The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1918-10-29

occasions tried to influence the votes
of people In different states in sena-
torial elections. He has written let
tiers or made statements that have
been used in favor of one candidate
as against another, and in cases
where he has done this stating that
he needed the support of certain
senator to help with his war meas
ures, the voters have considered the
matter and voted his wishes il they
considered his ground well taken.
But in certain instances they did not
think he was sincere, and they
elected the other man. For instance,
In Wisconsin, he attacked Senator
Lenroot and tried to defeat him on
the ground that he had opposed the
passage of resolution, after
the sinking of the Lusitania, direct
ing Americans not to travel on for
eign ships, and Senator Lenroot took
the high ground that America should
protect its citizens anywhere in the
world if they were obeying the laws
and minding their own business.
Wisconsin people agreed with him
and reelected him, indicating that
that was the kind of stuff they want
to represent them in the senate.
Mr.. Wilson tried to use his great
influence to control few senatorial
votes on the suffrage amendment,
and made an address to the senate,
asking them to pass 1t as war mea-
sure, but the senate listened to him
and not senator changed his vote,
for they did not accept his statement
that woman suffrage was necessary
to win the war.
During the present campaign,
Senator Dubois has been spending
much valuable time ($7500 a year, in
Idaho, telling people and press re-
representatives. that the president
wants. Mr.. Nugent returned to the
senate. He says he likes Mr.. Nu-
gent, and Dow Dunning is travelling
over the state saying that Senator
Nugent is needed to support the pre-
sident's war measures and also to
fight against protective tariff, after
the war-and there is where the pre-
sident's words descend from win
the-war basis to partisan political
basis. The Nugent forces in Idaho
are exhibiting letter from President
Wilson expressing the fond hope that
Mr.. Nugent will be elected. He has
never been elected yet; he was
merely appointed by our governor,
so it is for the people of Idaho to
consider, as did the senate in the
suffrage matter, whether or not the
presidents ground is well taken.
The presidents attitude means
that Frank Gooding might not sup
port him in his war measures
Frank Gooding, the man who has
done so much for Idaho in so many
ways. People are now asking them
selves what Mr.. Nugent has ever done
for his state-besides practice law,
and the answer is, nothing, till now,
and he has son in the army, which
is right.
If the president holds to his stand
that Gooding is not man who will
help win the war, then the people
may have to correct his views. II
he stands on the other leg of the ar
gument, that we must have a free
trade man in the senate, then Idaho
will answer that it is not a free trade
state and never has been, and 1t may
be added that it is SO intensely loyal
that it has not even objected to fix
ing the price of wheat to stop specu-
lation during the war even tho the
president has kept southern senators
in charge of the committee that per-
sistently keep the price of cotton
from being fixed. The president has
shrewdly maneuvered committee ap-
pointments so prices of southern pro-.
ducts could soar, while northern pro-
ducts must be kept down within rea-
son, and now he comes with poor
grace asking us to let him direct our
franchise to give him chance for
free trade in the senate, after the
close of the war If he had remained
silent Mr.. Nugent's friends could
have supported him on a high, clean
plain; now it will be little hard,
because the knowledge that the presi-
dent of the United States stopped
just little from his high position
when he used the influence of his
high office in way that is just a
little questionable, and especially
after his celebrated announcement
that politics is adjourned pending the
winning of the war.
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