Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1918-02-22
NEASE WARRANTS ILLEGAL
AFFIRMS CIRCUIT COURT

talned tnC HnAllS,S "a Tie 0.o.Nosti
Judge Ieitrich presidln in the
Nease cruis case. This Is the action
brought by Dexter-lIorton people,
purchasers of the $4,000 of Nease
warrants, to compel Clearwater
county to issue warrants that were
repudiated by the republican count
board. With accumulated interest
the aggregata amount involved II
this suit is $4,000. 1t can still be
carried to the United Stttes Sd
preme court. but it is hardly prob
able the case will go farther, since
the chances of compelling the conn-
ty to pay are too remote for the eX-
pense involved.
Is it not a fortunate thing for the
taxpayers pf Clearwater county that
the republican board went into con-
troll at the moment 1t did, for had
the Orofino Tribune crowd had the
power these warrants would nave
been paid. regardless of, the fact
that the cruise is worthless ana lhs
entire thing from start to hnish
pure graft And a graft that may
have paid certain members or the
orofino Tribune gang $1,000 or
$4,000, and perhaps more.
I1ik ABOUT d htpt piSoo' SSAii
the people of this county not begin
to understand why Jim and Pat
Blake have needed corrupt. servile
Orofino newspaper in their business!
Can the people not begin to under-
stand why the Orotino Tribune mas
worked so hard to create sentiment
that would demand cruise, and
! thus supply the camou1ase Dehihd
which the grafters might work un-
! dor pretense of serving the taxpay-
ers. the while enriching themselves
from the county till? Before e
gang could get away with the Nease
outrage the public mind must De
| prepared, and an excuse created TOT
the graft AS matter OF fact the
talk of increasing timber taxes by
cruise never was based on truth.
, The state taxes timber on an acre
basis, and according to certain cias-
sifications. Until all timber in Ida
ho is cruised. and the state Board
of Equalization adopts q cruise as
the basis for timber values, Clear
water county cannot change to sys-
TEN, no matter how much we cruise,
or how much timber our land runs
to the acre.
You may howl all you please that
this is unjust. The fact remains IL
is the system used In Idaho, and he
who talks OF compelling our county
to go II alone, regardless of wha'
other counties do, deceiyes the
people. Nobody ought to know this
better than p H. and J. d. Blake
or the Orofino Tribune. Yet the.
have played the game up to the las
ditch. and the Tribune. speaking FOL
the rang, went on deceiving attel
the monstrous thing had been ex
posed in the United States court
The Tribune, has declared its in
tention to sing the same old song II
the 1918 county campaign. And |
the old gang had the power the,
would reverse the court decision. val
idate the repudiated Nease war
rants. and rob the people to pay th'
bill that a gang of grafters attempt
ed to get away with.
The attorneys who handled thi
important case for the county ar
Fred E. Butler of Lewiston ant
John R. Becker of Orofino. 1t Is on
: of the most important legal victor
les fought out for the taxpayers -
any county in Idaho. and will go
long ways in stopping this sort o
work in the future. 1t means ina
investors will hereafter be slow t
buy county warrants where there
, suspicion of crooked work, such
was apparent in the Nease deal II
case involving $4,000.
!, Another thing we would mention
, and very important one, is tn
responsibility resting on the lawyer
, for the people. Who knows but tn
, hand of graft was stretched out t
: them to betray the people? If TIL
county was to win Messrs. Butle
and Becker must do it. They mus
gather the evidence. hunt up tn
, law, and present the case to tn
! court in the proper manner. .Thes
, tlawyers did their work well. the
presented case that stood the test
, they played the game for the peopl
3 ably and honorably. and to them th
people owe. not only reasonabl
, fee. but a debt of thanks Messr
Butler and Becker have been trie
and found not wanting. And Will
/ we do not like to reflect on the dea
: let us not forget that George Tar
: nahill, now deceased, was employe
: by this county when the Nease de;
/ was put over. and later became tn
n attorney for Nease when the effo1
4 was made to collect the bill.
$ In closing the Republican asks tt
d people to not overlook the fact thu
it was a republican county boar
d Messrs. Choate, Harlan and Coont
i. who stood by the taxpayers and r.
!, fused to betray them: who starte
I the battle for the taxpayers by r.
j. pudiating S44,00 of Nease wa
|, rants. and blocked the graft; that
q remained for Messrs. Pittwood ar
Is Snyder to take up the work wit
II Mr.. Choate and go on with the su
o through the higher court. Had II
Blakes and the Orofino Tribune VIC
at either the last or the preceedir
{. county elections the Nease ca
J. would have been lost to the taxpa
:, ers of this county. The republica
county boards have been true to Il
O people they were elected to serve.
!. Therefore, give honor to who
70 honor Is due.