The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1915-01-29

Signal owes its readers the truth and
we shall continue to give 1t to them
We deplore the fact that men WHIT
have been our friends r placed II
a position where we cannot conscien'
tiously defend their acts, and We sin
, cerely hope they will be able TO prove
beyond a doubt that they have moi
wilfully violated the laws of theii
state and betrayed the people they
have been chosen to serve, but they
cannot escape censure at least fol
the careless and unbusiness like way
in which they have handled public
affairs.
The Barber Lumber company deal
looked bad at the time, and in the
light of subsequent events it looks
worse; the 8 o'clock a. M, Long
, Valley land sale to the Payette Lum-
Der company was rotten, and, al
though revoked by the land board
after publicity was given the trans
action, must now be regarded as a
circumstance in the minds of the peo-
Pile who are trying to arrive at a just
conclusion concerning the guilt or In
nocence of certain parties; the Allen
land loan was a crime, and was known
by the other state officers for more
than a year before it was exposed,
and although they were urged to
take action they refused; the Nampa
bank loan was a clear violation OF
law, but instead Of bringing criminal
proceedings against Allen for this
and his land deal Attorney General
Peterson went into the southeast and
lined up the forces there for Aliens
denomination; George Day, state land
commissioner, was kicked out OF the
Mormon church for conduct unbe-
coming a gentleman, and his conduct
of the land department is a scandal
from one end of the state to the
other, yet the members of the land
board are planning to keep him in Of
flee in spite of the protests of humid
reds of Republicans, and Attorney
General Peterson has given it out
that he will vote for him he does
not 'give a dn what anybody
says" an attempt was made a few
months ago to put through a state
loan for more than the appraised
value of the land, and n of the par
ties to the attempt, Notwithstanding
he has been drunk three times since
January first, is slated for a good
paying job; a former state official
made an unnecessary trip to Denver,
in company with others, and although
the state paid his expenses to the
amount of 1925 he was beastly drunk
all the time he was there, and as a
seeming reward he is to be given an
other position of trust and RESPONSE
bility if present plans are carried ont,
a telegram was found in the state
treasurer's office, signed by o. v.
Allen and addressed TO Fred Coleman
in which the latter was asked to ray
Attorney General Peterson and Sec
rotary of State Clifford $500 each, but
there has been a terrible stiffness on
the subject of where Allen made the
raise and what funds Coleman paid
the $500 out of; there is not a rec
ord of a single state warrant in the
treasurer's office prior to Mr.. Eagle
sons assuming charge although the
law strictly provides that all warrants
must be registered in the state treas
ury before being issued by the state
auditor; $4,000 was loaned on a
piece of Washington county land
which was appraised at $4,000 by
George Day, and a short time after
wards was sold for $500; former
Governor Hawley secured a $4,000
loan, while serving as chief executive
of the state, on 100 acres Of land
near Boise; and, as the fellow says
in billing a sale, 'other things too
numerous to mention" have been
done which have created a feeling
that all was not right.
It is these things, which have not
been touched upon by the grand jury
which in the minds of the people fur
nish corroborative evidence and are
damning out state officers. ]" is for
this reason those who would rejoice
to proclaim their innocence hesitate
to do so lest the defense be unworthi-
ly bestowed and they become subjects
of ridicule later on by reason of fur
Their developments. The Signal has
protested against these things for
four years, and the writer has person.
ally tried to make those in office and
their closest friends see what the con-
sequences must be to the Republican
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