The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1916-10-13
SENATOR THOMAS,
HIS STRATAGEM

lA-VP 1SO6AotOA
SENATOR THOMAS,
HIS STRATAGEM
Continued from page four.
paper to complete the printing al
any price they might agree upon OF
charge, and attach and collect Mr.
Trego's wages to pay for it. Or IN
case of his death they might take II
out of his estate or his life insurance
if they could attach it and get judg
ment. He pointed out that they
could, under such penalties as the
contract provided, compel him tc
publish libelous matter for them by
merely turning it in as city business
and ordering it published, and he
would have to be responsible to the
persons libeled, for special clauses
were inserted in the contract com
polling him to take the responsible
ty and release the city from 1t and
agreeing not to bring suit to recover
damages in any case. In his address
to the council Mr.. Trego pointed out
all these things embraced in the con-
tract, and the city attorney replied
with much severity that the contract
meant just what had been described,
and that while he did not anticipate
that the council would require the
publication of libelous matter, the
effect would be as Mr.. Trego had
stated If matters went that far. He
said with some sarcasm that man
who was building up such a great
circulation as The Republican might
receive by being the only one that
published the city's legal notices,
ought not to hesitate to sign an IRON
bound contract to make the city Sc
cure against expenses for printing
that might have to be done after the
mere death of an editor or his failure
in business.
Will Somebody Die?
When the city council had appoint
ed an official newspaper they had ex-
hausted their appointive power.
While the existing agreement was IN
force, neither party to 1t could re-
scind it without the consent OF the
other. While the city council and
the city attorney and His Paper were
worrying and raving about the pos
sibility of Mr.. Trego failing in bust
ness or dying and leaving some or
| that printing not finished, the coun-
Gil disregarded their agreement and
appointment, ignored the fact that
thew had no power left to create a
second official newspaper, ignored
the fact that they were getting the
city printing done right along free
AS agreed upon, and went thru the
form of appointing The Blackfoot
Optimist as the official paper, and
gave it the publications at Is cents
an inch or SIS a column. The reader
can readily understand what was
their purpose in doing so, and can
also understand the amusement with
which Mr.. Trego saw them taxing
away from him the work which he
had been doing for the city free.
Mild Contract for His Paper
The manager of His Paper was
present, and stated that he would
be willing to do the printing at the
price he had originally bid, and
would be willing to sign a contract
drawn like the one Mr.. Trego had
refused to sign. When the contract
was finally drawn by Mr.. Thomas
for him to sign, it was just an ordi-
nary agreement with all the harsh
provisions left out. In order to snow
the reader the vicious nature OF the
contract required of Mr.. Trego, we
CODY it herewith, together with the
contract which he rendered in the
place of it, and next, the mild con-
tract which City Attorney Thomas
drafted for the manager Of His Paper
to sign.
Mayors Warning Ignored
When the city council were about
to vote to appoint the second official
paper, Mayor Peck asked if they had
not already exercised such power and
assumed a responsibility that pre-
cluded such action. 1t was put up
to the city attorney, Mr.. Thomas,
and he stated that they had not, SO
thew voted to make another official
paper. and record was made or 1t
at page IT. Thereafter the city at
torney sent all the legal notices to
His Paper, and when the first Dill
for printing them was allowed by
the council, it was objected to by w.
A. Beakley on the ground that they
had been getting it done for nothing
ard could have kept on getting 1t
done for nothing for two years II
the council had not violated their
contract agreeing to give all OF them
to The Idaho Republican; that the
editor of The Republican had stated
that they might have it done In any
other paper they wanted to, so long
as they all appeared in The Repub-
lican. That there was no monopoly
at any time, but merely free SER
vice to the city, and the council was
throwing it away and making an
unnecessary expense bill.
stopped in the Act
The city attorney stated that Mr..
Trego had refused to publish the no
tees whereupon Mr.. Trego stopped
him and said he had not refused nor
declined at any time, to publish
them; that. he had published prompt
=, .-.n--y ,cokfna that hod hoAn handed