The record. [volume] (St. Maries, Idaho) 1913-1918, 1916-11-07
Shall Corporations
Control State?
GRFAT ISSUE OF THE CAMPAIGN
Shall Property Interests Control Utilities Commits
sion, Land Board and State Board of Review


Simmered down, the great and
in fact the only issue in state
politics outside of the desire on
the part of the voters of the state
for a thorough iVestigatiOn of the
land board and the state au-
ditOr's office, is whether the cor
porations of the state shall OBJ
tain complete control of the state
land board the utilities commits
sion and the board of equaliza-
tion and also to direct the pro-
visions of the employers liabil-
ity act which both parties are
pledged to pass at the next ses-
sion Of the legislature.
Conservative and thinking re-
publicans realized before sthe
primaries that the corporations,
through their agents and politi-
cal tools were endeaVOring to OBJ
tain control of the republican
party for that purpose and no
less a prominent republican than
ex-Chief Justice Ailshie voiced a
protest in a long article in the
SpOkesman-Review. This ar
ticle brought down a storm of
censure upon the head of Ailshie
from the republican machine and
its cohorts in general but he
stood by his guns and followed
up the article by an interview in
the Occur d'Alene Press in which
he said:
ITO say that corporate in
nuences are not operating in pol
itics in this state is utterly ri
diculous. Especially do they
desire to cOtrol the next appoint
ments to the Utilities Commits
sion; to control the state land
board and the board Of equaliza-
tion and also to dictate the pro-
visions of the proposed Employ
ers' Liability Act.
81 desire to say to the labor
ing people of this state that ir
they want a square deal in the
matter of a compensation act they
ihad better take some care in Sc
lecting the men they support for
the legislature. Bear i'm mind
also what l have pointed out in
regard to salaried representa-
tives, agents, employees and at
ltorneys for those corporations.
us it not time for the people
to take a hand when men, en-
Iployed by corporations chiefly be-
cause of their reputed political
Influence, are writing letters or
scouting over the state endeavOr-
ing to infuece the course of ell
ection?
I'm the first place have never
laid, as you will see if YOU will
'efer to my interview, that any
candidate is a party to a scheme
to loot the state, or any other
kind Of scheme. What l die
say, and what l repeat, is tha
certain interests want legisla-
ton that will give legal sanction
to their loot, and they want, an'
intend if possible, to control pub
Tic offices and have appointee
rom their retainers."
1t was openly charged by re
publicans at the time that All
SHE referred to the candidacy O
/ D. w. Davis, the American Fall
banker, who finally succeeded i
winning the republican nOmina
=. ton for governor. The prOpag
e anda which Davis put forth of
'taxless state" to be secured b
he sale Of the state lands, -
connection with the water ~
companies of the state and
n advocacy of the Employer't Lna
q bility Act drawn in the interest
Of the employers and passed b
the last legislature, would indi
cate that if he was not the can
p. didate referred to by Ailshie h
Ie certainly is the candidate of tn
corporations and it is throug
him that they expect to obtai
IT lcotroI Of the Utilities Commis
is sion. the land board and the stai
board of equalization.