Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-10-31
real CULPRIT IN
PROJECT failure
Goes SCOT FREE
Des Moines Register De-
nounces Attempt to Dis
credit Alexander and Mr..
Meredith of Iowa.

Condemnation for the tactics pur-
sued by a little clique in the Idaho
state house" in its attempt to discredt
Governor Alexander with regard to the
West End Twin Falls project, the con-
tract for which it cancelled at recent
meeting, is contained in an editorial in
the Des Moines Register published at
Des Moines, la. That publication finds
that the best evidence of the ground
lessness of the. Meredith charge is the
garbled accounts rehashed in the Idaho
Daily Statesman from Iowa publica-
tions. The Register feels that n great
wrong can be done many Iowa inVes-
tosS.by suck an unwarranted attack
on Governor. Alexander. The Register
says
FREEZING OUT HONEST IN
VISITORS.
THE best evidence to The Register
of the real situation in the Idaho land
deal is the fact that the Boise States
mar comes to this office with a long
story about the matter made up wholly
from the story published here in Des
Moines, and reprinted there for the
purpose of discreditng Governor Alex
ander.
IF at the Idaho end there was some
thing to be disclosed the Boise news
paper would not haze to come to Des
Moines for the disclosure. We should
have an Idaho version of what is actu-
ally involved.
Now who are to be the real vic
Tins of his concerted plan TO discredit
Governor Alexander in Idaho. and Mr..
Meredith in Iowa? Is it really right
to freeze out some 200 investors who
have put their money in good faith,
merely as a play in the political game
of 1916?
ITO come to a concrete example, why
should former state superintendent
John Il. Riggs who has spent 50 900
in this venture to reclaim Idaho arid
lands be shut out of any chance to
realize on his investment, because Il
little clique in the Idaho state house
believe they see way to Kill off a
governor at home. and 4 gubenatorial
candidate in Iowa?
rs it not worth while in Idaho to
be fair with our Iowa people who have
spent their money in that state, just
ne in earlier days Iowa was fair with
men from further east who came out
and titled and drained, and cultivated
our then waste prairies?
Nobody questions that the money
spent on this irrigated land project has
bee n spent in good faith. nobody ques-
tipns anybody's integrity in the matter.
Il fere was a blunder Somewhere about
the amount of water available for irr.
eating purposes, and that blunder has
cost everyt ody but the man who ma
Il dear What Happened to the blunG-
ering state engineer of Idaho has never
! cen stated But he pcorably escaped
scot fre..
"Of all the res l"tS in t,'is cam "a IN
t. divert public attention fro,n the
Harding record, none has been quit
SO despicstle as this raid on the n
Nestment- of some two hundred well
meaning PEOPLE who have spent "a II;
money 10 make an Idaho valley p.'o-
ductive.
1t has happened many times. prob
ably, that the manipulators of specula-
tive ventures have frozen out the small
holders when the venture looked to
pay a profit. But this is the first time
an our observation that the public Of
ficidls of a great state have loaned
themselves to such scheme merely
10 promote the political fortunes of
men whose fortunes ought not not be
promoted" ~
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