAL HISTORY
Just ten years ago good many
men in Bingham county made their
last united effort at securing recog-
milton of a certain political principle
which they were very emphatic about.
They had been stirring the subject
about every two years for several
campaigns, but in the year Of 1908,
NOf men and women who have since
left the state to get away from their
debts and the unsavory regulations
they were building as to morality,
they made their last effort to obtain
political power
They had one great principle to
talk on and one great base for agita-
ton. The base for agitation was
used for getting people stirred up
and excited, and that got the public
mind into condition to receive almost
any kind Of seeds. Their means of
agitation was to charge lack of
morality in domestic relations,
against a whole people, and the
principle advocated was that no So
ciety or organization had any right
to tell its members how to vote.
They said that exercising the fran
chise was an individual affair, and
that it was dangerous and unAmeri-
can for body Of people to vote as
unit as directed by a leader or body
of leaders.
In their agitations they mis-stated
matters with so much acclaim that
many people thought 1t must be true,
and were influenced temporarily un-
til they had time to consider and OBJ
serve. and then there was marked
reaction, for they not only found that
the talk was mostly SANDER, but in a
number of cases, the lives and do
nestle affairs of the slanderers
would not stand investigation. And
even that statement is giving the
slanderers the best of it for some of
them in their daily walks were SO
immoral that it would not even pass
muster where there was no investi-
cation, but mere casual observation.
Some of those people have left the
state now; some of them have drop
ped out of sight, but many of their
duped followers are still in evidence
and Senator Dubois us using them
in quite another move, but under a
different name.
We refer to the Non-partisan
league. Senator Dubois has been
using the league this year. A lot
of the same fellows who were men,
bers of the American party ten or
twelve years ago and were right
eously insisting that no organization
or association should tell it's mem
bers how to vote, and that they
ought not to vote as 9 unit, are now
enthusiastic members of the Nom
partisan league and are as insistent
as the Socialists, that every member
should vote as indicated BY the or
ganization. The principle they
worked to establish ten yeas ago
that it was wrong to vote as unit,
is the thing they insist upon doing
now. And Senator Dubois has been
hob-nobbing with the leaguers all
summer to get them to nominate and
elect Senator Nugent to the United
States senate. He is succeeding very
nicely. for Nugent has been nomin-
ated and has a good fighting chance
now, that lit is wrong for people to
band themselves together and vote
as unit. He is playing the cards
shrewdly to get that vote for Nugent.
Dubois has good federal position
now He receives $500 year for
serving as member of the ordinance
and coast defense commission. 1t has
been very busy year for the COM
mission, organizing to combat the
greatest military machine on earth.
Dubois has been busy resting for
the past ten years, and this paper
was pleased to see him appointed to
some sphere of usefulness last win
ter. His long service among states
men ought to qualify him to help his
country greatly in world war. He
took vacation in June, and we
naturally supposed he would be back
in the council chambers of the war
department by the time Ludendorf
started his July drive. That drive is
all over now, and every minute of
the past two months, our men have
been busy with the greatest military
offensive of history, but Dubois has
been spending his time going about
LII ludAO, tClllu6 ./tAc DCulOCldCo duu
Nonpartisans that ''the President
wants to see Nugent reelected" At
the same time the spokesman for the
administration are busy assuring
people that politics is adjourned"
and that there should be only a quiet
election this year, not much time
given to campaigning, but just re-
elect those already in Office. 1t is
all right for leading Democrats like
Dubois and leading leaguers to put
in the whole summer attending to
politics, but for everybody else it is
proper to be taking physical EXAMINE
alton, buying liberty bonds and going
to the front.
Mr. Dubois failed to accomplish
his object ten years ago, because
people sat back and did some think
ing. He can scarcely accomplish
his object this year for Senator Nu-
gent, because people have time to
sit back and do some more thinking.
Putting the two campaigns together,
1908 and 1918, they have so much
c-l ...~L l.. 800 L. ILs-1-