The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1920-03-11
Thursday, March IL, 1920.
WHY HOLD A STATE cONVEN-
TON AT ALL?

Bartlett Sinclair has issued a state
ment through the Capital News
Boise in which he undertakes to sho'
that should the republican state con
vention send an instructed delegatio
to the Chicago convention, such actio
would in effect be an anront to Sena
tor Borah and certainly inimical t.
his interests should he become a can
didate for the presidential nomina
ton, which Mr.. Sinclair seems to re
gard as more than a possibility. Re
garding Instructions Mr. Sinclair
says:
My contention is that the duty
of the republican party of Idaho
is to select body of the most
representative men of the party
with plenary power to speak for
the party in the convention OF
send no delegation at ALL"
Following this line of reasoning, the
question naturally suggests ITSELF
why hold state convention at all?
Why not send eight of the most rep
resentative men of the party" first to
Boise, the seat of all pure and disin-
terested political inspiration, clothed
with "plenary power to speak for the
party in the drafting OF platform,
and having accomplished that duty
let them proceed to Chicago and there
again speak for the party in the con-
Nenuony If eight men can be relied
upon TO express the choice oil the re-
pubiicans Of Idaho for president OF
the United States without having re-
ceived Instructions from the repre-
sentatives OF the party, it follows that
this same eight could be trusted to-
draft a platform for the party with
out suggestion or instruction from the
rank and file Thus following Mr.. Sin
clairs reasoning, the state committee
should be authorized to pick these
eight and thus save the
bother and expense of electing dele
gates and holding "a state convention.
So far as Senator Borah is concern
ed, MI Sinclair need have no fear
that his interests will be jeopardized
by any action of the convention 1t is
rue that he is frequently mentioned
As a presidential possibility. but the
Miner feels justified in saying that
here is hardly a remote possibility |
hat he will be a candidate. In any |
went there is no danger that the |
tate convention will take any action
hat would prevent the Idaho delega-
ion from supporting Borah should he
inter- the race. To give instructions
o the delegation to the Chicago con-
ention does not mean that they are
led up hard and fast to particular
andidate and are compelled to vote
or him first, last and all the time
.ithout regard to his chances of sue L
ess. 1t means that the convention. b
S representing the party i'm the state, J
Guild pass a resolution declaring its "
reference for certain candidate and Ia
Istructing the delegation as a unit to t
ipport that candidate so long as III
iere is a reasonable chance for him s
secure the nomination. should it f.
come apparent that the candidate fl
I'd been practically eliminated as a la
,ssible nominee the Instructions o.
ould authorize the delegation to S
row its support to the candidate who III
their judgment would probably be NJ
e second choice of the party in Ida te
The state convention is called for of
e purpose of permitting the republi- ed
n party of Idaho through its chosen tr
to give expression to no
attitude on national questions such go
will be dealt with in the platform ed
opted by the national convention fir,
a to elect delegates to the same. The S.
option Of a platform by the state wa
lvention is in effect instruction to sig
delegation with reference to the ed.
ional platform. It is equally inn sar
tant that the delegation should be No
tructed to support the choice of the fur
vention for presidential candidate. IDA