The Lewiston teller. (Lewiston, Idaho) 1900-1905, 1902-09-18
Il IS DEMOCRATIC ECONOMY?
As Shown by the Code Jobs and other
Interesting Items $50, 900 Lost the Tax.

| Payers.
Our democratic friends prate great
deal about alleged economy of demo-
craft administration of state affairs, saws
the Boise Statesman. If the democrats
have been especially economical they
have managed to cover up their rs cord
Ill that respect so Ct mpletely that it can
not be discovered, while reckless extraya.
gance crpps out at many points in the
general record that has been made
AN illustration of the ecklessness of
the democracy is furnished by the code
Jobs that have run through four years.
When the legislature met in 1899 there
was sentiment prevailing that the laws
OF the state should be codified. A bill was
introduced for the pdrpose. That bill
provided for the employment of an ex-
perieuced codi6er, but before it got
through the legislature it had trans.
formed into job. AS passed, it provided
for the appointment of a commission of
five to be paid $I3,5' for their work.
Further. the measure was carried
through only after it had been bundled
up with log drive, one of the features
OF which was an arrangement for the ap-
pointment of certai II individuals on the
commission. -Four of the men appointed
were members Of the legislature. The
commission as appointed had no special
training for that kind of work. At least
one of the members made no pretense of
doing anything. The w.rk was per.
formed, but it was done so badlv that
the next legislature could not accept it.
The codes were found so incorrect that
nothing could be done with them. By
that time something more than $40, 900
had been spent in codifying and printing.
"The legislature wrestled with the
problem for a time, but it became evi
dent that it was impossible to make any
thing Of the codes. 1t did not have the
time to revise the work accurately and
the only course to pursue was to throw
the codes away. or let them go over to
another session.
..But it happened at that time that the
economical democratic leaders were
anxious to make patronage for demo-
cratic newspaper, and they conceived the |
brilliant idea of having these worthless
codes gone over by another commission
and printed as evidence of the law. This
project was carried through. Though it |
was perfectly apparent to everybody that
the money would be thrown away, those
economical persons did not hesitate,
An appropriation of 10000 was made
which would fall into the hands of the
paper it was desired to help, and another
was provided for paying the men who
were to do the work on the codes. The
work of the first commission had been so
bad that it was impossible to make any
thing of them, but the revision was car.
ried through and the result printed as
evidence of the law.
"The books are not of any value, even
Is evidence of the law. The entire ex-
oendituIe for the purpose has been
hrown away, the amount being upwards
IF $3o,ooo
"The failure of the first commission ar.
'angement was predicted from the start.
The legislative democratic managers
we're warned that failure would follow.
out they forced the project through, he.
:ause of the pork" in sight. When the
econd job was planned, the democratics
we're again warned that the failure could
lot be corrected by the plan proposed,
nut there had to be hole opened into
he treasury, and they proceeded with
he program.
Men, whether in or out of Office, NAV
make mistakes, and SO long as the mis-
axes are such as human nature is heir to
he people will be charitable with r. spect
o them, but in this case there was no ex
use for the course pursued; it was SIM
'ly Job designed to benefit party work
RS. More than $4,000 has thus been
brown away, and yet the very meu, re.
ponsible for it ask the people to sup
'ort the democratic party on the ground {
hat its administration of state affairs has
,een economical" |,
Work on the Open River.