Show APPEAL TO THE VOTERS OF IDAHO J I Chairman H W lockhart of o Democratic Central Com Committee Committee Committee Issues Letter 1 CAMPAIGN C AM PAO ON 0 N IN I EARNEST 4 f CHURCH C QUESTION UPPERMOST ISFALL TH I Special to The Horald Boise Ida Aug 31 The following let letter letter letter ter to the voters or of Idaho has been issued Is Issued Iss sued s odby by n II H W Z V Lockhart of or the Democratic state central committee To 10 the People of Idaho In view of th the groat consequences once which will arise from the campaign of or 1906 1006 and which may af affect affect fact for good or evil the destinies of the people peo le of Idaho for a n long time to come comeT comeI I T have havo deemed It proper that a statement should be given to the people of this state relative to the course to be pursued by the th Democratic state committee of which I have the tho honor to be bo the tho chair chairman chairman man I Pledge Made by Party UA A convention of the Democratic party lately hold held In Coeur dAlene Alene d city has de declared declared declared In unmistakable words that polygamy polygamy polygamy amy and unlawful cohabitation must cease ce e and that the Interference In the po political political 1 affairs of this state by the Mor Mol Mormon Mormon mon hierarchy must stop and It pledged the tho th party part If given the power by byte the th peo people people pI at the polls to carry Into effect by b statutes punishing such offenses that clause of the tho state constitution which has haa heretofore been at once the bulwark of morality and decency in the tho homes of this state and the weapon of defense against the political domination of an un unscrupulous unscrupulous unscrupulous scrupulous and selfish alien oligarchy which seeks to confuse the religious sen son sentiments sentiments of ot Us its people p ople by directing them In their political actions No partisanship has dictated the course coU e of oC the Democratic party In pre presenting this Issue for at all times dis disregarding disregarding disregarding regarding the tho possibility of deriving ad advantage advantage vantage by truckling to the Mormon hie hierarchy hierarchy hierarchy the Democratic party has sought to occupy the high ground of Dr citizenship which looks solely to the tho welfare of the and the preservation of those homes which are at once the glory and the safe safeguard safeguard guard suard of a 1 republic 1 Polygamy Increasing 4 a We e affirm unhesitatingly that polygamy polygamy polygamy amy Is not only onh practiced in this state but is Increasing to an alarming extent and If the people of or Idaho entrust the af affairs affairs affairs fairs of or the government of the state of Idaho to the nominee of the tho Coeur dAl dAI d AI eno convention und and the tho legislators from tho various counties who endorse the Coeur dAlene Alene d platform we ve will pass such r laws at the next session of f the Idaho leg legislature le lel legislature lature l as will enable us to prove this assertion without which laws law we are arc powerless to act We Ye affirm that chil children hll dren the future citizens of this state are being boing born branded with Illegitimacy I and deprived d of their legal logal birthright and reared in an atmosphere which must un undermine undermine undermine dermine their moral natures To absolutely absolutely stamp out this crime prohibited by b the moral sense of mankind and to rescue these little children so that each may stand equal In the eye of the law unashamed of Its parentage we appeal to the motherhood of this state to stretch out protecting arms over the children reared In the vicious practice of unlawful unlawful unlawful ful cohabitation Appeal to Women Voters The Tho women of Idaho have been given at nt once a n great grent privilege 1 and a tl great duty and we eo urge them so to act In this cam eam campaign campaign that the claims made In their be behalf behalf half halt shall be vindicated viz whenever a n question of or morality should be present od nd to the people the votes of the women wo en would bo be cast fearlessly for the right Can you women of Idaho looking Into tho the clear Innocent eyes of your own children fail tall to help us free tree the polygamous poly polygamous a amous children of the curse of bastardy Was Vas It not taught on the shores of Gal Galilee GalIlea Galilee ilee Ilea that It wore were w re better that a millstone wore were hanged about his neck and he hc be wi cast eRst Into the sea rather than he should l of offend fond 1 one of these little ones Is that not Jiving truth today In Idaho Is not the tho question whether or not you ou will con continue to permit these little ones to be offended put straight to the hearts of the women of Idaho today toda in this campaign or whether Joining with us you will put putdown putdown putdown down forever the practice of polygamy In this state There have appeared apol apologists apologists for the tho old polygamists but who if t not the women of oC this state shall be heard hoard in defense of their young oung children Crime Condoned in Idaho The state of Idaho stars stands pilloried be b foro the United States placed there by bytho bythe the tho sworn testimony of Representative French before the Reed Smoot Investigating ing committee of the tho United States sen senate senate senate ate where sitting between n two polygamous polygamous apostles of the Mormon church he ho unblushingly testified that the tho pEople of Idaho condoned the crime of polygamy and unlawful cohabitation in the cases of old polygamists Do you OU women of oC Idaho condone the birth of the children of the old polygamists tainted from their Infancy by b this of crime Last July a child was born to the third polygamous wife of Joseph F FSmith FSmith Smith president of or the Mormon church Aro Arc wo we e to allow this statement to staid regarding Idaho or will the earnest men and women woman of or this slate repudiate tc it Power of the Church No less Jess momentous in its effect upon tho the future of Idaho Is the Interference in political affairs of or the tho Momon hierarchy As is well known the Mormon formon voters oters hold tho the balance of power between the tho two to t yo great parties tho the Republican and Dem DeI Democratic De l and these Mormon votes are ab absolutely absolutely controlled by b the hierarchy hierarch It Iti Itis i is possible for Cor the authorities of the tho Mor mon church ChUlch sitting in m Salt Lake City to tosa say sa to either elthor party In Idaho If U you will agree to Sp o Our ur demands we will place you ou in power It can say to any Individual of either cither party If It you OU agree to support measures favorable to us we will make you OU senator governor or put you In what whatever whatever whatever ever office you may ma aspire to Is not lot this great power pow r Inimical to the best Interests of the state Will VIll It not build up In our politics the system of or bossism to tram pl on the aspirations of our people Was Vas not this great power of the Mormon hie Me hierarchy hierarch lately exerted at Pocatello when In a convention in which three polygamists polygamists polygamists mists sat two men were permitted to prepare a slate and parcel Darcel out the of offices offices offices of this state stute without t regard to the choice of the tho people but always with the approval of the Mormon leaders The motto of or that convention seems to have been If we please the hierarchy the people can be disregarded What John Henry Did Have Havo we not seen Jn In Boise the polygamous polygamous polygamous amous apostle John Henry Smith of the Mormon church endeavoring to coerce a legislature and to change the clear pro provisions provisions provisions visions of the constitution of ot Idaho against polygamy which he said were so objectionable to his people and has not this been testified to by leading Republicans cans cam of Idaho Have Havo we wc not seen the polygamous apostle Matthias Cowley masquerading as a book agent and visiting homes in Oneida Onelda county with the e statement that inasmuch as he was the tho spiritual adviser of ot the people p ople they the y must listen to him in itt political affairs Have Havo not the people of this state seen Apostle Penrose likewise a polygamist leaving his office in Salt Lake Lako City and coming corning at the request of political leaders in Fremont county Ida Idaho Idaho Idaho ho and changing its political complexion in a night Is there in this demand that the Mormon hierarchy should refrain retrain from Interfering In the political affairs in Ida Idaho Idaho Idaho ho any partisan politics If so then the evidence of leading pen men both in the Dem Democratic Democratic Democratic and Republican all an parties must be disregarded Who Vho can view the last Jast ses session session session sion of the Idaho legislature without the blush of shame mantling his cheek Did Id not Representative Alney Ainey a Republican of Canyon county stand up in the house of representatives and declare that he had been approached by members of this ec ecclesiastical al organization and told that If It he voted for certain measures his useful usefulness usefulness usefulness ness as a legislator was ended Have tho the thomen thomen themen men of Idaho become so docile In their subjection to Joseph F Smith of Salt Lake that such a statement can be made by one no of their representatives and they the not resent it Was Vas it partisan politics politic when acting actinS under their constitutional duty dut the judges of the supreme court of this state wisely suggested to the tile legis lature of this state that a change of venue ve venue venUE nue bill bUl be passed In the t e Interest of jus justice justice justice tice And yet was this Democratic poli poll politics tics ties when this measure advocated by the supreme court composed of two and one Democrat and introduced by so prominent a Republican as Judge Richards of Ada county In the house the Mormon speaker left the chair and de descending descending descending to the floor of the house char characterized characterized characterized the bill as the weapon of char character character acter acler assassins and with passion declared it an insult aimed at the Mormon people Why Vh this change of venue bill was be bc B ing discussed in the senate Senator Mc Beth in advocating Its enactment stated st ted that If this bill should be passed it would be the death blow to polygamy and on till statement notwithstanding the rec roe of the supreme court of the state and amI in order to continue this ab abhorrent practice the Influence of the Mormon hierarchy in the senate forthwith killed It Partisanship Denied Are citizens of Idaho who are striving to lift Idaho to the high place occupied by her sister r states in civic authority and public morality to be called partisan when they Insist that laws which have proved efficacious in other states in preventing disease and in fostering public health be adopted In this state slate If in agitating against the control Of the tho affairs of Idaho by the tho Mormon hierarchy we be called partisan We point to the experience of Dr France Republican representative from Shoshone county in the last legislature legis legislature lature as an example of the power of the church to oppose and defeat the best in interests interests interests of this people Dr France at the request of the state medical board intro introduced Introduced introduced a board of health bill which In ef effect effect effect provided the tho machinery for stamping out epidemics and contagious diseases and provided for the collection of the vital statistics of the state Idaho is the only state of the tho American Union which has not such a law and to the tho credit of the th medical profession of this state they en endeavored endeavored endeavored to place Idaho In line lino with tho the best medical and scientific information by b collating and copying the best part of each law from the states on this subject Dr France introduced this bill billand billand billand and was thereupon told by b the represent representatives representatives representatives of this Salt Lake hierarchy that if hs he eliminated the thc provision regarding the tho registration of births the bill could be bo passed otherwise it could not Upon his refusal refu ll to truckle to this plainly immoral demand dema d the bill met the same fats fate as its predecessors by being defeated at the hands of the Mormon Influence Thus to hide the thc evidence that they still preach and practice polygamy the Salt Lake hier hierarchy hierarchy hierarchy archy have exposed the people of Idaho to contagious disease and possible death by keeping the state from having the tho necessary necess r machinery to effectually quarantine quarantine quarantine antine against disease Not a Personal Question There Is but one Issue to bo be presented to the tho people of the state in view of these those Incontrovertible facts above stated viz whether or not the people of ot Idaho shall enjoy political independence and whether or not they shall cleanse this state of or tho the crimes now being practiced within Its borders I shall not permit the tho person personalities personalities of the different candidates to en enter enter enter ter Into the thc discussion but I shall Insist at all times that the question of the tho sanc sanctity sanctity sanctity of the home and political liberty Is greater than the thc aspiration of ot any candi candidate candidate candidate date that the thc great question to be an answered answered answered and settled at the tho polls In No Is Js whether vice shall be effectively suppressed and individual political liberty be bd preserved to Cach ach citizen of Idaho We Ve must make mako sure that the tho state lives be before before before fore wo we discuss the question of politics Time for Action at Hand HandI I am not appealing to the tho partisan sentiment of the Democratic party but rather I 1 am addressing In lit this campaign all the tho citizens of Idaho regardless of party to Democrats and Republicans alike nUke because their interests are aro being Injured in the tho most vital places to the women of Idaho regardless of party af because crime is practiced in inthis inthis inthis this state which particularly affects them We Wo have havo before us the ever continuing struggle of a democracy the preservation of a liberty dearly bought and heroically maintained It is a fight for first prin is most dear to men Before Betor any other question can be bo an answered answered the people of this state must by their solemn votes affirm that liberty Ubert is dearer to them than their party affiliations and that the purity of the thc home hone must be bo preserved and that children born In this great commonwealth shall face the tho world without a stain upon their birth For the th accomplishment of these great ends I appeal to the tho whole people of Ida Idaho Idaho Idaho ho to unite with the Democratic party so that the pledges of its platform may be enacted into the tho laws of the land Signed H W LOCKHART |