Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1882-07-13
GOV. NELL ON ANNEXATION.

On the eve of the 9Th, Gov. Neill ad-
dressed the people in this city, during
which address be alluded to the question of
North Idaho going to Washington, and said |
| that he had observed the disadvantages UNI
der which he labored in being so far from
the seat of government. and the barriers be-
tween North and South Idaho, and while
they were formidable yet he hoped that ere
| long railroads and telephones would in a
great measure overcome these obstacles,
that he must frankly say that Re should re-
greet to lose SO valuable q portion of the ter
ritory, yet he could not blame us for the
action We had taken to be set off to WASH
ngton. He said that he thought he had
been misrepresentcd in the papers as oppos-
ing our going off, wheE he was in Washing
ton city, that he had not done SO. He was
grateful for the kind and courteous manner
in which he had been received by the peo-
pie while here in the north, and he said
many time things encouraging and compli-
mcntary to us here in the north. After his
speech we told him. in the presence of
Messrs. Monroe, Howe, and others, that the
TELLERs information in relation to his OPP
position had been derived from letters and
dispatches published in the Oregoniaa from
statements of d. Z. Thompson, ESD, who
, was in Washington City when the governor
was there and from letters from Delegate
Brentz: Gov. Neil then replied that soon
; after he reached " ashington he was waited
upon BY Ainslie and urged to 60 before the
House committee and give his. views upon
e the question, which he declined to do,
= That then Ainsie urged him to write them
e out, and have them presented to the com
+ mittce, which he also declined, saying that
y he had just read a dispatch from his wife
stating that his child was sick and required
his presence and that he had no time t.
: write out his views. But upon Ainslie'
II urging he did write letter, stating that HI
u would at some future time write his opin
IS ions upon the question for The benefit o
the committee, and that he presumed tina
was the letter alluded to by Brents, whcl
could not be found upon the files OF tn
committee. That afterwards he wrote
letter, which was to go before the senat
= committee, an extract of which the TEILEl
published. He said that he was unde
/, some excitement, in consequence of sick
ness in his family, at the time Ainslie wa
!, urging him, and don't remember all tina
was said, but that he has no recollection c
saying anything that should be construo
in as opposing our going to Washington. w
N give the Governor the benefit of the state
1, ment, as we wish to do him no injustice
to and leave the public to Judge of the fact:
,g We told the Governor that as the executiv
ne Of the territory, we did not expect or evn
n ask him to talk and act in our favor spec
ally on this question. We also told hin
that We woult. deem it out of the line ,
It. his duty as an executive to interfere in I'll
he matter before the committees in congree
q. AS a citizen he had the same right to e,
is press himself as his Judgement dictate,
Up that each and all other citizens had upo
On this or any other question. Gov. Ne
or made good impression upon our Poop
ty while here, as an intelligent, ah'able, all
well disposed gentleman, purposing to dc
fairly with the people of all sections of IL
he teri tory, and we trust his visit north wi
ce enable him better to carry out his purpose