USA > Idaho > History of Idaho, the gem of the mountains, Volume I > Part 32
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The governor, however, during his entire administration had been consider- ing the still more important matter involved in the inclusion of school lands within the forest reserve boundaries, and had thoroughly advised with Attorney- General McDougall and Land Commissioner Day with reference to it. Taking advantage of his presence in Washington, after the purpose of his visit had been accomplished, he interviewed Commissioner Graves and Assistant Com- missioner Potter, the officers in control of forestry affairs of the Government, and suggested to them the advisability of an exchange of the school lands within the forest reserves of the state, amounting in round numbers to over a half million acres, for other lands situate in the state which would be selected by the state authorities in lieu thereof, and showed to these gentlemen that it was to the interests of the departments they represented, as it was to the interests of the state, to have such a plan adopted because while the state could not occupy its lands in the reserves until their location had been determined by proper surveys, still the amount of land involved was so great that the interests of the state would in the near future demand a determination of the location of these lands by surveys made at the expense of the state, even if the general government refused to act, and as a consequence, when the location was so determined, these lands could be disposed of by the state as it saw fit under the law, and the purchasers of such land could devote it to any purposes they desired and the general government would be powerless in the matter, except through con- demnation proceedings which would involve great expense and endless trouble. The forestry authorities admitted the strength of the governor's position, but doubted their power to act and thereupon the governor took the matter up with the Interior Department and the Agricultural Department and found no opposi-
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tion on that line. The forestry officials finally concluded to adopt the sugges- tions if power were conferred upon them by Congress to make the desired exchange.
Upon his return to Boise the governor took up this important matter with the land board and also with Land Commissioner Day, whose great knowledge of the public lands of the state enabled him to determine a large area of timbered land in the North open for location and a large tract of dry farming and grazing land in the southeastern part of the state, about three hundred and fifty thousand acres in extent which was in a condition similar to the land above mentioned, and with the assent of the other members of the land board negotiations were continued with the Forestry Department. The proper legislation was enacted and the whole matter determined after Governor Hawley's term of office had expired and since that time, the necessary formalities having been complied with, the state has become possessed of this large amount of land which is now of great value and which will continue to increase in value. It will be an important adjunct in the future and undoubtedly will be disposed of at such a figure as will make the yearly interest obtained from the purchase money of vast assistance in carrying on the public schools of the state. This exchange of land had never before been brought to the attention of the governmental authorities and since that time several other Western states similarly situated have endeavored to carry out the same method, but it has never as yet been successfully accomplished except in the case of Idaho.
Another important event occurring during the administration of Governor Hawley was the appointment of Kirtland I. Perky on November 16, 1912, to fill the vacancy occasioned by the death of Weldon B. Heyburn, who was serv- ing his second term in the upper house of the National Legislature. This was the first occasion upon which the governor of the state had ever been called upon to fill the important office of United States senator.
CHANGES IN THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM
Governor Hawley in his message to the Legislature at its regular session had particularly called attention to needed changes in the judicial districts of the state and the necessity for having a greater number of district judges in the judicial districts then existing, and proposed that in cases where such a course seemed advisable a statute should be enacted providing for an additional judge of such district. This suggestion met with favorable consideration and bills were passed authorizing an additional judge in the third, fourth, and eighth Judicial dis- tricts, respectively. The appointments were made and upon the matter being taken into the Supreme Court that tribunal affirmed the constitutionality of the law so authorizing and the system developed has since given great satisfaction to both the bar and the people of the state.
POLITICAL CAMPAIGN OF 1912
On June 18, 1912, the Republican National Convention met in Chicago. The leading candidates for the Presidency were William H. Taft, then president and a candidate for a second term, and former President Theodore Roosevelt. The supporters of Colonel Roosevelt charged the Taft managers with seating delegates by unfair methods and 344 of the 1,078 delegates refused to participate
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in the work of the convention. Only one ballot was taken, President Taft re- ceiving the nomination by a vote of 540 to 107 for Roosevelt, with sixty votes scattering and six delegates absent. Vice President James S. Sherman was re- nominated, but his death occurred before the election and the vacancy on the ticket was filled by the selection of Nicholas M. Butler, of New York.
The Democratic National Convention assembled in Baltimore, Md., June 25, 1912, and continued in session until the 2nd of July. Woodrow Wilson, of New Jersey, and Champ Clark, of Missouri, were the leading candidates for President, the former being nominated on the forty-sixth ballot. Thomas R. Marshall, of Indiana, was nominated for Vice President.
The ill feeling engendered by the action of the republican national conven- tion resulted in the formation of the "progressive party," which held a national convention in Chicago on August 5-7, 1912. Theodore Roosevelt, of New York, was nominated for President, and Hiram W. Johnson, of California, for Vice President. Progressive state tickets were nominated in most of the states.
In Idaho five tickets were placed in the field, viz: The republican, demo- cratic, progressive, socialists and prohibition, the candidates, with the exception of the presidential electors, being nominated by primary election. This year for the first time in the history of the state, Idaho was entitled to two represen- tatives in Congress and four presidential electors. The republican ticket con- sisted of the following candidates: Nathan Ricks, Miles Cannon, Joseph B. Hogan and May S. Warthman, presidential electors; Addison T. Smith and Burton L. French, representatives in Congress; John M. Haines, governor; Herman H. Taylor, lieutenant-governor; Wilfred L. Gifford, secretary of state; Fred L. Huston, state auditor; O. V. Allen, state treasurer; Joseph H. Peter- son, attorney-general; Grace M. Shepherd, superintendent of public instruction ; Robert N. Bell, inspector of mines; George H. Stewart, justice of the Supreme Court.
James H. Hawley was renominated by the democrats for governor; Ernest L. Parker, for lieutenant-governor; Freeman Daughters, for secretary of state; John S. Overman, for state auditor; Robert W. Faris, for state treasurer ; James R. Bothwell, for attorney-general; Mary Z. Harper, for superintendent of public instruction ; George A. Lambrix, for inspector of mines; Arthur M. Bowen, for justice of the Supreme Court; Perry W. Mitchell and Edward W. Pugmire, for representatives in Congress. The democratic candidates for pres- idential electors were D. W. Clark, Ezra C. Dalby, Frank Martin and Frank L. Moore.
The progressive party nominated H. Harland, Henry C. Olney, Eli M. Harris and L. M. Earl for presidential electors; G. H. Martin, for governor; T. O. Boyd, for lieutenant-governor; O. V. Badley, for secretary of state ; C. C. Miles, for state auditor ; John E. Yates, for state treasurer ; Adam Barclay, for attorney- general; F. H. Skeels, inspector of mines. No nominations were made by this party for superintendent of public instruction and justice of the Supreme Court, and only one-P. M. Smock-for representative in Congress.
The personnel of the socialist ticket was as follows: W. L. Baltazor, John Chenowith, Henry R. Eimers and B. F. Rogers, presidential electors; L. A. Coblentz, governor; S. H. Chapman, lieutenant-governor; Thomas J. Coonrod, secretary of state; D. H. Pifer, state auditor ; Annie E. Triplow, state treasurer ;
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Philip J. Evans, attorney-general; Elda B. Conley, superintendent of public in- struction ; J. W. Wray, inspector of mines; E. R. Nussgue, justice of the Su- preme Court ; G. W. Belloit and E. L. Rigg, representatives in Congress.
Only three candidates for presidential electors were named by the prohi- bitionists, viz: Edwin R. Headley, Joseph A. Morrow and Frank E. Tracy, and no nomination was made for justice of the Supreme Court. The other candidates of this party were: J. G. Carrick and John Tucker, representatives in Congress; E. D. Nichols, governor; John H. Egbert, lieutenant-governor ; Harry Hays, secretary of state; Lucius B. Cowan, state auditor; Charles L. Austin, state treasurer ; Adam Barclay, attorney-general; Daisy E. Beatty, super- intendent of public instruction ; Fred H. Creasley, inspector of mines.
At the election on November 5, 1912, the highest vote cast for presidential elector on each ticket was: Democratic, 33,921 ; republican, 32,810; progressive, 25,527 ; socialist, 11,960; prohibition, 1,537. The entire republican state ticket was elected, the following being the vote for governor: Haines, 35,056; Haw- ley, 34,194; Martin, 24,325; Coblentz, 11,094; Nichols, 1,315. The eight con- stitutional amendments submitted to the voters at this election were all adopted by substantial majorities.
HAINES ADMINISTRATION
John M. Haines, tenth governor of the State of Idaho, was born in Jasper County, Iowa, January 1, 1863. His first American ancestors located in Penn- sylvania about the time of William Penn and many members of the family, among whom was the governor, adhered to the Quaker faith. Governor Haines was educated in the public schools and at Penn College, Oskaloosa, Ia., and at the age of twenty years took a position in a bank at Friend, Neb. In 1885 he went to Southwestern Kansas and in 1889 was elected register of deeds for Morton County. The next year he came to Boise, where with W. E. Pierce and L. H. Cox he organized the real estate firm of W. E. Pierce & Company. He took an active part in politics as a republican, and in 1906 was elected mayor of Boise. He was elected governor of Idaho in 1912 and served for two years, being defeated in 1914 by Moses Alexander, the democratic candidate. Upon retiring from the office of governor he continued in the real estate business until his death on June 4, 1917.
TWELFTH LEGISLATURE'
On Monday, January 6, 1913, the twelfth State Legislature was convened at Boise and the session lasted until March 8, 1913. Herman H. . Taylor, by virtue of his office as lieutenant-governor, presided over the Senate, and C. S. French, of Canyon County, was elected speaker of the House. Governor Haines' message opened with a recommendation that the various departments of the state government be reorganized.
"If you find," said he, "that any department of the state government, as at present constituted, is unnecessarily cumbersome and unwieldy, if you find that unnecessary offices have in times past been created, or if you find that offices which were necessary and proper at the time they were created can now be
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dispensed with, you should not hesitate to provide for the reorganization of any such department in such manner as will reduce its cost of operation to the lowest possible point consistent with reasonable efficiency."
He especially mentioned the state land department and urged the limitation of legislative expenses, calling attention to the fact that in past sessions some members accumulated enough stationery to last them for years. Among the sub- jects presented to the Legislature by the message for consideration were: A workingmen's compensation act; certain amendments to the primary election law; a corrupt practices act, which should govern both primary and general elections; the enactment of suitable legislation giving force and effect to the constitutional amendments providing for the initiative and referendum and re- call of officers adopted at the last general election; the creation of a public utilities commission ; and that the term of office for the state officers be made four years instead of two.
He also recommended the nonpartisan election of judges; the enactment of a "Blue Sky Law," for the supervision and regulation of investment companies ; one state board of control for all state institutions ; a purchasing agent authorized to purchase all supplies for the various departments; and constitutional amend- ments providing means for a more rapid sale of the state lands, and whereby new counties could be created by vote of the residents in the proposed new county, taking from the Legislature the power to create new counties by special act.
Not all the governor's recommendations were favorably considered by the Legislature, though a number of them were enacted into law. The principal acts passed during the session were: The creation of a state board of educa- tion in harmony with the provisions of the constitutional amendment adopted at the general election in 1912, said board to consist of five members to be ap- pointed by the governor and the state superintendent of public instruction to be an ex-officio member ; an act prohibiting the sale of tobacco, cigars or cigar- ettes to persons under eighteen years of age; amending the revenue act to ex- empt certain property from taxation ; creating a state highway commission and providing for the registration and licensing of automobile's to provide a fund for the construction and improvement of highways; creating a public utilities commission, to have charge of all railroads, street railways, express companies, etc .; establishing an experiment station in Lincoln County for testing potato and sugar beet seed, and appropriating $6,000 for buildings therefor ; providing for the nomination and election of United States senators by the people ; and a "Blue Sky Law" for the control of corporations offering stock for sale in Idaho.
On January 14, 1913, William E. Borah was re-elected United States senator for the term ending on March 4, 1919, and on the same day James H. Brady was elected United States senator for the unexpired term of Weldon B. Hey- burn, deceased.
By an act approved on March 10, 1913, the sum of $1,200, or $50.00 per month, was appropriated for the benefit of Norman B. Willey, a former governor of Idaho, then living at Blue Canyon, Calif., and in failing health, the appro- priations to begin with the first of January, 1913, and continue at the rate of $50.00 per month until the total of $1,200 was exhausted, if Mr. Willey lived that long.
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DEFALCATION OF STATE TREASURER ALLEN
O. V. Allen, it will be remembered, was elected state treasurer in November, 1910, and re-elected in 1912. He was again a candidate on the republican ticket in the primary election of 1914 and, although vigorously opposed for the nomina- tion, was selected by a considerable majority.
The campaign of 1914 was an extraordinary one in many respects. The principal appeal made by the democratic candidate for governor was for economy in the conduct of state affairs and a promise that he would conduct such affairs, in the event of his election, so that a large sum of money would be saved to the state. The prohibition question also cut an important figure. Prohibition, in fact, had been an issue to a great extent in the two preceding campaigns but neither of the great parties had fully committed themselves to its advocacy, although both favored the retention of the local option law that had been in vogue for a great many years. The candidates on the state tickets on both sides took advanced ground, however, in the campaign, favoring absolute prohibition.
Treasurer Allen made himself quite active during the campaign in his efforts for re-election, and although there were whispers of wrongdoing on his part constantly circulated in various parts of the state, such reports were strenuously denied by him and his friends and his prospects for re-election seemingly were excellent. Investigations, however, had been quietly conducted by parties in- terested and in October preceding the election evidence of defalcations was pre- sented to Governor Haines, who immediately put the matter in the hands of Hon. Axel P. Ramstedt, a member of the Public Utilities Commission and an expert accountant, and requested him to examine the books of the treasurer. Mr. Ramstedt very quickly satisfied himself that a large amount of money be- longing to the state had been illegally used by Treasurer Allen and so reported to the governor. Mr. Allen was confronted with the evidence of his guilt, made acknowledgment of the fact, a grand jury was hastily called and indictments at once found against Allen and Fred M. Coleman, his deputy, for embezzle- ment of public funds. Allen, brought into court, immediately plead guilty and was given an indeterminate sentence in the penitentiary for a term of from five to ten years. In less than two weeks from the time that Mr. Ramstedt had determined his defalcation, he was occupying a felon's cell in the state penitentiary.
Deputy State Treasurer Coleman was afterward tried and found guilty and sentenced to the penitentiary where he served his minimum sentence of two and one-half years, being then pardoned during the administration of Governor Alex- ander. The amount of the defalcations of the treasurer and his deputy was found to total in the neighborhood of $100,000.00, all of which was made good by the surety companies acting as bondsmen in their behalf.
Immediately after ascertaining Allen's defalcation the republican state com- mittee was called together and nominated Mr. John W. Eagleson, in his place.
ELECTION OF 1914
In the political campaign of 1914 two entirely new features were introduced. It was the first election of a United States senator under the amendment which had been made in that regard to the Constitution of the United States, wherein
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that office was to be filled by popular vote .. The other feature was the selection of a justice of the Supreme Court on a non-partisan ticket, the Legislature at the preceding session having amended the election law to make the office of district judge and justice of the Supreme Court absolutely non-partisan in character. Five state tickets were nominated at the primary election, to wit: Democratic, republican, socialist, prohibitionist and electors' progressive.
The democrats nominated James H. Hawley for United States senator ; James H. Forney and Bert H. Miller, representatives in Congress; Moses Alexander, governor ; James W. Tanner, lieutenant-governor; W. T. Dougherty, secretary of state; A. I. LeHuquet, state auditor; L. M. Capps, state treasurer; T. A. Walters, attorney-general; Florence Zumhoff, superintendent of public instruc- tion; John H. Nordquist, inspector of mines.
Ex-Governor James H. Brady was nominated by the republicans for United States senator; Robert M. McCracken and Addison T. Smith, representatives in Congress; John M. Haines, governor; Herman H. Taylor, lieutenant-gov- ernor; George R. Barker, secretary of state; Fred L. Huston, state auditor ; O. V. Allen, state treasurer; Joseph H. Peterson, attorney-general; Berenice McCoy, superintendent of public instruction ; Robert N. Bell, inspector of mines.
The electors' progressive ticket was composed of Paul Clagstone for United States senator; Charles W. Luck and E. H. Rettig, representatives in Congress ; Hugh E. McElroy, governor ; C. E. B. Roberts, lieutenant-governor ; Finis Bent- ley, secretary of state; Clarence Van Deusen, state auditor ; Charles O. Broxon, state treasurer ; William A. Lee, attorney-general; Charles W. Morrison, super- intendent of public instruction ; James W. Caples, inspector of mines.
C. W. Cooper was the socialist nominee for United States senator; G. W. Belloit and A. B. Clark, representatives in Congress; L. A. Coblentz, governor ; F. R. Fouch, lieutenant-governor ; Laura J. Motley, secretary of state; Thomas J. Coonrod, state auditor ; P. M. Powers, state treasurer ; J. E. Dunlap, attorney- general; Elda B. Conley, superintendent of public instruction; J. F. Rogers, inspector of mines.
The prohibitionists nominated W. M. Duthie for United States senator; R. P. Logan and J. J. Pugh, representatives in Congress ; E. R. Headley, governor ; C. L. Austin, lieutenant-governor; C. O. Swanson, secretary of state; B. J. · Fike, state auditor; L. D. Farmin, state treasurer; Charles V. Marshall, super- intendent of public instruction ; J. B. Strader, inspector of mines.
Two candidates were presented as the non-partisan nominees for justice of the Supreme Court-William M. Morgan and Edward A. Walters-and the former was elected by a vote of 25,596 to 21,506.
The election was held on November 3, 1914, and resulted in the election of the entire republican ticket with the exception of governor. For United States senator, Brady received 47,486 votes, Hawley 41,266, Clagstone 10,321, Cooper 7,888, and Duthie 1,237. The vote for governor stood, Alexander 47,618, Haines 40,349, McElroy 10,583. The other candidates received practically the same vote as did the candidates of their party for United States senator. The pluralities for the republican candidates, except for governor, varied from 182 for attorney- general to 5,829 for state auditor and 8,120 for inspector of mines. The three constitutional amendments submitted at this election were defeated.
One of the strange incidents of this election was the fact that Mr. Eagleson,
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the republican candidate for state treasurer was elected by a handsome plurality. The defaulting treasurer, O. V. Allen had taken his place in the penitentiary but a few days before the election but the popularity of the republican candidate was such as to overcome this serious handicap.
ALEXANDER'S ADMINISTRATION
Moses Alexander, eleventh governor of the State of Idaho, was the second man selected for the position who was not a native born American citizen. He also enjoyed the distinction at the time of his election of being the only man of the Jewish faith who had ever been elected governor of any state of the Union. Born in the City of Obrigheim, Germany, on November 13, 1853, Mr. Alexander was educated in his native land, attending school there until he at- tained the age of fourteen years, at which time he came to the United States. After a year spent in New York he went to Chilicothe, Mo., where he found employment as a clerk in the store of Jacob Berg & Company. In 1873, when not yet twenty years of age, he became a partner in the former firm of Jacob Berg & Company and continued in this business until July, 1891, when he re- solved to cast his fortunes in Idaho and came with his family to Boise, where he opened a store for the sale of clothing and men's furnishing goods, in which line of business he has since been engaged and in which he has made a great success, having at the time of his election as governor a chain of stores at various places in Southern Idaho and Oregon.
Upon attaining his majority, Mr. Alexander cast his political fortunes with the democratic party, with which he has since been affiliated. His first political success was in 1886, when he was selected as a member of the city council of Chilicothe, the next year being elected mayor of that city. Soon after becoming a resident of Boise he again identified himself with the democratic party and became one of its leaders in that section. In 1896 he was elected mayor on what was called the "Citizens Silver Improvement" ticket and in 1900 was again elected mayor as the democratic nominee for the position. In 1908 he was nominated by that faction of the democratic party which · was afterward de- clared to be properly in control of the party's affairs as the candidate for gov- ernor but was. defeated by James H. Brady, republican candidate. He was nominated as his party candidate for governor again in 1914 and was elected, being re-elected at the regular election in 1916. He retired at the expiration of his second term on January 6, 1919.
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