The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1915-01-07

rsaders. VISITED Boise last week for the
purpose of gathering information
which could be relied upon and which
xrould be devoid of partisan coloring
concerning the misconduct Of public
officials of the state. Only "a hours
were spent in the political mecca, and
the holy Of holes under the big dome
was only visited twice. but sufficient
was learned to turn the stomach of
an ostrich and to bring a blush of
nhame to the cheek OF every citizen of
the state.
1t is not a pleasant duty for a Re-
publican newspaper to announce that
It's party administration of state af-
fairs has been mostly rotten, but 1t is
. duty nevertheless. and the Signal has
never been known to shirk no matter
Row 1t hurt. Our belief in the funda-
mental principles of the Republican
party does not deter us from critics.
ing members Of the party who have
failed of their duty. but rather Is an
ihcentive for openly demanding the
delegation and punishment of those
who have used the party to further
their own personal ends. The Signal
has said before and will repeat, that
no man IL entitled to support or de-
fense who has been guilty OF official
corruption, and the only way for the
Republicans OF Idaho to maintain their
hold upon popular favor Is to get rid
Of those who consider a public office a
private snap.
But to the narration. When Allen
was found to be short, Governor
Haines appointed Axel Ramstedt. head
Of the state tax commission, to ex-
anime the affairs of the treasury de-
partment. This he did, and when he
completed the task and the report was
handed to the governor 1t was found
he had gone further than 1T was in
tended he should. Others had been i'm
plicated and he was not supposed to
unearth their wrong doing. At least
two other state officers and several ap-
pointees were caught in the dragnet.
and Mr.. Ramstedt was called before
them and the governor to explain. He
was told he had exceeded his authority
and would have to modify his report.
but he fatty refused; he was told his
report would forever ruin those who
had been his friends but he replied
that 1t must stand; he was threatened
with blackmail, but he told them that
he could prove every charge made and
that they should cut loose.
1t was not Van Dusen, the ire
eponsible and incompetent fourflusher;
1t was not Broxon, the opportunist and
political trader and traitor, neither
was it Moses Alexander, the leader OF
the opposition, who stood there like
adamant and faced those who would
have him apply the whitewash and be-
tray the public, but 1t was Axel RAM
etedt, a Republican and a personal
Friend of some of the parties, who re-
dr1fxy
his ground like a Spartan He was as
immovable as the pyramids. and al
though the governor had promised the
report to the press, he brought his
fist down on his desk and said: 81
will go to he'll before 1 will give it out
as 1t is.''
Learning that the report was to be
suppressed the county attorney asked
for it, but was refused. He was Their
urged to call a grand jury. and In this
request the attorney general joined
It is claimed this action was not taker
In good faith, but as a last resort te
keep the report from, being given tt
the public until after the grand jury
had acted upon It, 1t is also claimed
that County Attorney Givens Is mo-
the proper person to present the cas-
20 the grand jury inasmuch as he wa,
u
which was wrecked by his brother, and
which had on hand at the time of tn,
failure over $4,000 in state money
A statement given out by Givens tina
the report showed only Allen ant
Coleman were implicated in wroni
doing In connection with the stat
treasury affairs Is being quoted Al
justification of the demand for anothe
prosecutor.
There are other things the write
learned He found that state official
had received money from timber com
panies. They say only for campaign
purposes, but what were the timbe
companies paying public official
campaign expenses for? Surely the.
expected something in return, II the.
had not already received it. He foun
that under the Hawley administrator
$4,000 of state school money wa
loaned on $50 acre of land near Boise
and that there are any number of loan
en- which the interest has not been pal
for years, some Of them running int
thousands of dollars. He found tina
an investigation will show that instea
of the school fund being $40, 900 to th
good it would probably be many time
that to the bad If the bad loans wer
foreclosed. He found that a privat
settlement was made with the Given
bank at Nampa by o. ". Allen, an
that 1t will be impossible for the stat
to realize on the assets turned ovel
He found that some of our state off
GERS who were believed to be homes
are standing in the very shadow {
indictment and possible impeachmer
and that the beginning of the ne
year will see an eruption in Boise sue
as the people of Idaho have neve
witnessed before
AS the Ramstedt report Is in tn
hands of the court to be presented
the grand jury the Signal is estoppe
from quoting any part of Its content
but murder will out, and our reader
may prepare themselvs for some II
teresting reading in the weeks to 70
low. Prominent Republicans. in who
the people have had confidence. are In