Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-01-19
Jones Says WitEycombe
Paid Political Debt
(CoHtinued from rage one.)

L lIOu hE0 OuOsl
& political debt, and then Jones recalls
some of ais services in the interests OF
the governors candidacy and election.
Tried to Handicap Fair
"The whole thing to start with, "
said w. AL Jones today, "is that the
governor has had it in for me ever
since ] was elected secretary of the
fair board last April. He has told this
to certain parties, although he denied
it to me but he told certain members
of the board that ! was not the man
for the place and that he wanted
strong agricultural man.
"The governor has tried TO handicap
the fair in every way in the world. /
am led to believe that he prevented his
son Bob, who has charge of the expert
ment station at Union from bringing
an exhibit to the state fair for the reas-
on that | have certain letters from Bob
Withycombe saying that he could not
bring down an exhibit and there never
has been time before that Union has
not had creditable exhibit at the
state fair.
M. L. Jones to Promote Harmony
'There is no question but that ne
appointed NJ. L. Jones, a political and
personal enemy of mine, member of
the board after my election last April
to stir up discord ana to get my scalp.
This fact | had known for some time
but only yesterday did the governor
say, after he had tried every other
excuse for his action, that M. Il. Jones
was at the bottom of the whole thing
and that Lea was Jones candidate and
tnat he did not know that Lea would
even accept the position nor had he
consulted with Lea about it. The party
to whom lie made the assertion an
swered by saying that this was not the
case and that Lea had been consulted
and that he would accept
Promised Lea Job.
The governor substantiated this by
making the assertion to two members
of the board:
81 will see that Lea is elected sec
retary of the state fair board if the
state fair goes to hades."
| want to say further in response to
the governors s denial about having
anything to do with my removal that
Mr.. Savage told both Mr.. West and
myself that he was under pressure for
the governor and could not support me
and would have to vote for Lea al
though he hated very much to have to
do so. This happened at the office at
the fair grounds on January ~ and on
a previous date Mr.. Savage told me
personally:
"It looks very much as if the gov
ernor is interfering.
The Fair Gate Ticket Scandal.
! know that certain member of the
board was adverse to an investig alton
of a recent gate scandal that was un-
earthed during the last state fair and
for the following reasons. / do know
, that Governor Withycombe was very
much in sympathy with the suppression
! Of the story, and although 1 cannot
; say just how far ne went in the mat
ter | am led to believe it was to the
extent of having CIeve Simpkins
name made public and shielding Rex
Turner, who, in my estimation, from
testimony at hand, was the main in,
stigator in the crime When ! use the
word crime, | do so for the reason that
the grand jury has already indicted
L
In the case mentioned, to substanti.
ate my inference that the governor
was party in the much sought for
suppression Of evidence in thscase will
say that ] arranged a meeting with the
; governor in his private office for the
purpose of ascertaining whether he was
opposed to my determined investiga.
ton or not. II was hard to even con.
suit WITH him at all. And he took up
most Of the time by telling me that II
was only matter of $lS and that they
were two fine young men and that il
was not right to go on and prosecute
them, for it "would blast the rest OF
their lives for such paltry sum-"
'You Must Hush 1t Up"
I said, "Why, governor, for the pro.
lection Of the fair board as well as
e myself. J 10 not consider that | can
legally drop the matter and / am Ger
tain that | cannot morally"
Wherepon he became quite indig
nant and repeated:
Hush it up. Hush it up, Hush il
up.
"I tell YOU, Jones, you've got tc
hush it up"
e told him ! had lived for 3S years
p and had never been obliged TO husl
S anything up before, and / was too OLD
G to begin now.
!. Then tue governor asked Of me
What do you want TO see me about
8 this for9'
) said the district attorney did moi
/ bring il before the grand jury durinf
the October term Of the circuit cour
, aud | demanded that he, as governor
/ should see that this prosecution wa
I. carried out. He said that he had notn
/. ing TO do In the matter and / told hin
: that the 1913 session laws provided
/ that if the district attorney failed t
, prosecute that II was up to the gov
ernor to appoints district attorney
. Admits He Is Stuck
"Why, you are mistaken, Jones" " re
G piled the governor, "That law relate
G only to prohibition
G answered, "You are the one who il
, mistaken, this law was passed in 1911
:. and the prohibition law in 1915"
4 He then qot hiq gpaaiOn laws AM