The Caldwell tribune., 1916-11-03
INSIDE STORY OF
CAPITAL NEWS DEAL

About a month ago it was an
nounced that Ed Dewey, Republican
politician of Nampa and president of
the Idaho Traction company, sub
sidiary of the Idaho Power company,
had purchased the Evening Capital
News. the mongrel afternoon paper
in Boise Inasmuch as Dewey aspired
to be Republican leader and his
name had been connected off and on
with the gubernatorial chair, it was
presumed that the paper would be
made a Republican organ and that its
longer to be features of its columns.
1t was stated that Mr.. Dewey paid
100000, taking up $4,000 worth of
bonds which had been held by Senator
Brady for many years, and assuming
other debts of the organ, making the
total of 100000
1t is now claimed that Dewey has
been fooled and has found he has
purchased paper but cannot control
its policy. Although out of a direc-
torate of five, he has three of its
directors, when he came to look
around after he had unloosened his
rurse strings, it was to find that the
News had received $4,000 in cold cash
from Governor Alexander and that
Alexander had a contract with the
Capital News to support his candidacy
for reelection.
When Senator Borah was in Boise
recently, there was a meeting attended
by John w. Hart, Mark Austin, Ed
Dewey and his brother Con-" Borah
and Sheridan. 1t is related that Hart.
Austin and Borah made every effort
to convince Dewey that he was
making mistake if he did not come
out and support the Republican
ticket. Dewey and Sheridan then
made known the fact that Alexander
had paid $4,000 for the support of the
News through the campaign Sheridan
stated that if Dewey would relieve the
News of its obligation to Alexander
by putting up $4,000 to be returned to
Alexander, the paper could then turn
In and assist the Republican cause.
Mr. Dewey refused absolutely to be
held for this amount of money. He
said that he had put in his 100000 in
good faith and supposed that there
were no strings upon the editorial
policy of the paper but that he would
rather allow the paper to support
Alexander and the Democratic ticket
than to part with the $4,000. 1t is
stated that Dewey put an expert on
the books OF the News office before
he took the mortgage on the paper for
SlOO,UOO and this report showed that
the paper had been making money, al
though 1t had increased its debt from
S/O,OOO at the time Rradv had ,J
vanced it that sum in bonds in order
to protect his big loan with Zion's
National Bank of Salt Lake, to SlOO,-
on, which was the amount needed TO
liquidatc its debts at this time. It is
not stated whether the $4,000 which
Alexander paid in cold cash was
part Of the profits.
Dewey is being severely criticised
by party members because of the lack
pot he is in. If he had taken the ad-
vice of his well meaning political
friends he would not have gotten
caught in Shcridan's spider web but
would nave taken heed from Brady
who had to carry the burden of the
News thrcatcndcd libel spits for so
many years. Brady is as ticklcd as ,
boy with new wagon to think tbat
ne got all his money out Of the News
ana that td Dewey was not only fool
enough to relieve him of his white ele
phant but to take on about $30,OOO
more of the same.
ed has bought something" said
the Senator with "A smile that almost
rippled into a laugh, when he was in
Boise recently, The senator looked