The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, February 10, 1919, Page 11

L i i i . ON EVERYTHING " that they were against the League of Nations, It was ‘Idaho Gang on Wild Political Spree ' Anti-Farmer Governor and Legislature Playing Loose Game of Fighting Everything Farmers Want—Even Vote Against League of Nations BY E. B. FUSSELL DAHO has been for some years a prohibition state. It is against the law to get drunk on whisky or beer. But it is apparently not against the law to get dis- gustingly drunk on tempdrary power, and that is the condition at present of the anti-farmer _ bunch in control at Boise. % At the primaries last summer Idaho farmers won a tremendous victory. All state candidates in- dorsed by the Nonpartisan league wcre nominated, most of them on the Democratic ticket. The old- line Democrats made a terrific fight at the pri- maries, but were beaten, horse, foot and dragoons. But if the Idaho farmers thought their troubles were over they did not count enough on the bi- partisan control of Idaho politics by the mining and power interests and the duplicity of old-gang Democratic politicians. - For years the control of the Democratic machine in Idaho has been run largely by the Day brothers, multi-millionaire mine owners of northern Idaho, and by former Governor James H. Hawley, whose son, Jess Hawley, is at- torney for the power interests. These men had been honored with office, Hawley as governor and Jerome Day as Democratic state chairman, a po- sition he now holds. But when farmer candidates got places on the Democratic state ticket these gentlemen forgot the loyalty they owed to the party that had honored them., The Democratic machine gave open sup- port to the Republican candidates. The daily pa- per owned by Jerome Day, Democratic state chair- man, became one of the bitterest enemies of the Democratic ticket. With the constant repetition of the lies that the Nonpartisan league was pro-Ger- man and allied with the I. W. Ws, thousands of. voters, normally Democrats, were swung to the Republican ticket, and on election day the Repub- licans swept Idaho. The League elected two United - States senators, W. E. Borah, Republican, and John F. Nugent, Democrat, two Republican state officers and a number of legislators. But control of the legislature and of the governor was in the hands of standpat Republicans, elected because the men chosen to manage the Demo- cratic campaign had turned traitor. The standpat Republican ad- ministration that has been e'ected in Idaho as the result of this situation is proceeding, evidently, on the theory that its victory is permanent, that because the farmers were sold out by the Democratic leaders last November, they can never rally again. In some states opponents of the League have gotten the idea that the way to head off the League is to give the peo- ple, or pretend to give them, some of the -reforms-_that League members are demand- ing. In Montana, for instance, the anti-farmer gang submit- ted a fake terminal elevator constitutional amendment as a sop to the farmers. AGAINST FARMERS But they are pursuiny a dif- ferent policy in Idaho. Their motto in Idaho is:” “If the League is for it, we're agin’ it.” One of the. first measures submitted to the Idaho legis- lature was a concurrent reso- lution indorsing President Wil- son’s League of Nations plan. The senators looked at it, found it was introduced by Senator C. E. Turner, found Senator Turner was a League member, and proceeded to vote it down, 80 to 10. It wasn’t - S Senators C. W. Booth (left) and J. E. Danills, authors of the bill to give soldiers a year’s moratorium. Senator Booth, who is a member of the state committee of the Nonpartisan league, also introduced a bill.to tax water- power sites on all the waterpower being held out of use by the trust. because they were against a league of farmers. —Probably if Senator Turner had introduced a resolution declaring it to be the duty of all married men to treat their wives kindly, the senate would have turned around and voted instead that every married man should take a horsewhip to his wife at least once a week. Is this an overdrawn state- ment? If you think so con- sider for a moment what has actually happened at Boise. Last fall President A. C. Townley of the National Non- partisan league was billed to speak there. An unofficial or- ganization known as the Ada County Council of Defense an- nounced that Townley would not be allowed to speak, that force would be used, if neces- sary, to prevent it. -LABOR SLAPPED IN THE FACE TOO At the time that Townley came to Boise one W. J. A. McVety, a foreman employed by a Boise newspaper that was fighting the League, was act- ing president of the Ada County Council of Defense. And on the night of the Town- ley speech a mob of 100 men attempted to rush the crowd of farmers and do personal violence to Townley. There ~ was talk of tarring and feathering and even of lynching. . Nations. The gangsters “rushed” the Leaguers when the Townley meeting opened on the capitol steps. There was a rough and tumble battle, but the farmers of Idaho were strong enough and numerous enough, with the aid of a real sheriff, to defend themselves and their leader against this mob. The attempt to “get” Townley failed. McVety, the acting - president of the self- styled, unofficial “Ada County Council of Defense,” was re- Idaho, at its recent state con- vention, for his fight against the organized farmers. But McVety, the mob leader, repudiated by the workingmen of Idaho, was picked out of Idaho’s 400,000 - citizens by pointed commissioner of labor while the writer of this article was in the Idaho state capital. Could any more flagrant insult to the farmers and workers of Idaho be devised? The most important state position at the gift of the gov- ernor, in relation to the farm- ers of Idaho, is that of .direc- tor of the farm market bureau. To this = position Governor man named Miles Cannon. its state convention last sum- mer, tried to get the farm- ers’ indorsement for governor. Even after the League had se- lected another man, H. F. Samuels, Cannon tried to get the.convention to change Sam- uels as a candidate for con- gress and put him, Cannon, as candidate for governor. When the League farmers refused to do this Cannon turned on the : farmers and became a-traitor. For this service he was ‘ap- pointed by Governor Davis. _ PAGE ELEVEN - The Idaho senate promptly voted it down, 30 to 10, and ‘“discip- . lined” Turner by proceeding to di- vide his county against the wishes of its citizens. pudiated by organized labor of - Governer D. W. Davis and ap- - Pavis has just appointed a ° Cannon, when the League held - To show the absolute defi- ance of the farmers being prac- ticed by the Idaho state ad- ministration and the adminis- tration’s subserviency to or- ganized business one more matter may be cited. This is a letter sent out by Frank R. Ensign, secretary of the In- surance Federation of Idaho, to the officers of county divi- gsions of insurance agencies. Ensign says in his letter that the insurance federation has spent a great deal of money in the campaign against the Nonpartisan league “antici- pating the payment of division subscriptions, and now we need the subscriptions to meet obli- gations.” He goes on to say to the in- . surance agents: “W. R. Hyatt, insurance commissioner, advises me that he will be glad to learn what recommendations the agents wish to make to the governor and the legislature AND HE WILL INCLUDE THEM IN HIS BIENNIAL REPORT.” The message of Governor Davis to the legislature was hailed with unfeigned glee by the big interests in Idaho. After telling of his regard for the farmers and labor Davis asked for a state constabulary to keep them in order. He asked authority to continue the state council of defense per- manently and to call them to- gether at any time, whether war exists or not, “to 7N Senator C. E. Turner of Minidoka county, a Leaguer, who introduced a resolution indorsing the League of _initiate and carry on within the state such meas- ures as are deemed necessary to meet the emer- gency.” The governor devoted a large part of his speech to a defense of big business as it is con- ducted today, declaring that “the business systems with which we are familiar are not autocracies. They are the essence and consummation of demo- cratic government.” THE GOVERNOR’S FREE ELECTRICITY This in a state where the power trust has gob- bled up everything in sight! Governor Davis cited with pride that “with but one exception the gov- ernors of the state of Idaho for a number of years have been chosen from the ranks of business men.” He deplored “radicalism” and said of the duties of the governor: . “In a state such as ours he must necessarily act conservatively or he will not be permitted to con- tinue in office.” : And considering the power trust’s hold on Idaho politics, that last statement is not far from: the fact. In passing it might be noticed that Governor Davis, under a verbal “understanding” with the late Senator Brady, who was interested heavily in the power business, has been getting free light and power for seven years, heating his residence with electricity instead of coal and using the “juice’” be- sides for lighting, cooking, hair-curling and per- colating. : The present legislature of Idaho, overwhelmingly Republican in both branches, is solid in its support of Governor Davis. TFrom which it can be seen that the 18 League legislators have comparatively slender chances of getting any legislation passed that is likely to step on the toes of big business. But the League men have a program-to carry out. In their campaigns they promised to work for cer- tain things. These were: State-owned terminal - elevators, with flour mills in cornection, warehouses, ete. Revision of taxation to remove inequalities, take the burden from farmers and place. it on power sites and mines, which have been dodging their fair share, and taxation of idle property at a higher rate. - LR Rural credit banks operated at cost. A workable initiative, referendum and recall. The state-owned elevators, warehouses, ete., and: (Continued on page 20)