The Bingham County news. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1918-1930, 1921-12-02

voyage and returned 20 tie rep
ub-ican party which he had really
never left. He was d progressive
but not a Progressive.
I don't mean in the least to i'm
ply that he was d gutter, or that
he played the part of a faint-hear.
or traitor in that diverting episode.
The whole maneuvre was sharply
and clearly divided into two parts.
1t began as a division in the Repub-
lican party and retained that aspect
until Taft was nominated. That was
the first phase. Then came the
matter Of deciding whether or not
to emulate the old monk Of Siberia
whose life grew drearier and drear-
Ter, and follow T. r. over the brink.
OF those that went over all of them
went through the whirlpool and the
rapids. Some of them swan ashore
and made their way painfully back
to their party, the others have new
err been heard from since.
Mr.. Borah met those who came
back and helped dess their wounds.
He had been one with them in spir-
it until they made their free will Of
fering by jumping. AS the events
proved, they had made a futile ges-
ture and Mr. Borah had shown wis.,
,, dom and saved himself circuitOus
journey out Of his party and in
again.
1 recall the whole adventure be-
cause it is more Illustrative and IL
! luminative than any other incident
that l know anything about in MIR.
Borah's public career. Passion and
party feeling were excited and in
famed at the time. The men who
had been with Roosevelt and had
to make choice were under a
stress and strain. Each acted as the
| general excitement affected him.
They had free choice. Now You
can either say of Borah that he was
faint hearted and lacked boldness
and daring or that he kept his head
For myself I choose the second ar
tentative.
know that he has courage, for
he has proved it on other occasions,
and for that matter he proved 1t
again when he did not become a
Progressive. All the pressure on
him was from that side.
It was his course at that time
that has left confusion in many
minds about his status as between
the right and the left. Today in
Washington you will hear him call
ed both conservative and a pro-
gressive. He seems to reside indie
terminately in the political spect-
rum between the red and the vio-
lie, rays. Sometimes he moves over
to the left as far as to the orange
and again to the right as far as the
indigo, but never reaches either Of
the two extremes.
l think it Is this unconscious pre-.
ference for the pastel shades in
tead OF the raw primary colors tina,
has also, in degree, affected widel
public recognition Of Mr.. Borah's
capacities. Where there are &
many things to. engage public at
tention and so much organized
clamor, only the brightest or nois'
lest catch the eye and ear.
Mr.. Borah has 50 conducted hi!
share in public affairs that he ha,
never attached his name or fame tc
any of the admirable proposals that
he has borne such a large part In
making into law. I cite by way oil
proof, the act for the direct election
of Senators. That was a long, hard
fight. Borah pressed it with rssolu-
ton, with courage, with ingenuity
and skill against a subtle anj
strong and entrenched opposition
until success came. That was an
excellent public service we'll per
formed, yet venture that few now
know or remember the part Borah
played.
As another instance, the income
tax law will serve. That is one OF
the fairest Of all taxes in principle
1t is levied directly and If the
schedules or brackets are properly
designed it falls equitably on all
who pay it. Mr.. Borah bore a part
in urging the legislation through
the senate. In the debate which he
carried through with skill and
learning he had opposed to him
some of the best minds in the Sen.
ate. That too, suspect, is a pop
ularly unknown part OF his record
A recent modern instance Is an
even more striking example of how
he wins races and others get the
prizes. Mr.. Borah introduced a res
olutiOn as an amendment to the
naval bill suggesting or inviting
the President to call conference
of representatives Of the United
States, Great Britain and Japan to
consider the limitation and reduc-
ton Of naval ornaments. It hung
fire for long time. In several pre-.
liminary stages it was defeated. The
opposition in the Senate was strong.
Soon after President Harding came