The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-09-13
HALE and BILLS
ARE HELD AS
LEGAL CANDIDATES
Republican Centra |
Committee Insists on
Bills Remaining
on Ticket
START CAMPAIGN
Manner ofRaising F unds
Plans Made for Sc
curing / Headquarters

FlanS Made tor Sc
curing Headquarters
At the meeting of the Republican
central committee at the court house
last Saturday afternoon a number
of visitors were present besides the
members Of the committee. Chair.
man o. Buchanan stated the OBJ.
jects of the meeting were to con.
slider what should be done with the
designations of R. G. Bills and ]. H
Hale. In the course of the discus.
sion it developed that the resignation
of Mr.. Hale was one that the COM
mittee had nothing to do with since
he was running on an independent
ticket, not on the Republican ticket,
therefor that part of the question
was dismissed. 1t appeared that a
misunderstanding had developed be-
tween Mr.. Bills and the county chari-
man in that Bills thought he was
resigning subject to the action of the
Republican county central committee
and that it was mot final until they
passed upon it and accepted it. The
county chairman understood that he
was to accept the two designations,
and file them with the county clerk,
which he did. The law was quoted
showing that as soon as the resigna-
tionsl were placed on file in the
county clerks office they were in ef-
feet, and no committee had any
power to either accept or reject
them. This was a surprise to the
committee and they found that they
had nothing before them to act upon,
excepting to fill vacancy. Strong
objections were raised against Mr..
Bills resigning at all and the charge
was made that the independent can
didate had been placed in the field
on account of personal matters for
the purpose Of defeating Mr.. Bills
after $50 persons had nominated him
at the polls. A. s. Dickinson was
present and denied this. The COM
mittee took the view that neither
the leading men of the party nor the
county central committee had any
right to 60 to Mr.. Bills and secure
his resignation and file it and
thereby defeat the purpose Of $50
people who had nominated him.
There was a determination on the
part of the committee to respect the
rights of the people who cast those
votes.
Not Dealing With Hale
AS for Mr.. Hale he had been
placed in nomination by some 800
petitioners who had right to be
heard and who had a right to have
their candidate left in the field. On
the other hand they had an oppor-
tunity to have their candidate NOM
mated at the primary election, when
nominations were in order. 1t was
said that if the direct primary law
means anything it means that people
shall 60 to the polls and nominate
the candidates of their choice at the
primary election and that it is de-
feating the purpose of the direct pri-
mary law to have some people wait
until after they see who is nominated
at the polls and then get out petit
tion to nominate somebody else to
split the vote. It this practice were
followed the logical result would be
for the minority on any party to wait
until the majority had spoken and
then place somebody in nomination
by petition to split the vote and de-
feat their purpose. 1t was the desire
Of the committee to uphold the pur-
poses of the direct primary law. The
of the county had nom-
mated Mr.. Bills, and individuals cut
ting in to interfere with the nomina-
tion had no business to be heard.
If they chose to nominate other can
didates by petition 1t was their priv
llege. This committee had nothing
to do with that. It was also pointed
out that Mr.. Hale was approached
by member Of the Republican party
and suggested to him that to save
= split in the party that both candi-
dates should resign and Mr.. Hale
stated that he resigned with the un-
that 1t was effective only
4 Mr., Bills resigned, and q third
nan was put up in their stead. After
LII these things were brought to the
attention Of the committee It ap-
oeared that there were several con-
1icting obligations confronting the
committee. One was to respect the
lights and opinions of the $50 people |
Who nominated Mr.. Bills. Another
vas to respect the rights of the 800
people who by petition nominated |
Mr.. Hale. The committee had power
% re-nominate Mr.. Bills to fill the
created by his own resigna-
ion and thereby protect the $50 peo-
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