Kootenai County Republican. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1899-1903, 1901-12-06
A SHORT MEMORY.

tpcCduSt tIlc IcpuDlICdII picno vi '''''
county has seen fit To call the public's
attention to the fact that County At
LOrney Graham has commenced an ac
lion against the fu sion ex-commisSion-
ers and their bondsmen for a large
sum Of money which these ex-oiiicials
illegally appropriated to their own
use during their term OF ONCE. SO
Far as the Republican is concerned ii
saw fit TO mention that fact first be-
rause the fusion press Of the county APP
peared to consider it unworthy Of con
.ideratiOn even as news item, and Soc
ond, because the Republican believed it
was entitled To Il vindicalion on ac-
count OF the abuse and bilingsgatc
heaped upon ii by the fusion press,
when the Republican first mentioned
The Facts connected with the cX-com-
missioners Illegal practices last fall.
Every charge made by the Rcpubli-
can against the eX-commissionerS at
that time is fully sustained by the
more recent disclosures made by Coun-
" Attorney Irallaln.
1t very i'll becomes the Rathdrum
Blade to attempt To attribute wrong
motives to the republican press In
This instance. The Blade was first
and foremost with It's dcniais of the
charges made against the eX-cOmmis-
sioners by the republican press last
fall. Ii denied vehemently that
there was anything wrong about the
official conduct of these men, and
heapcd no end Of abuse and billings
gate upon the Republican because it
dared to publish the charges. The Re
publican's exposure Of those men was
ny the Blade characterized as an at
tempt at blackmail, etc. Yet during
All Of this time the Blade knew the
facts as well us did the Republican
and us they recently have been dis
closed 10y County Attorney Graham.
Does the Blade wish To be quoted In
his matter? 1t Is, indeed, iine(?)
record for a newspaper which is now
attempting to cast odium upon anoth-
n.
The Cry Of 'stop thief" which the
Blade has seen tit To use in this con
nection, is in very bad taste. The re-
publican press Of this county is not
called upon to defend the record OF
any republican eX-otlicial. No repub
liean cX-otlicial has "gone south :"
~ wit In each hnnnlsS ~ ar n ~ hn
kind of books. On the contrary, re-
publican eX-otlicicalS and contractors
have no reason To leave the county,
assomc ex-fuSioners have done. Near
last republican official in this county
turned over his Office to Il fusion sue
cesSor, and up TO the present the flu
sion successors, have found nothing
upon which to base even an insinua-
ton Of wrongdoing on the part of re-
publican cx-otlicials, Notwithstanding
they have been challenged to "Show
up. and failing in which they are re-
fncStcd by public opinion to "shut
ap.' The Republican dares the Blade
Ia produce anything connected with
The record of republican ex-oilieials,
Or olhcrv Use, upon which il can base
is cry OF stop thief" used in refer
cnce TO the republican press at this
lime.
In this connection the Blade says:
The fact that the old board were fu-
toner's, cuts no ice. No: but the
act that their every Official act was
asst Il Il uustlalitiedly endorsed by the
susion press and the fusion county or
.anlzatinn, "eutS some lee Does
he Blade mean 70 Say that il was pos.
sible for the eN-commiSSioners Ia com
nit the many wrongs with which they
ire charged by County Attorney era
.lam, without the knowledge, ol even
consent and aid Of the other fusion Of
icialS AT Rathdrum? 1t will have 4
aald time to make taxpayers believe
that. 1t would also "cut ice" st
ar rs the Blade is concerned. If these
eX-commissioucrs had been repuhii
cans instead Of customers. The Blade
continues: "fh here is one fact that
sticks out bigger than mountain
The action of the present board pre-
vents any loss by overdrawal and vii
Fufnish coart decision for future