Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1917-02-23
ANOTHER LETTER
FROM BOISE
HusSman Gives More Informa-
ton About Law Making
Also Has Its Pathetic Side
At Times.

and having lots of work to do, as
we'll as an almost irristible temp
tation to cast all cares and obliga-
tons aside and attend the matt
nee this afternoon, | am going to
pen you just few lines so that
you may know first hand about
the things of the legislature.
l am encouraged in this by sew
eral letters from friends expess-
ing their appreciation of my for
mer letters and asking me to
write weekly letter. An anna
teur in the political game needs
encouragement above all things
and no doubt is also most suscep-
tible to flattery. Be that as it
may, it affords me pleasure to
share my experience and impress
sion of the lawmaking body of
our state with my friends.
l assure you that it affords me
genuine pleasure and gratitude
to be able to say that the stand
ard of morals, intelligence and
ideals of the men comprising this
body is higher and better by far
than | had anticipated. The leg
islatures of the past, excepting
perhaps the thirteenth, whether
warranted or not, for some rea-
son or another left an unsayory
faint in the minds of the people.
There is no denying that in for
mer days the legislatures and
that applies to all states-were
not actuated by such high ideals
as is the case in the present day.
Times were different, the people
were different. 1t used 10 be that
public Office was considered a
private graft and particularly
that of legislator. People sent
Cheir representatives to act for
them and that was the last they
heard of them until they return
ed and little did they know of
what transpire at the capital city.
Everybody went there to get
something in the way of an ap-
preparation or a job, and every
body helped the otherIfellow get
what he wanted, that he himself
might get that which was dear
est to his heart. The result was
that everybody went home happy.
In saying this I do not want to
cast any reflections on former
delegations from Idaho county,
and l do not mean it specifically
but literally as applicable to the
more prominent interests that
dominated the legislature of those
days. 1t was only natural and
in keeping with the times. The
state was young and growing in
leaps and bounds and it was
period of exploitation, not con-
fined alone to the legislature, but
extended to the remotest section
of the state, even to our very
doors, for we all know of the
many fake homestead proofs,
timber culture claims, timber and
stone claims, and what not. But |
since those days there has come
a change. People realized that
exploitation must cease, and yet
this sentiment is only of very re-
cent origin.
Did not recent state treasurer
exploit the funds of the state to
something like $500, 100000 and
the capital commission, too, by
several times that much. Def
mite proof of the latter charge is
not to be had, but enough is
known about it to warrant the
assertion. Of course none of
these facts can be charged to the
legislature. Quick communica-
ton and the daily newspapers
are doing great deal to keep the
people posted on the daily trend
of events in the legislative halls
nowadays and in that way exert
ing wonderfully beneficial in
fiuence over that body. And so
it should be. People should watch
and keep in touch with their rep
resentatives, not that they may
be dishonest and for that reason