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By STRVo un. Journ) Political Writer American party U.S. Senate candidate Jean Stoddard thinks one of her opponents, Republican Bob Smith, has just about “wrecked the American Party in Idaho. ” It la Smith, she says, he was (he impetus behind American Party chairman John McAdams’ statement that Mrs Stoddard was unfit to hold the office of senator, so that he (Smith) could siphon off the support of the conservative American Party voters. “Bob Smith tries to pass himself off as a real con servative. But he advocates the safe kinds of liberal programs that Frank Church does, Mrs. Stoddard says, Now he's trying to get the American Party to support him.” Mrs. Stoddard, 52, a Salmon housewife, explains that Smith a not opposed to the federal income tax and not vocal enough in his opposition to federal government ownership of Idaho lands, Mrs. Stoddard was asked by McAdams to resign her can didacy earler this month because of her support of a state militia to supersede a standing national army. McAdams, a retired air force officer, called that inconsistent with American Party beliefs. As I understand it from walking to some people She were al Ube meeting,” abe says, McAdame just called it without notice, without in forming any of the county chairmen or state committee people. There were joint live at the people present—McAdams, the secretary, and some prepit nobody had seen before. It was at that meeting McAdams switched his support and the support of the party, to Smith. Mrs. Stoddard says she regards the caucus as illegal and says she will continue to fun ds the American Party can didate. She regards the size and power of the federal govern ment as the one of two root causes of inflation and energy shortages. The problem, she says, could be overcome if the government would withdraw its ownership from areas like Idaho and allow them to be privately developed. Mrs. Stoddard claims federal holding of state lands if prohibited by the constitution. She says a court challenge might work, but she would prefer initiating the return of lands she regards as illegally seized through legislation. , “The federal government should turn its lands in Idaho over to the state, and the state should be in charge of distributing them to the people. Give people 160 acres and ret. 23 initee rem homes__. 1. it sme llsy om the land and make something out of Md,think they would do a better job of taking care of the forest lands than the Forest Service does.” Mrs. Stoddard says perhaps the Homestead Act of 1081 could be applied to those areas to assure that the land is equably distributed. She would not, however, be opposed to mining and timbering companies archasing such areas from individuals and with them the water and mineral rights. “as far as I'm concerned, as soon as the fund is theirs they can do anything they want with it. A decent respect for property of others, she says will be adequate safeguard aginst environmental abuses. “I've talked to some of the lumber workers up around the Coeur d'Alene area, she says, “and they say they'd be thrilled with such an idea. People who have to work with the land keep it up, some of these federal forests » billy goat couldn't get through they're so neglected.” ‘The inclusion of such large tracts into taxable lands, Mrs. Stoddard says, will eliminate the need for the federal income tax, tax she says is fun damentally unfair. ‘The people who are making large amounts of money, like Rockefeller, don’t pay any taxes at all. It's just the poor ees “eo © penpee who Bet poopie, the uit hurt.” Mrs. Stoddard would also eliminate corporate income taxes at the federal level, but says there needs to be more regulation of the monopolistic practices of a few individuals— most prominately — vice president designate Nelson Ockefeller—who are in league to keep oil prices artificially hign. “When the oil shale tends in the Southwest went on motion that year, who got the leases? Standard and Exxon, both Rockefeller companies. ‘That's because they had the leases fled up 75 years ago. A few rich people control the energy situation and they can do about anything they want” Mrs. Stoddard claims Rockefeller's father, John D. Rockefeller Sr., “kept Russia going for the first 20 years after the Revolutor. They've got the Caucausian oil fields tied up and are building the big natural gas pipeline.” She favors the elimination of federal agencies which, she says, perform unnecessary roles and says the federal government budget could be systematically reduced by elimination of the income tax because of the transfer of the tax system. to @ proparty tax base. “When you have Jest ZOvETOMeEs. gyw BONS Tred 10 tax as much she says. Mrs. Stoddard favors the use of the “posse commitatus,”” or citizen's posse to keep a check on government officials. “Under the constitution, the sheriff is the principal law enforcement officer in our country. It's up to him to see that the public laws are en forced. * Under such ply, Mrs. Stoddard says, the county sheriff would get together with a concerned citizens’ com mittee if they perceived a usurpation of public trust in any elected official, and arrest him. He would then be tried on those charges. Asked, what would prevent such authority from being used arbitrarily and for political motives, Mrs. Stoddard said, “There is still the right of the trial. The public official would be tried by a jury. Mrs. Stoddard is unsure how such a system might work on the state and national level, though she says the primary responsibility for such en forcement would be the obligation of the sheriff in the county where the seat of government is located. In cases. where this is not practical, she says, the legislative body might serve as its own posse com mitalus in some instances. . little people... get hurt’
Newspaper Details
Idaho State Journal
Pocatello, Idaho, US
Wed, Oct 23, 1974
Page 32
Full Page
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USA 03 Jun 2026
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