Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1879-02-07
THE TELLER.
Municipal Government.

AeWlStOu eAiSteu Wituout Auy iocai gov
ernment save the volition Of each and
every citisen and the combined efforts
Of body Of men counseling 10 secret
and commonly termed a vigilance com.
mittec. The county officials did claim
to exercise some authority over US. In
the fall Of 1864 the question Of obtain
ing title to The land embraced 10 the
town from the government and the i'm
portance Of having some street and
police regulations impressed upon the
minds Of our citizens the absolute ne.
cessity Of having some form OF munich
pal government, and our representative,
W. ". Thayer, now Governor Of Ore
gon, was instructed to procure the
passage Of municipal charter by the
Legislature for the government Of the
city, and 10 December of that year our
present charter was granted, and the
first organization under it took place in
the Spring Of 1867. For while, our
citizens not being willing to be taxed to
put in operations full and complete
city government, the councilmen elected
forbore to incur only such expenses as
we're actually necessary to keep the
organization together and insure the
title to the land Of the city and avert
the most crying evils to which our PEG.
pie were daily subjected by lonity in
government, and up to the year 1877
we kept this system without taxing the
people generally for the expenses Of the
city government, then only special
war tax was levied to pay expenses in
CURED BY reason Of the Nee Perez
Indian war which threatened US.
Spasmodic efforts have been made to
have enforced some wholesome police
regulations; but an element has existed
among US that has seemed to bid de-
tiance to any rules Of action or conduct
save those dictated by the volition Of
the individual citizen among us; and
this laxity Of government has permitted
many evils and prevented many impor-
tant provisions for the town, such as
have made Us by.word for laxity
abroad and checked such improvements
in the town and surroundings as we're
actually essential to our growth and
prosperity, and now NO still End some
who seem to desire the abandonment
Of all city government and suffer every
thing to run loosely at the will Of every
individual citizen, and without any
Uniform method Or system Of govern
meut and control We opine that gen.
orally this disposition to let 60 all hold
Of systematic good order and regularity
arises from individual impatience Of
restraint, and tendency to lawlcssness
and desire to disobey good and whole
some laws. Some may thus speak from
shere opposition, having no particular
point Of objection. But We are we'll
convinced that the interests OF all the
people Of Lewiston and the growth Of
thu place demands that our municipal
government be maintained and that it's
provisions b. more strictly enforced,
even though il % done Al small cost
othe tx payers. "There is that that
giveth and yst incrsaseth," il very old
maxim. and Il i fully as applicable to
) government Of town a. to any thing
that can 30 named. Every dollar judi
ciously expended in identifying and
making attractive the town, or 10 main.
thinning the peace and good order Of all
its inhabitants, win add Eve to the
value OF the property OF every man who
owns LOT il the town. aside from the
quiet comfort Of every dweller in the
town, "Order il Heavens first law, I"
while chaos, confasion and wrangling
are certain chiet characteristics Of that
pandemonium Of which we read. A
n. s
we'll embsllished and orderly town is
An honor to any aud al people who
secure and maintain it, while the oppo-
site is shame and disgrace to any peo-
pie, We have been led to write these
reflection 10 general terms, without
giving specifications. for the purpose Of
inducing more harmony Of thought and
action 10 I'll matters that tend to the
prosperity and growth Of the place, and
our hope Il that our citizens may, one
and al, candidly consider what we have