The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1916-09-29

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RECORDS IN q general
way and shall now
oenumerate in detail
the particula I
grounds known to
the editor which
might be sufficient
to cause voters to
- pause and weigh the
merits and dement's of the candi-
dates. Since the particular acts that
we have in mind to present in this
issue were identical in the conduct
Of both men, we state them jointly.
The public service has always been
more or less corrupted by the DISPOSE
ton Of job-hunters to call upon the
successful candidates to get them ap-
pointments where they can draw
salaries from the public treasury.
During the campaigns, candidates
frequently hold out inducements of
this kind to persons who are in a
position to do personal work to adj
vance the interests of the candidate,
and they both win or lose according
to the fortunes of vote-getting. This
has become one of the fruitful
sources of corruption in American
politics, and members of congress
and heads of bureaus and members
of the cabinet have sometimes had
to create positions for their helpers.
The departments at Washington are
flooded with such persons from every
walk in life, and not only are they
given superfiuous positions in Wash
ington and all over the nation, but
they are sent to foreign countries
as members Of diplomatic corps, sec
retaries to assistants, secretaries to
legations, pages for embassies,
special ENJOYS to interview somebody
special commissions to gather infor-
nation on methods of agriculture
in various countries; special commits
sions to gather data ON trade rela-
tions between certain places or
special representatives to
gather information ON the activity Of
the silk worm in France or the beetle
in Egypt or the larvae infesting
prunes in Malta or to find out if there
is a caterpillar in Arabia that secretes
a fluid that makes good food for the
moth that works in the bloom of the
California blue plum, etc., etc., etc.,
without limit till all deserving
Democrats or worthy Republican,"
are put on the payroll somewhere
and are gotten out of the way where
they can keep" their own time. This
practice has been abused to such ex-
tent that persons wanting to travel
abroad often get their political
friends to appoint them to some such
indefinite positions as we have men
toned. and the position carries with
1t transportation charges, hotel bills,
cab hire, service of guides, and all
the things aside from clothing that
one might need from start to finish.
In this way many students finish off
their education. In this way many
young men and women get trip to
Europe and remain for years loafing
or going to school or sightseeing at
the expense of the workers at home,
and they merely cash their vouchers
at the banks.
This system of wasting the public
funds and building up a privileged
class, or families of idlers who hold
honest labor in contempt, has gone
on until it constitutes one of the
most prolific sources of corruption
in the nation, destroying patriotism,
soaring the public conscience and
making anarchists and lawbreakers
everywhere. 1t has crept into state
politics in modified form, and legis-
atures find as many places for de-
serving friends of the members as
hey can. There are positions that
are useful and positions that are
more or less ornamental. There ere
thief clerks and assistants; there are
clerks and engrossing
clerks; there are doorkeepers and
doorkeepers, messengers,
pages, ETC., all more or less useful,
Ind more or less helpful at times,
Ind all drawing salaries. They are
made up of the friends, relatives and
helpers of the members, and as a |
mans ability to get measures enact
ID into law depends primarily upon
lis ability to win and hold the good |
will OF the majority of the members
Who might be interested in any of
he many kinds of measures that are
lesired, 1t behooves each one to sane
ion any appointments that any and
IL other members might propose.
therefore 1t is generally easy to get
appointments made be-
ause nobody wants to offend any
member by rising to oppose anything
10 asks.
When the Idaho legislature con-
ened in January, 1915, l.. r.
'homas was member of the senate,
nd Peter G.. Johnston was a men,
er of the house, and when their con-
tituents received accounts Of what
'as doing at the time of organizing
nose bodies, they were more or less
unused and chagrined to learn
nat both of these gentlemen had
sked for positions for their sons.
n. Johnston's son had served before
) a page, and at a time when the
home was broken up, and