Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1910-09-29
L. A. WISENER, EDITOR
GRANGEv1LLE, IDAHO. THURSDAY, SEPT. 2e, 1910
A SHOULD ACT

Governor Brady has announced at various times that he will urge If re-
elected, the next legislature to make it a criminal oAense for a member OF the
state land board to participate in Carey Act drawings
Charles F. Arney correspondent of the Salt Lake Tribune points out
that such a law is already upon the statute books and requests the governor
to put it into operation. Here is a extract from Mr. Arneys article:
Governor Brady has not invested in Carey act lands since his election as
governor, but he has sat quietly by for days. weeks and months and permitted
his associates to do SO, Directing only when confronted with conditions OF ex-
posure of the nearious system. And then what9 Then this statement by
Governor Brady
without rejecting on previous members of the land board, either Dem
ocratc or Republican, who, within their legal rights and under established
precedent, have acquired land under the Carey vet system, | urge the neces
sMy of absolutely protecting the right and interest Of settlers by passing an
act that will make it unlawful for any member of this Carey Act land COM
mission or the land board, to be interested directly or indirectly in Carey Act
lands"
Why this necessity when the present members of Governor Bradys state
land board Not previous MEMBERS have pleaded guilty and the governor
refuses to turn them over in atonement to existing law?
The governor is a lawyer and the attorney general is a lawyer, hence we
submit to them-and incidentally to an interested pubic-a few quotations
from the Idaho statutes
Section 1926 of the revised code statesth that "the board shall dispose of
all lands accepted by the state under the provisions Of this chapter at a uni
form price of fifty cents per acre, half to be paid at the time Of entry, and the
remainder at the time of making final proof"
(Hear in mind this law refers to Carey act lands)
Again, section 256 reads a follows: Estate, county, district, precinct
and city officers must not be purchasers at any sale or vendors at any pur
chase made by them in their official capacity"
Pretty clear English and strikingly apropos o the governors proposition
stated above as a needed remedy for existing evils in his present official house
hold whose burdens he must aid in carrying.
THE REMEDY
Is there a penalty? To the Idaho statutes for a third time for reply, we
look at section 1884, which runs like this:
Every officer or person prohibited by the laws of this state from becom-
edness, who violates any of the provisions Of such laws is punishable by fine
Of not more than $1,000 or by Imprisonment in the states prison not more
than five years.
Does this penalty not apply to violators of section 256?
What further o additional statutory law does the governor and chair.
man of Idaho state land board require, or desire % bring to book the three
other members of Idahos state land board, Mr. McDougal, Miss Chamber
lain and Robert Iansdon? Governor Brady lis o record in black and white
asking for a law that is at hand. 1t is a clear and as plain as a legislature
can maleit t.
WHY NOT PROSECUTE
Is it not about time to quit bluffng and ask for a grand jury, and prefer
charges, o to admit the craft exhibited in the foregoing offer of a solution Of
this problem of such momentous disgrace to the conduct of the peoples bust
ness?
If Governor Brady really favored such a law as he suggested in the ear
ler quotation in this article he certainly did 80 with the idea that there was
no such law and that if reelected he would procure its enactment and then
should any associate on his second term land board obtain Carey Act land, he
would invoke the operation of such penalties as the law would then provide.
Well and good. Here is the law and by public print all three members
Of the present land board have acknowledged that they have acquired Carey
act land during the present term of Governor Brady.
1t occurs that the governor must accept n Or the other horn of a dlem.
ma; l. e, act now against these officials under the existing law, or admit his
indulgence in "a extraordinary species of Hypocrisy in his proposal of leghla.
tin to provide a legal remedy to punish land board members who purchase
Carey Act lands-Bose Glitter.