The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1916-03-10
THE GOVERNOR
AT BLACKOOOT

Governor M. Alexander spoke at
the Orpheum on Tuesday evening to
a full house. He was introduced by
Attorney w. A. Beakley, president
of the Wilson and Marshall club,
who explained that the governor was
here only ON a visit with citizens
and would deliver an address on the
business of the state and how 1t
is conducted.
There were on the platform in
company with the chairman and the
speaker Of the evening, DR.. D'Orr
Poynter, G. l.. Braley, T. ]. Bennett
and ]. A. Toner.
The governor spoke for about an
hour and half, telling considerable
about state business and the various
boards of which he is the chairman.
He occasionally cracked joke about
his predecessors in office and some
of them were very cleverly put. In
speaking Of the duties of the state
auditor he said the auditor was
simply the paymaster for the state,
and he wrote the orders. 1t was
IuC uuty VI t1O tACdOulCA " pay tnO
orders. 1t was the treasurers' busi-
ness to receive all the moneys be-
longing to the state and to pay 1t
out again as directed. Some treas
urers had not always done this but
had done something else with the
funds. The audience caught on in
stantly and roar of laughter fol-
lowed.
He made quite q hit with the
audience by his reference to the
north and south railroad-that old
saw which the politicians have been
using for so long. He said the fed
eral government is able to furnish
us a good many things and it Is
willing It had furnished serum for
the hog men when the cholera at
tackled the hogs of southern Idaho,
but the people had to organize and
ask for it. The government had fur
nished a number of other things
when asked for in the proper way.
Within 20 years from now the peo-
pie would be asking for railroads,
and the government would be build
ing them for us in Idaho as 1t is
in Alaska. Blackfoot ought to have
railroad reaching straight across
the state to the other side and the
government ought to build it. Idaho
needs north and south railroad
and the government ought to build
it and if gone after properly it would
do it. 1t is our money and we are
entitled to 1t and it is up to us to
do our part to let the government
know what we want 1t expended
for.
He said that when the present
administration took over the asylum
the institution was something like
$4,000 in debt. That the legisla-
ture did not make any larger appro-
priation for it than had been done
two years before, there are more
patients than ever before, and they
will come out at the end of the two
years 5000 to their credit. Now"
said the governor, II tell you what
I propose for them to do with 1t.
Rather than turn 1t back into the
treasury at Boise for somebody else
to spend, propose that the man
agement use 1t to put up an ad-
ministration building, something that
will be a credit to your town. Or
better still, let them spend half or
1t to start the building and leave 1t
for the next fellows to finish. That's
the way to manage that"
He said the government ought to
supply us with what money we want
at per cent, the same as 1t is fur
nishing 1t to the banks to loan to
the people to prevent panics He
spoke upon the war in Europe and
touched up the tender sentiment of
mothers love for her soldier boy
without saying anything in particu-
lar. He made pleasant address,
did not say anything that there was
any harm in and "got by about
as neatly as any of them. He has
iproved somewhat as speaker since
he was here before and omits the
expressions, due to habit, that peo-
pie observed so much in his former
addresses.