Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1881-06-23

any Of your relations with Nez Perce
county, until complete organization
should be effected of Kootenai county.
Governor Brayman in appointing
Commissioners for the county Of Lab
Toh, acted in good faith. But a. /
we'll know he was not aware that sub
sequent legislation repealed the portion
of the Act OF Dec. %, 1864, creating
Lab Toh county. But the fact that he
acted in ignorance Of this later law
gives no validity to his action, nor did
that action operate in any way to re-
create the county Of Lab Toh, nor re.
vive any portion Of the repealed pro-
visions of the law of 1864.
In attempting to organize Lab Toh
county under the color of authority
conferred by my predecessor, you have
done no wrong, but to persist in the
effort after it has lecome clear Tint his
action was illegal can only result in
injury to yourselves. There can be no
safety, peace or security; no protection
to property or other rights, in an ills-
gal county organization, such as your
organization must eventually he declar-
ed to be if the question is brought into
court.
l fully appreciate the inconven-
fence, embarrassment and wrong your
people suffer by reason of their pres
ent situation with respect to Nex
Perce county. Those difficulties etc.,
enlist my hearty sympathy, and I as
sure you, every proper and legal step
you take to obtain relief shall have
my cordial approval and firm support.
That portion of the law Of 1864, c,ea.
ting Kco,nai county, and the subse-
quent Act redefnins the boundaries
thereof, are still in force.
The county created by them in.
cludes nearly all Of the territory en-
braced within the boundaries Of Lah
Toh as defined in the net of 1864. They
afford an adequate remedy for the
hardships, ETC., of which you justly
complain by providing legal method
of separating from Nez Perce county.
This | understand is what you desire
to secure a county organization for the
benefit of the people who reside so far
from Lewiston, as to feel that the au-
thority of Nez Perce county over
them, is an injury instead Of an ad-
vantage. The fact that the people Of
your section are SO generally willing
to take upon themselves the burden of
sustaining a county organization. show
that they have need for one; but l do
not believe they are so welded to the
name, or so fixed in their determine
tion to have a county with the eu
phonious designation of Lab Toh that
they are willing to resort to illegal
and revolutionary measures to have a
county with that pleasant sounding
name; especially, in view of the fact
that new county, bearing the title of
Kootenai may be had for the asking.
If upon further consideration you con.
clude that my views of this matter are
right, I would suggest that you recede
from the organization of Lab Toh, and
proceed under the law to organize
Koo'enai county. 1t will give me in
finite pleasure to perform the small
duty imposed upon me by the Act
creating the county, viz: the appoint
ment of three commissioners upon the
petition of 80 or more citizens. The
law may not be just what your people
wish, as to boundaries. county seat,
etc, but these are defects which can
easily be cured ty the next legislature
If it be my good fortune to remain in
Idaho until the next session of that
body, l will gladly call attention to
any matters of this kind of which you
may advise me. l cannot say that l
have any duty to perform in connec-
ton with this matter. and do not ex-
pect to be called upon to perform an
unpleasant one, although there are ex-
pressions in your letter of a determi-
nation to adhere to the county organ
ization, of which you advise me,
whether right or wrong, at all hazards,
a state of affairs, if it existed, l
would be bound to notice. Those ex-
pressions, were written under the i'm
preston that. the effect Of the legisla-