The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1911-06-29

ority without waiting for public
assent. That is the actual posi-
ton Mr.. Hawley occupies today,
and if he were not our governor
it would be in order to pronounce
it a most absurd position. But
the governor says the editors
of the state of Idaho who do not
see the matter as he does are eth
er too ignorant to occupy such
positions, or are dishonest and de-
sire to mislead the people as to
the facts in the case. If that is
true of the editors it must also be
true of the state officials and
other public men who take issue
with him. Yet Mr.. Hawley in
making point of defense against
the charge which he says has
been made that the state board
of equalization would probably
let the railroads and telegraph
and telephone companies off
much easier than the farmers and
merchants, proclaims in his
speech here that those same state
officials are gentlemen of honor
and above such imputations, and
that he resents such slanderous in
situations against them with as
much promptness as he does
against himself-even though
they do oppose his pet plan. Now
isn't that a little strange? When
they oppose him they are ignor-
ant or dishonest, but when with
him they are honest gentlemen.
The governor in his letter of in.
structions to the assessors and
county commissioners said he was
in doubt as to the power of the
commissioners to tamper with the
fixed levies as applied to county
matters, but was positive that
they could do so in case of the
state taxes. Yet he advised them
to even do so in case of the coun-
ty. Now he seems to be positive
that the law fully justifies such
action on the part of the commits
sioners in both instances, even
though it declares positively to
the contrary. Which naturally
leads one to the conclusion that
while berating others for "ignor'
ing the law" the governor does
not hesitate to assume the role
of a law nllifier when it becomes
necessary to gain point which
he is contending for.
Mr.. Hawley stated in his speecl
that he knew of instances, not
/, one but numerous instances, in 8
large majority of the counties il
southern Idaho, where property
had been assessed in one in
stance at five per cent of its casE
:. value, while in another identicall,
the same character of property
was assessed at fifty per cent il
the same county and neighbor
, hood; then the governor pro
: ceeded to inveigh against such un
! just determinations. Every hon
est person will agree that such as
sessing is unjust and that the of
! ficer doing such work should b,
! brought up standing for it.
| If the governor knows Of sucl
flagrant violations of the law by
: numerous assessors in numerous
$ instances, and he says he does
: why does he not proceed tt
{ handle those assessors as he say
, he has authority tol doY He ha'
t made the statement time aftel
e time that "By the eternal, th'
E assessors will assess at cash val
{ ue, or be deposed from office, ,anC
e make room for somebody VIII
will obey the law" If he cai
D handle an assessor roughly fol
e failing to do his duty In assess
s ing at cash valuation, he certain
t ly has authority to go after tn
' assessor who has committed tn
8 much worse crime of making
q thousand per cent discrimination
: for the benefit of certain favor
e ed ones," as he charges. Is i
r not the sworn duty of the COVER
nor to see that those numerou
0 assessors are prosecuted for sucl
< conduct? And would he not b
Y doing the state a much create
q service by devoting at least rea
e sonable portion of his time to see
o ing that they are made to suffe
t the full penalty of the law fo
= their offences instead of making
: the present crusade over the stat
e in anticipation of what some as
e SCISSOR may do in the way of as
e sessing property at less than eth
l. full cash value?" 1t would loo
n