The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1922-10-26
WHAT IS A REPRE-
SENTATIVE?

What shall we say of the men we
the people, elect to be our represen-
!, tatives in legislatures? What is
their duty and what their RESPONSE
bility?
One who represents, as the die.
tionary has it, is one who stands in
the place of another; the representa-
tive stands in our place, then, to
meet questions when they come up.
One who represents speaks and acts
in behalf of another; the legislator,
then, speaks and acts for us. :aHe
performs our duties and exercises
our rights.
Senator Borah has given a lot of
thought to the duty of legislator.
He has been one for Sixteen years
He should know.
| And Senator Borah has been the
sort of legislator who would never
let himself be pledged in advance to
a specific bill, saying always that
the subject needed study, that new
conditions were bound to arise, that
public opinion would have to be
sounded out when it finally came up.
Al WelSef ne SAID.
Every vote l have cast has been
my vote; it has not been the vote Of
any caucus; it has not been the vote
| of any conference; it has been my
vote. I have been in harmony with
what I believed to be the interests
and honor of the people of the
State of Idaho
OF MnJ,iI hot ID l.,
had said:
THE next two years belong to
me-nobody but God Almighty can
take them away from me and dur
ing that period I am going to say
precisely what | think and advocate
the policies in which ! believe, re-
CARELESS of the political conse-
qeunces to me or to the Republican
party, either
Now there are lot of people
good Republicans among them
who think Senator Borah went a
little too far and too fast there, but
nearly everybody agrees with him to
this extent, that no legislator has
the right to pledge his vote in adj
vance on specific bill, that it is the
height of insult to ask it of him, and
the depth of weakness for him to
put down his signature to any paper
signing away his vote before he has
heard the arguments or seen what
manner of bill will come to him.
And yet, Senator Borah's own or
ganizatfon that is making his speak
ing dates for him and protesting to i
be his agent in other respects, is de-
handing of Idaho legislators that
they sign dotted line right now
referring to specific bill, voluntar-
lily hog-tying themselves.
Senator ,Borah would shake the
heavens If it were asked of him;
yet his people are asking it of other
representatives.
And, most hard to believe, some
men who have heretofore seemed to-
be of legislative caliber have signed
away to this crowd their right to
speak for their people.
Men who have done This thing are
not fit to sit in the dignified halls of
legislature, however noble might be
the cause they espouse. They have
confessed themselves boss-ridden.
That is why some good Republicans
as Ada county, who would ordin-
arily, for the sake of Republican
principles, vote for a yellow dog on
their ticket in preference 10 the best
of Democrats, have sworn openly
they will knife these men. They are
saying they have forfeited not only
their right to the name of Republic
can, but to the name Of good citizen.
And they are right.
Men who have signed that pledge
have no right to take the oath OF |
office.-Idaho Daily Statesman.