American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1915-03-11
Not In Accord with Facts.

the Sdpltdl NEWS, III an eultOTlal
stated that Mr.. Jenness borrowed this
money out of the school fund of the
state for the purpose of purchasing
this land and that he was specializing
with state funds.
The former statement is not accord
ing to the facts found by your COM
mittee because it was shown by the
evidence that the land was purchased
by MIR. Jenness and his associate, ].
F. Barnes oil March 6, 1912, or almost
a year before application was made
for the loan. 1t should also be stated
that Mr.. Jenness and Mr.. Barnes paid
$500 for the land which was at the
time encountered with first mortgage
OF $3.50 and a second mortgage of
$1,000, which mortgages were assumed.
From the facts thus brought out,
your committee concludes that all pro-
ceedings concerned in and surrounding
this loan were regular and different in
no essential from those employed by
the lane board in making loans gen.
orally; that the decrease in said land
is due merely to the fall in the price
of the land in its neighborhood, and
not to any intentional or over-ap-
praisement at the time of the granting
of the loan. .
Practice Not Sanctioned.
But, while we conclude that the pro-
ceedings were regular and that we be-
lieve the money loaned is safe, we do
not sanction the policy of the land
board in granting loans to its employees
or to state officers. AS long as the
state land board grants such loans,
it cannot escape the criticism Of fay
oritism shown, no matter how suffic-
lent the security offered, particularly
when applications by persons not con-
nected with state offices, are some
times rejected.
The practice of granting such loans
to employees or officials, though ever
so impartially and carefully made, is
certain to arouse in the public mind,
suspicious of %favoritism and ought to
be discontinued, and to this extent the
committee finds the criticism of the
Capital News concerning the loan to
Mr.. Jenness justified, but In succeed
ing issues of its paper the Capital
News, by insinuating articles, and by
innuendo gave to the general public,
the impression that Mr.. Jenness an
officer of the state was guilty of a fell
ony, and that the governor and other
state officers were purposely shielding
him.
Particularly is this true of its issue
of October "a, 1914, at the time the
~defalcations In the state ~treasurer's
office had been discovered and the
been sent to the peniten-
tiary. In the editorials last above
referred to, the Capital News referred
to the fact of Aliens incarceration i'm
the penitentiary and in a succeeding
paragraph, used these words, " Next
as the barber says. And to think that
Jenness is first on the waiting list"
Admissions Of Editor.
Mr.. Broxon, managing editor of the
Capital News, admitted writing these
editorials, and also admitted that he
had no facts of wrong-doing on the
part of Register Jenness other than
those involved in the procuring of the
loan to hin as above set forth, which,
Mr. Broxon stated, constituted or in
no criminal act.
Mr.. Broxon also admitted to this
committee that the contests and rel
alive positions of these editorial par
agraphs authorize the inference of
the general reader that Mr.. Jenness
was the next candidate for punish
ment for crime, though he denied that
he intended that conclusion.
Having investigated and cleared up
this matter and shown that there was
no crime or act of malfeasance in
volved In any OF these transactions,
perhaps your committee should con-
slider that its duties In this regard
have been completed. We believe IL.
germane, however, and cannot refrain
from remarking that we deplore this
KIND of editorial work on the part OF
'J 'N"oPaptip IL ID uOl leR1t1mdte
criticism Of public officials and savors
yellow journalism. 1t is to the press
that the average voter looks for in
formation concerning affairs OF state
and unless the press takes a high dig
nified and honorable stand on political
matters, Its influence is destructive
to the best interests of the state.
We. your committee. believe that by
reason of the state of mind of the GEN
eral public at the time of the last edi-
torials referred to, which state OF
mind resulted from the defalcation of
the state treasury, and by reason Of
the juxtaposition of the paragraph re-
ferring to Aliens Incarceration in the
p~enitentiary and the one commencing
with the word Next" and then re-
to Mr.. Jenness, that a sub
.stantiai injustice was done to Regis
ter Jenness by the Capital News.
through the articles and editorials re-
ferred to.
Says (asa for GRAND Tu- !