The Lewiston teller. (Lewiston, Idaho) 1900-1905, 1902-10-24
TRAIL or THE GRAFT.

The trail of grating under the
present state administration Is found
everywhere. On of the worse cases Is
the famous code job. It-smells to heav-
en-. The job has cost the state, first
and last more than $4,000. 1t was
bad enough when the present admin
istration came into power. The worth
less codes were q heritage from the for
mer. The field seemed to be an es-
pecially inviting one to the new hands
at the helm and they proceeded to or
ganize grand raid.
The original effort had been to Sc
cure codes. but It failed miserahly. The
second effort was not to secure any
thing but graft" An act was passed
providing that the worthless codes
should be gone over by a new COM
mission to make expurgations and to
replace matter that had been dropped.
The bill further provided that the
codes 30 doctored should be printed
and issued AZ evidence Of the law. For
this purpose an appropriation Of $1,000
was made. That was the sole purpose OF
the measure--the appropriation Of state
money for the aid Of a party paper. It
was not supposed the codes would be
OF any avafue--it was not intended they
should be. The only thought was to get
that 5000 out OF the public treasury
into the Golfers Of tbs organ.
The original project was to secure .
.codification Of the laws Fof the state
The project failed, and on the ruins the
Hunt administration founded q raid
upon the public treasury for the pur-
pose Of aiding the party organ. The
Plan Of having the laws c0dified was
dropped, and something to be regarded
a. evidence Of law was to be palmed
OF on the public In return for the
$4,000 or 20 OF additional money taken
from the state funds.
1t was a wretched piece OF business.
AT the time, II was denounced. but
those managing the steal were case.
hardened. They were arrogant and
determined, thinking they could do
anything without being called TO &C..
count. The spirit was manifested then
that has been shown ever since. But
the people were not 20 easily lulled to
sleep respecting the wrong-doing Of
those placed In authority, and. now.
when the administration II before the
public for reelection. It makes them
howl with impotent rage because these
things are talked Of by the people when
they give their reasons for believing
the governor should not be reelected.
In their confusion the Democrats
adopt the rogue's method Of defense
Charging somebody else with having
done wrong. IN connection with this
matter Of the code steal. they seek 70
justify themselves by charging that
Mart Patrie. while secretary Of state.
gave out q great printing Job. speci-
ncally the charge IL that he had no
many envelopes printed for the use Of
the legislature that 10000 were left ov.
er II he had done anything Of that
kind 1t would not be Justification for
the Hunt administration in making THE
great steal for the benefit Of the state
organ, but the fact Is that Patrie or
dered only $1,000 envelopes for the Ter.
islature. about the usual proportion.
some fellow with more zeal than
honesty got into the storeroomi and
found collection Of legislatiove en-
velopes left over from the legislature Of
2 dosen years OF 20 ago ana counted
them All - having been ordered by Pa
trfe. He made the number out - ~
90. and now these baf1ed, outraged
Democrats charge that tho forxs1ef Sec
retQRy Of st4te ordered &6at many IN
excess of the r6Qu1romenfk II their
fury had not ad8l6d thhtr brains they
woQlA talEe = lftt3a tar6 "a INA out more
ab4ut IT, G1lv&56no hnoin6oe hAf0re
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