The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-05-06
influence of the Lawbreakers
Over Officials Blot on Fair
Name OF State.
LAND BOARD SCANDAL
AFFORDS AN ILLUSTRATION
Clear Violation of the Statute
Is Plainly Shown by the
Record.
BY g. E. ARNEY.

Special 10 The Tribune.
BOISE, Ida. May 5.-The Mormon
influence over Idaho officials has beer
the curse of our state for many years
There are many more men and womer
who agree with this initial statement
than care or dare to admit it. This in
Auence has caused many men in Idaho
to do wrong, and it has dethroned many
men in Idaho for the very good reason
that they refused TO do wrong.
1t is painful to turn in the sunlight
of publicity on the shadowy transac
tions of state officials, because of tho
humiliation attached to the situation
But ii is n duty.
Idaho is too rich in opportunity, toe
splendid in grandeur and too wei
started toward a high degree OF pat
riotic Americanism TO be stuffed OF
stunted by canceTous growth ana &C
expose it is both Just and patriotic.
Much has been written and spoken
of the political power of the Mormons
IN Idaho politics and often too little
proof of the existence of the power
is presented.
Ii the four members of the Idaho
state land board are not 'caught with
the goods' in this instance, then they
never can be.
To the record:
''No lease of state lands shall be
for longer term than FIVE years. When
any lease expires by limitation, the
holder thereof may renew the same IN
manner as follows: AT any time pre-
ceding the expiration of the lease, the
lessee, or his assigns, shall notify the
register of his desire to renew said
lease. If the lessee and state board
agree as to the valuation of the land
n new lease may be issued bearing even
date with the expiration of the old
one and upon like conditions y
This was the law in 1904, when the
Gooding administration issued to the
Big Four Mormon sheep companies of
Fremont county many acres OF land
for grazing purposes at the minimum
price of 7l@ cents an acre.
1t is equally the law today. BY the
terms of - law, this acreage could
be applied for on December l, 1909,
and not prior thereto.
Law Still Stands
The logical reason for this law is
obvious There is nothing mystifylng
about the provision, 1T simply attempts
to rive the state the benefit of all the
time ii can, in Justice to the lessee, in
that some other applicant may choose
to give more for a lease on the land
than the rrjce already paid. This is
equally just to the lessee, as he could
not. in fairness to the state, ask more
than thirty DAYS time prior to the
expiration Of his lease.
But. 10 my surprise, I find this rec
ord spread on the minute book of the
state board of land commissioners un-
der date of May Is, 1909, affecting the
lease TO the four big Mormon sheer
concerns of Fremont county whose orig
iuai lease did not expire until December
81. 1909:
Copy Of the record of minutes of
the state board of land commissioners
of Idaho. dated May Is, 1909; present
James II. Brady, governor, chairman
Robert Lansdon, secretary; d. G. Nc
Dougall, attorney general, and S. Belle
Chamberlain. secretary Of state)
Mr. J. W. Webster appeared before
the board in behalf of the Fremont
Grazing association and requested thai
all the lands now leased by said as
sociation be released at the expiration