The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1914-11-13

wrong with the tax question and that
was going to see what l could find
out and that would discuss the mat
ter through the paper; and from that
day down to the present moment l
have never quit. After several weeks
of study of various things in the court
house found that the prison was
not conducted as thought 1t should
be, ana on the 9th of February
published some of my obsel vations.
One thing that impressed me was that
the sheriff not only charged for meals
that were never served and makes
a profit out of it, but that the county
never receives cent of the money.
1t all goes to the sheriff. I was in
council meeting long before that
when Delays prison bill was attack
ed, and it was my understanding that
Mr.. DeKay represented the county,
and that he put in his bill as such
representative cole ting money for
the county, and to show you that you
thought so too, will quote the argu-
ment that seemed at that time to set
tie the matter in favor of allowing
Delays bill. 1t was this language
as | recall it. Well, when a man
runs a hotel he charges for use of
the building and beds rs well as for
meals. The county has to supply the
building and the bedding and the SER
vice. the washing and things to clan
up and all that, and they are only
charging us for what it would cost
to get accommodations at q hotel
After that statement was made the
bill was passed for payment, and
assert that the council thought just
as I did, that Bingham county was
getting something out of the bill for
those things"
Mr.. Peck Knew it
Mr.. Peck: why no, didn't think
that. knew all the time it went to
the sheriff. Didn't DeKay have the
cooking done at his house so he
could make the money on the meals?
Didn't John Danilson when he was
sheriff, let his wife do the cooking |
and let her have the profits of the
prison? you knew that didn't your"
Mr.. Trego: Eyes, I knew where
the meals were cooked, but could mt
the county patronize one person as
well as another? I still contend that
some of the council understood it
as did at the time, else why was it
decided in Delays favor upon the
statement I have quoted? I know
that members of this cornell have
said things very recently to indicate
that they still held that view, and I
have explained it to them, and le-
peated what I had said about it in
the paper. People do not seem to
grasp it. After published that mat
ter the first time, I was accostel by
Mr.. Gagon who spoke about having
just read my prison article, and he
said something which showed me that
he did not comprehend that point.
Now, Mr.. Gagon is man of intelli-
gence and served sixteen years as
county clerk, and is familiar with the
routine at the court house in hand
ling funds and records, and I had
to explain that point to him, and he
expressed surprise and said he had
not comprehended that point. That
convinced me that the public general
ly would not see the point, so after
two weeks brought it out again, and
in all these articles I conveyed the
information in as courteous and re-
spectful way as I could"
Mr.. Peck: well, understood that
point all the time"
Trego ReprOves Mr.. Peck
Mr.. Trego: THAT being true then
you were just that much more to be
censured than I thought l have left
my work few hours each week and
have gone delving into these things,
performing service for the public
good, and taking the censure of all
those who for any reason opposed me,
and l think l should have had your
support instead of your censure."
GAS went on with my fight against
this system of graft I published in
stances from time to time to prove
my contention, and the bills you have
under discussion now were among
them. I brought it to your attention
by many publications from different
angles, and finally when I was ignor-
ed and censured and represented as
villifying public officials I got pretty
emphatic in what I said. Mayor
West went on record in public print
by saying that the bill presented by
Sheriff Jones was all right, and that
could mean only one thing, that was
oil