The Twin Falls times., 1916-10-31


was built by an appropriation of $780,
600 made by a previous legislature, by
a change in the specifications the
crooked gang got a rake-off of quar-
ter of a million dollars in cold cash.
Then they came before the legislature
at the next term and asked $75OOO0
mere to build two wings to the capi-
tol that were just a little larger than
this building-a little bigger, not much
and four stories high. Five of us
got figures on the cost of construction
of such things and we learned that any
one could take the contract to build
it at a cost of 100000 and make
money. We got out a pamphlet on the
steals and put them on the desks of
every member of both houses of the
legislature We also sent one, marked
personal to Caleb Cobb, owner of
the Statesman, without return on it
and to leaders and state officials, in
Guiding Treasurer Allen. The next
day Allen attacked me through the
columns of the Statesman, but the
pamphlet killed the bill. When it came
up the Democratic leader. William
Healy of Owyhee, arose and asked
Wlldl llltl WtIc kOlIk W uO dUOul Tic
pamphlet and urged investigation and
a Republican leader moved that its in
vestigation be indefinitely postponed
and it was, and that ended it. They
killed the bill but they kept the lid
down. In September, 1914, we exposed
the loaning of $4,000 school funds to
Allen, then state treasurer, by dummy
loans. The Republican state commit
tee told him he must put it back, or
they would not let him run on the
ticket He put it back and they let
him run. l see that Secretary of State
Barker called a man liar in Boise the
other day for saying that he knew that
Allen was crooked before the expos
ure. l have here a copy of a letter
sent by Barker to a Occur d'Alene
paper from Boise, and published, and
later republished in the Northern Ida
no News, which shows that he did.
Barker was at that time running for
secretary of state and was publicity
man for the Republican state central
committee. Speaking of the condition
that he found to exist when he came
down to take charge of the publicity
end of the Republican campaign, he
says: My first feeling was that of
deep resentment, resentment not only
toward Allen, who had betrayed his
friends, his party and his state but re-
sentiment to Boise as a community
which could allow Allen and his de-
putty to flourish in it's midst without
making known to the Republicans of
the state suspicious facts which would
have kept Allen from ever fostering
himself upon the Republican ticket in
a primary election. Then l bethought
myself of the fact that John Eagleson
had carried Ada county by 600 over
Allen and that this community had as
near as it could, rebuked him.
Later on Mr.. Barker in the same
letter says, When l came down here
found that the Boise Statesman
would not support Allen and was loath
to go to the bat for the rest of the tick
ct with Allen on it. And again he add
ed: I found, too, that everybody know
that the Evening Capital News was
getting ready to attack the whole Re
publican ticket through Allen. With
this milestone around its neck the Re-
publican headquarters waited for the
storm TO break
Here we have q confession that the
weeks for the blow to fall and at that
very time Mr.. Barker as publicity man
/ for that committee was sending out
thousands of pamphlets and praying
that in some way the blow would not
fall until after election and that the
people would vote in ignorance and
. the control of the crooked gang be per-
petuated. What he says about the
Ada county vote and the Statesman s
hesitation to enter a fight where such
exposure might come any time, shows
that utter unscrupulousness of the
gang and proves conclusively that they
deliberately worked to keep facts from
the people in order to keep thieves in
control of the public funds. And this
is the same gang that wants to drive
Governor Alexander from power today
Personally, l have nothing to say
against ID. w. Davis, who is heading
the Republican state ticket. But l dc
object to his so-called taxless state
proposition. The voters of Idaho are
being asked by the Republican candi
date for governor to endorse his tax
less state plan by electing him COVER
nor. And the question which must b'
decided by the taxpayers is whether
or not they are willing that the schoo
fund which helps support each loca
school district in the state shall b.
sacrificed for thirty-six years in orde
to create a condition in the stat
whereby all of the great railroad sys
TENS which are new paying taxes il
the state shall pass through free; tina
the enormous power trusts which nov
pay taxes in the state shall be allowed
to go scott free; that all other kind
of mercantile and private enterprise
in the state shall go scott free al
through the generosity of the schoo
fund. The schools in the state of Ida
no are growing rapidly and the variou
school districts will be obliged to rais
larger sums Of money by mean
of a special tax for them, and re
linquish the interest money whicl
comes to them from the state. 1t is
ridiculous proposition and leaving ou