The teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1876-1878, 1876-11-11
LETTER FROM LEWISTON.
LEWISTON, Nov. s.. 1876

/
EDITOR TELLER.-This is electio
week, and we shall all be so anxiou
about election news that fertility of tn
soil, development of mines, opening Q
navigation, price of grain, and even tn
weather will be forgotten. It will b
reported that Tilden is elected and tn
nation about to be destroyed, that Haye
is elected and the nation ruined. Tn,
successful party will believe that thei
success will save the nation, and thei
opponents will believe that such success
will destroy it. TO an impartial oh
server, it is clear, that if the officer,
elected perform their duties according
to the declared principles upon which
they are elected, the country will BE-
safe.
Our attention should be directed t
local affairs, to the end that our Terri
torial and County taxes may be reduced
Northern idaho pays about $4,000
territorial taxes per annum. It re.
ceives back again about $4,000, by the
way OF 800 District Attorney fees
the transportation of prisoners to Boise
aud the keeping Of prisoners at the
Penitentiary. 1t costs one dollar day
for a prisoners keeping, while it costs
nearly S4OO to transport prisoner from
Northern Idaho through Washington
and Oregon to Boise. 1t will be seen
that the cost Of transportation is greater
than the cost of keeping a prisoner a
year. There are few prisoners SEN
fenced to more than a years impris-
onment. If such persons could be kept
in the county jail in Northern Idaho,
expenses would be reduced nearly or
quite one-half. We should like to know
what is done with the territorial taxes
as now collected, and have measures
taken for their reduction. High taxes,
are not only burdensome, on account of
the amount paid, but also because they
deter settlement in the Territory. Our
county taxes should also bo reduced.
We must come down to the principle of
settled farming communities, in the pay
ment of public officers, and public ex-
penses of all kinds.
The paper states that Gen. 0. O.
Howard represented at Washington
hat Joseph was about to plunge the
Nez Perce Indians into war with the
whites, and that such a war would cost
he Government ten millions of dollars,
md that the only means by which said
var could be averted was to appoint him.
elf and his friends commissioners to
reat with Joseph. We all know that
here is no danger of a war with the
Nez Perce Indians, that Joseph has not
more than thirty five warriors, all told,
md that he has no influence with the
'ther Nez Perces.
This commission business, may be
'ery pleasant and profitable to the CON-
nissioners, but in this instance, can be
f no benefit to the government or the
indians. The spread of this false re-
'ort of danger from hostile Indians is a
'reat injury to this section of the coun.
ry, as by creating false alarm, it pre-
ents emigration and settlement in this
ountry.
The sentimental affection for the
indian which pervades the East is
good theme for the novelist and poet,
ut when practiced in the West, the
len who apply the sentiment, generally
'ake money for themselves. If Adam
nd Eve are the common ancestors Of
9th the Indians and the whites, and
,eir descendants inherit equally the
hole earth, it would appear that a
hite man had the same rights as the
1dian. 1t would be difficult to find in
ther the new or old testaments a doc