The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1894-10-20
TELL THE TRUTH.

We regret very much that our Dem
ocratic friends have concluded to re.
pose implicit faith in the efficacy Of
falsehood to pull them through the
present contest. A little artistic lying,
judiciously mixed with truth, is a pot
ent and admissible weapon in conflicts
political but when you come to load
up entirely with false facts and fire
away nothing but naked, awkward lies
it looks discouraging. We deplore
that kind of thing because you don't
learn anything from it. What people
want is the truth; that is they want
enough truth to make it interesting
When Democratic speakers get up on
their hind legs and saw the air and tell
US that the present state administration
is the most corrupt, extravagant and
imbecile the country ever knew, nobody
believes tilat /; it is a wild and transpa.
rent lie on its face. The TRIBUNE
does not purpose to show those speak
ers that they are wrong, because, in
rational moments, when they are not
speech making, they do not pretend to
be right. They tell us then that every
thing is fair in politics and that Grover
Cleveland Democracy has left Idaho
Democrats nothing to talk about, ex-
cept things that are not so. Generally,
states are run in such a way that the
truth is quite bad enough, but it seems
as though the Idaho Democrats are de-
termined to strengthen the weak places
in their national misfortunes by monu
metal lying on state issues. We say,
the truth is generally bad enough and
1t is. The TRIBUNE has no scruples
about telling the truth. We don't owe
the state administration anything. If
Governor MCCONNELL can not stand
on his own record, he is out of luck,
that's all. When Governor STEVENSON
went out of Office, the territorial debt,
after deducting money on hand, was
1886, 1917. In territorial times the
United States paid for nearly every
thing the territorial government used.
The United States kept up the peniten-
tiary, paid the governors salary, paid
all the expenses of legislatures paid
everything, in fact, except a few Incl
dentals like postage stamps and ink
and other liquids. Yet, it appears, that
the STEVENSON management used up
all the revenue and left the territory
upwards of quarter of million of
dollars in debt. Mr.. WICKERsHAM
who was then territorial comptroller, a
Democrat and an exceptionally honest
one, said, that Governor STEVENSON
kept the territorial levy at IS cents
when it ought to have been n cents
and tho old governor did it that way
because from Democratic political
standpoint it was better to keep the
levy down and run the territory in debt
than to make an adequate levy and
keep even with the board. WICKER
SHAM described Governor STEVENSON
~ an honest old gentleman with q
great fondness for political effect "
and a ford breath. Well, it: seems
from this that Governor STEVENSON
had all he could do to keep the territory
going on q u cents levy when the
United States footed all the legitimate
bills. Now, this same nice, fat, old
gentleman is roaring like young bull
Governor MCCONNELL has not
:un the state, paying all expenses, and
wiped up that old debt on an 81 cent
evy. Some folks think that other
'olks ought to be pretty smart. When
Governor STEVENSON retired, SuouP
managed the ranch for q few months.
'ut we haven't any separate account of
lfs stewardship. Then came WILEY
md he was daisy. 1t is not down in !
ne record that he and STEVENSON are
win sisters, but the resemblance in |
heir administration policies was very |
triking. We suspect that the VIII |
.EY administration left things very
ouch as they found them-a comforta-
lie debt and an omptv safe IN tho