Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1897-02-11
Vrangling RGf0rmerS.
LONG SET SPEECHES, AIMED AT
THE GALLERIES AT THE EX-
PENSE OF THE TAXPAYERS.
Reform Comes High
Expensive Expert" Committees Consuming
Time While Senator's Roll in Easy Chairs
and Practice? Retrenchment
and Reform.

After struggling with the senatorial
question for half OF the session our
Idaho SolonS have now seemingly
taken It INTO their heads to consider
the business of the state, not to say
very marked extent, however, for,
when anything OF importance comes
up in either branch, stump.speaches,
committed to memory during the cam
paign last fall, are repeated with the
greatest energy by our Wi!d-cyed pop
ulist orators, to the ediiication Of the
galleries. but to the great disadvantage
of the tax payers. 1t costs the people
over five hundred dollars Il day to en-
joy the delights OF the reform lectures
with which we are constantly RECALLED
LAW MAKING BEGINS.
Monday last the legislature assen-
lled in earnest for the first time after
the election of Senator Heitfeld The
opened up proceedings in the line of
investigating the methods that have
prevailed in the management of the
State Land Department Reports sub
Initted indicated that in the minds of
the members the affairs of the depart
inent have no: been conducted to the
best interests of the state, but no
charges of fraud of any kind are made.
Other departments of the State gov
erunient have not been reported upon
except in the case of the Treasurer
That officer will find his position any
thing but IA sinecure If bills reported
from committees and now pending be-
come laws. One IN the house makes
sweeping changes in the methods of
conducting the Office and is calculated
to render loss from any cause next to
impossible and to compel the Treasurer
to ODE y the law. Ever since we be-
came state the Treasurer has been
able, through violation of law, t. re-
nlize from five to ten thousand dollars
year by depOsiting the State funds on
general deposit in certain banks. The
use of a hundred thousand dollars on
an average is an important matter to
any bank In Idaho aud there Is not
one but would be willing to pay hand
son,ely for the use of such an amount
IN its business. That Is what has been
done in the past so it is said. Our laws
require hat the Treasurer shall not
place state funds IN any bank other
wise than on special deposit. If the
law were enforced or obeyed, specula-
tiou would cease. 1t Is rumOred on the
his banker friends feel confident that
they will rot only be able to defeat the
pending bill but also to repeal the law
above referred to which is the only
protection Vie statutes now afford
I.atah county has felt the results of n
disregard of the law relative to the de-
posting of public funds IN banks. Our
democratic State Treasurer must have
overlooked the newspaper accounts of
the Hattataugh affair. Certainly, he,
as IA refOrnler. cannot afford to endorse
any proposition dangerous to the peo-
pies money. But then there are many
kinds of refOrmers.
SHAM REFORMERs.
The demO-pOpOcratic refOrners of the
senate. this year, working In the inter
ost of the people. refrain from exactlng
of the most important committee of
that body any personal labor on the
part Of its members. The Committee
ON State Affairs, composed of five
members, is given al expert commas
sion of three to whom all the work of
the committee IL delegated, while the
Honored Senators In true Jetiersonian
simplicity rest in elegantly upholstered
easy chairs awaiting the time when
''our experts" shall be ready to report
These experts only cost the state four
dollars u day each, and of course the
taxpayers will gladly give that small
pittance to tour experts" in order to
enable great reformers to maintain
their senatorial dignity. Oh! Yes,
they are economical reformers, Of
course, they are. \ short appropria-
ton hill giving $1,000 to the State
Land Board tor the purpose of select
nd In Nlxnne .txAs
country was made last week and,
strange IA 1t may appear, the contract
for examining and estimating the tim.
her was let to the same man, &. o.
Brown, whom democratic and populist
speakers have denounced and " no per
formed similar duties for the republican
hoard Of the last administration. lam
afraid that "evil communications
may corrupt the good manners of oul
democratic refOrMers.
TAX SHEEP INTERESTS.
'Enmity towards the languishing in
dustries Of the state was shown In thu
discussion of u measure relative to the
taxation of sheep which passed til,
house Yesterday by vote Of 35 to )
IL discussing the bin the poor sheer
and the long suffering sheep men wer'
roughly handled by the reformers sim
ply aud solely because the sheep In
dus'ry has been one of the objects o
republican care and protection. Tn,
methods of taxing sheep now proposed
ii enacted will al solutely prohibit tn
industry in Idaho. And that Is th'
avowed desire and purpose Of some ex
trene efnrmers.
REFORM COSTS MONEY.
The house has taken the first stel
in the direction of the taxation o
mines by passing n bill striking minin,
CLAIMS from the list Of property exeInp
from taxation. This policy Is inaugu
rated for the one purpose Of securln.
more revenue and not from any lde'
nf doing justice In equaliying the bur
.iens of taxation. The same bill makes
all chu -ch property worth over 5000
taxable. This reform administration
il bound to retrench, is bound to worl
+. forms, but, you know 1t takes none,
to make the mare 20 and refornler
must have money with which to pa,
the expenses Of Tetrenching and re