The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1922-08-03
FORMER CHIEF
JUSTICE SPEAKS
Says Idaho Needs More
Simple State
Government


Chief Justice William Morgan spoke
to an audience Of thirty-five people
at the court house. He is Demo-
crat and candidate for nomination
for governor at the state convention.
Mr.. Morgan explained that he be-
lieves we need more simple state
government than we have and that
a rturn to simpler forms will be
necessary in the process of reduc-
ing the tax burden.
He said that when Idaho called it's
constitutional convention in 1889, 1t
selected the brainiest men it had,
and that they were some Of the best
lawyers in the west who had been
attracted to Iadho by its gold. They
devised a simple form of govern
ment suited to large state with a
small population, and that we had
been amending the constitution ever
since, and adding to our state ma
chinery. We had also departed from
the original plan in many things
that were not expressly forbidden,
and added expensive and unneces-
sary departments just because such
departments were working well in
old states with dense populations.
In support of this he mentioned the
state superintendent of public in
struction with salary Of $2400 a
year, and to this we add the office
CT commissioner of education at a
salary Of $4,000 a year and the two
officials duplicate in large measure
in their work and in expenses. He
stated that the adoption of the COM
nilsson form of government doubled
up the number of offices, the
salaries and the expenses and in
large measure duplicated tasks and
thus added to the cost of govern
ment.
He reminded his audience that
two years ago we had a sweeping
Republican victory and sent men to
Boise to reduce the cost of govern
ment, and they went there to do it.,
but that they were confronted on
every hand by political obligations
that kept them from doing what
they intended and wanted to do. He
said that wherever they attempted
to abolish offices, they were con-
fronted by political obligations Of
men of their party whom they felt
bound to retain in their respective
positions, and it worked out to the
opposite effect from what had been
expected. He said it would be the
same way this year if Republicans
were elected and gave this very
clever reason why everybody should
vote the Democratic ticket this year
and send men to Boise who would
be ambitious to turn officials out
which the Democrats would be-
and not ambitious to fill all those
places with Democrats, which point
is likely to be the chief sticker with
the voters.
Judge Morgan has always been a
man of simple tastes and simple
habits, hard worker both in public
and private life, and is much re-
spected by Republicans and Demo-
Gratis alike. He says he came to
Idaho three weeks after it began op-
Grating under statehood, and began
his career here as an itinerant
laborer in the harvest fields of North
Idaho, and that when he married his
wife did not know whether she had
married a laborer or lawyer, for
he did not himself know which vO-
cation he was going to succeed at
He says he is not seeking the posi-
tion of governor to satisfy any am
hilton of his own, for he considers
that the position of chief justice OF
the supreme court, which position he
has filled until he was satisfied and
ready to retire, is greater honor
than being governor, He says he il
grateful to all Idaho for the honors
| it has conferred upon him politically
in various elections, that he has al
ways worked hard to try to give full
measure of service and to show his
appreciation, and that up to the
present date he is still indebted tt
Idaho and if elected governor he
will still be working to repay the
debt he owes its people.
| So