Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1899-03-11
Boise Correspondence.

posed that the legislature would have adj
journed last week, but at this writing it
is still in session, although an epidemic
of fatal nlaladies has broken out among
the immediate relatives of members Of
the house. These maladies are particr-
larly prevalent among the mothers Of
members, hence the legislature is being
rapidly disseminated without adjourn
ment. 1t is probable, though that the
adjournment will occur tomorrow.
Attempts have been made to discred [
these correspondence because it was sail
that the university deficit, amounting to
nearly $4,000 is mostly due to teachers
Your correspondent was reliably informed
that such was the case, but probably the
information was in account as relating TO
teachers. The main fact, however, that
is the $4,000 deficit, is substantially cor
rect.
The excitement over the stabbing ARRAY
has somewhat subsidized, but the general
disgust over the shameful affair is in
creasing. New facts are constantly COM
ing to light which have a tendency to
change sympathy and sentiment. The
following version is now most generally
accepted as correct:
| Representatives Averitt and Hess,
democrats from Fremont county, engaged
in heated controversy in the house
Oh,
and Redwine, of Lemhi county, was
speaking on the code commission bill.
The honorable gentlemen from Fremont
county began to call each other bad
names when Averitt made an assault upon
Hess with a knife, inficting slight
wound below the ribs. The wound might
have been serious and perhaps fatal had
not the knife struck a rib. When Hess
discovered what had been done to him,
he promptly knocked Averitt down. I'M
mediately the house was in confusion and
the combatants were separated. 1t is but
fair to state that Averitt claims that Hess
made the first assault, but, in the opinion
of eye witnesses such is not the case.
Several days after the affair, and when
Averitt had been signally honored by the
governor by being appointed a member
of the code commission, the writer was
told by members of the house, and by
the speaker himself, that in their judg-
nent there was no question but that
Averitt had made nlurderous as
sault on Hess. 1t would seem that
the governor must have been under
the most binding obligations to
/ Representative Averitt, or he would not
have appointed him to such an important
position after what had happened. This
brings us naturally to consideration of
the facts surrounding this now notorious
commission. Soon after the last election
a movement was started by prominent
members of the bar looking to the codi-
hcation of the laws and upon the meet
ing of the legislature. A bill for that
purpose was introduced which provided
for three code commissioners. The bill
was received coldly and evidently stood
no change for passage. But as the session
progressed and Legislative trading be-
came rife, the administration saw ft to
lend support to the bill and it was push
ed through the house. It went to the
Senate and there strange and I'M
prccedented thing happened. The bill
was amended to carry five commissioners
instead of three. It was sent back to the
house and repassed as amended. Now,
note this: -Four of the commissioners
appointed by the governor were members
of the legislature-three senators and
one representative. The fifth member of
j the commission was the governors main
i political henchnan. The public will
form its own conclusions respecting the
motives which inspired Legislative body
to create FIVE positions where three were
ample and then fill four fifths of them
from their own body. 1t is of course
possible that outside Of the legislature
there were no lawyers capable of dis
charging the difficult duties of code COM
nlissioners, but it is the more remarkable
that not one member Of the commission
had ever before shown any symptoms of
professional capacity, unless exception
be made of c. NJ. Hays of whom it may
be said that honesty of purpose and good
intentions are distinguishing char
acteristics. As to Frank Martin, Jim
/ Watts, Frank Fogg and Phil Averitt let
the fame of their works speak for itself.
As they are unk nown, they should pass
without censure. 0bscurity is their sole
Recommendation. But as it is said that
the governor refused to appoint dis
tinguished lawyer because he could not,
or would not, reciprocate political favors,
we may be able to discover the motives
which animated his excellency.
/ a little thing happened in the house a
few days ago which speaks volumes for
the political sagacity of the Steunenberg
administration. 1t has been the pride
and boast of the governor and his friends
that economy had been practiced with
/ such vigor that there would be no
deficiencies whatever, and this had been
said so often that a great many people
had come TO believe il and plan was
concocted to prove it, The general
deficiency bill was held in committee
until the time had arrived for "rusll"