The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1918-10-22
A STUPENDOUS NERVE
FOR AMERICANS

Every thoughtful citizen who
cares for his right of suffrage, and
who has rejoiced that two great po-
litical parties in a republic have been
able by their rivalry to maintain the
best government on earth, must be
truly sorry at this time to see that
one of those parties has been stolen
bodily in this state by the Non-par-
tisan league. After the DemOcra-
tic party had written its
platform and groomed its fay
orite sons for the race, the
league slipped in, voted their ticket,
nominated whom they pleased and
brandy boast that if they can elect
these men they will do so, and make
no pretense of carrying out the plat
form. A feature of the case that peo-
pie can hardly comprehend is that
after making this theft, they have
the stupendous nerve to ask the
Democrats to vote to elect the candi-
dates which the league has put in the
saddle.
1t is as if some knave had stolen
mans auto and then come back and
operate it; not claiming he would
let the former ride in 1t, but would
have more gasoline charged to him
as time went on, and would turn the
car back to him for repairs when
there was chance to steal better
one from some neighbor.
The Bolsheviki in Russia have been
making a great record by taking over
the factories and declaring that they
properly belonged to the workmen.
They would fire the bosses and super
intendents and owners and tell them
not to come about the works. When
the materials were used up and the
machinery on the bum and the money
gone, they would go and get the
owners and the bosses and beseech
them to take charge again and give
them employment.
One of our Americans who lately
returned to Russia, told narrowing
experience of how they took over a
bank in which he had all his money
deposited. They put nineteen
year old janitor boy in as manager Of
the bank. He believed just as Horace
Mann, the Non-partsan organizer who
is in Jail over at Go0ding, Idaho, that
nobody owned anything individually,
but all were owners in common, so
he put the bank on q proper basis
by burning all the books and keeping
the money for use for the common
good. or course only his Bolsheviki
friends were common enough to get
any of it, and right promptly was 1t
all put into circulation. Our Ameri-
can friend got part of his by buy
ing a stock of goods that he did not
want; bought of Bolsheviki and the
bank allowed the draft. When the
bank was looted they abandoned it to
the owners.
But to get back again to our Demo-
cratic friends at home whose political
party has been taken over by the
on-partisans, who make no claim
that they are going to carry out the
platform, who make no claim that
they are going to pay for the gasoline
used in the stolen car or take the
trouble to make needed repairs when
1t gets out of order, but will simply
abandon the property and 60 across
the road and steal another one that
is in better trim, 1t is a little strange
that honest men will 60 into the job
and help put it over or that. they will
witness the theft of the Democratic
party and still consider the matter
of furnishing the gasoline at the vOt-
ing booths. The Republicans haven't
to crow over, for the Nom
partisans would have stolen the Re-
publican party If it had looked any
better to them. They prefer the fat
est horse, and IL the Republican
horse, looks latest the next
time they will take him, and
turn him out to Craze when