The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1903-02-21
POLITICAL LETTER.
Signal Correspondence.

DOlSe, req. ~.
A flood of bills swamped the legis-
iature at the opening of the weeks
session last Monday. Bills, of all
sorts and conditions, bills long, bills
short, bills medium, but most of them
aiming skillfully at the million dol
lars left in the treasury by the eco
nomical and careful democratic adj
minstration.
That is the banner around which
the hottest battle wages. The demo
cratic minority, the immortal Seven
! teen, are laboring with might and
main to curb the extravagant spirit
of the republican majority but so far
with Indifferent success. And it is
not so much to be wondered at; for
have not the Hannaites been very
long time out in the cold, out on the
deserts wild and bare? No wonder
they are very hungry and very per-
sistent. They see chance now and
do not propose to pass it up. They
know not whether two years will
bring defeat or victory, and they
propose to make the most Of their
little brief authority. All this is
very well, but 1t bodies no good to
the fat patrimony left by the demo
Gratis who were careful and economi-
cal
AS an instance of republican econ
omy, it is proposed to abolish the
office of insurance commissioner.
That looks very well on it's face,
though that has not been done, nor
is it likely to be doue The Office of
insurance commissioner is all right,
and should be retained as part of
the machinery of state. 1t brought
into the Golfers of the state about
fifty thousand dollars, and cost some
thing over four thousand That is
paying sort of investment. Nor
was this amount simply taken from
the pockets Of the people IN the way
! of increased insurance rates. There
was but little increase of rates, all
in the fire insurance lines, and this
raise was due not to the office of in
surance commissioner, but from To-
cal causes, and affected only certain
, localities; as the bulk of this amount
came from life insurance companies
that could not raise their rates or
2 account of such active competition
But if the republican majority abol
E ishes the office, it will simply at
a tach it to the office of state treasurer
and put an additional clerk there tt
f look after it, paying him about as
. much as the commissioner salary
n amounts to now
{ And then the republican sheet
will howl economy and take on air
and expect all kinds of homage OF
account of their superior gall.
When the report of the committe
appointed to examine into the affair
of the asylum for the insane is sub
mitted, it is expected it will prov
interesting reading matter to demo
Gratis. 1t will be remembered tha
no less parsonage than Senator
elect Hepburn beraded it on tn
stump, in the north part of the stat
. only, that outrages rivaling those G
Rip Roarin' Jake Smith in Samal
we're committed upon helpess luns
tics at the Blackfoot asylum. A
. this was of course to cast odlum 0
u the democratic administration, an
it had It's effect as the vote up theI
shows. Now 1t remains for the rt
cipients of ''spoils from such to-
conflict born" to substantlate I'll
statements of their speakers or opei
ly acknowledge that they wlllfull
and maliciously misrepreseDted N
80 kind of excuse can be given for sue
40 campaign work. Political lying
- no better than ony other kind OF |.
y y. ing, and always proves a boomeral
~ to the party in whose interest IL
done.
. From the standpoint OF econon
ne it will be difficult matter for u
GO renublicans to come any where ne