Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1886-03-11
tenticn for the last twenty years.

'"o' '"enty years.
large majority Of tire people living
that portion Of the Territory have wante
annexation to Washington Territor,
There is no doubt about that fact in m
mind. The people of the southern DO
ton of Idaho, however, have objecte
to it until the last two years. Up t
that time their objection was seriou
one. Three years ago last fall the pee
pie of the north were SO embittere
against the people of the south be.aus
they could not be annexed that bo,l
political parties of these northern coup
ties refused to participate in the TER:
torlal convention. They called an in
dependent convention for the purpose o
nominating man to run on the anpexc
ton question with view of sending hin
to Washington City to work for the an
nexation Of those counties to Washneto,
Territory, whether he was elected or not
But the Republican candidate was a it'll,
sharper than the Democratic candidate
and he rushed up north and pledgce
himself to 20 for annexation, and the,
took hun as their candidate with the un
Outstanding down south, am told b,
good authority, that he did not intend te
work very hard for it. [Laughter.]
However, he secured almost unani
nous vote Of these northern counties
and was electad. But although he was
elected, he did not secure their annexa
ton. At the recent election, or rather
at the conventions which proceeded the
election, the Republicans placed a sec.
ton In their platform pledging their
party to do all in their power to secure
the annexation, and their Dele gate also
Was pledged to do whatever was in his
power, it elected, to annex these northern
counties to Washington Territory. The
Democratic party took the matter unde,
advisement, talked it ovor, and after
some consideration of the subject, con
Guided that they would also put the
same plank in their platform, or substant.
tally the same thing, favorlng this an.
nexation. gave them due notice tina,
if that plank was inserted in the plat.
form, and they nominated me, that il
elected l would try to give thi. portion
|of the Territory away to Washington
Territory.
now propose to keep good the pledges
made by my party and myself by trying
to have them annexed to Washington
Territory. They have expressed desire
to 90 to Washington, and do not pro.
pose to keep them from going; they have
been very troublesome. l hope the bill
will pass to annex them to Washington
Territory, because we can get along very
we'll without them. 1t has been clearly
understood for years that the people of
those counties themselves wanted to be
annexed to Washington Territory. The
Legislature in 1885 passed a memorial
requesting that these counties be annexed
to Washington Territory, but with the
proviso that they should pay their por-
ton of the debt of the Territory just as
this bill provides.
Now at this late date some of these
northern counties, | understand, are
kicking about it when they find that they
can really be annexed to Washington
Territory, and they do not want it near
so bad as they thought they did. Some
of them say they prefer to 60 to Mon.
tana Territory, and for that reason they
send in here and oppose the passage Of
the bill which proposes to give to them
the very thing they have been asking for
for so many years, and | therefore insis,
upon the passage Of the bill.