Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1886-02-16
hour Or two passes quickly 81. IS IS
always the case when listening 70 A.
Interesting lecture. a
oPPoslNG ANNExATIoN.
Nez Percc News. Feb. 4h

Prairie it was part of our work to feel
the pulse Of the people in regard To
the proposed annexation Of the nortI,-
ern counties of Idaho to the State Or
Territory Of Washington, and more
particularly to the proposed bounds
ry line + Salmon river. In regard te
annexation itself the people Of Idaho
county are generally Indifferent and
unappreciative. They see no pros
pect for the immediate admission of
Washington as = state, and would
rather remain in Idaho than be an
nexed to any other territory. But
when you come to mention Salmon
river as boundary line you stir up
. hornets nest Of hostile criticism.
comment and opinion. Annexation
on such line will meet with deter
mined hostility Of idaho county, bas-
ed upon the fact that such division
would deprive the county Of 500, 1000
worth Of taxable property, and Of al
the poll, road and hospital taxes coll
lectable from the inhabitants south,of
the Salmon. The loss Of this terrific
ry, as We have warned Mr.. HALEY,
will bankrupt what is left Of Idaho
county, and the people were never SO
infatuated with the scheme as to be-
content to surrender the practical
benefits derived from rich taxable
country for the brilliant advantages
held out to them under the gIittering
bauhle of annexation.
We were asked to substitute the
clearwater for Salmon river and then
give opinion as to what advantage
es Lewiston would gain by annexa-
ton. The question is we'll put. Lew.
iston would lose Its best and richest
country and would gain nothing. and
when the illustration is extended to
Idaho county it gives US a glimpse Of
the reason why they don't want an
nexation Oh any such terms. We
have been asked, in Idaho county,
some very pertinent questions that
never occurred to us before, and
which we cannot answer OH the spur
Of the moment. Here are some of
them;
What good will annexation do US
when we get it?
Why don't you Id fools in Lew
, iston try and ge, the reservation open
i ed instead of wasting your breath on
! that annexation business?
So, in expressing opinions, one
would state that annexation had
been talked to death, and there never,
4 was anything in it anyway" Anoth-
! er declared that "the only measure
that can be of any practical use or
: benefit to Camas Prairie is the OPEN
ing of the reservation, and we will
get more good from that in FIVE min
utes than we would get from FIVE gen.
p erations of annexation experience"
! So the popular mind drifted be-.
!. tween the opening OF the reservation
: and railroad as the most important
things for Idaho county. We did not
find one man with any well defined
wish that these counties should be
j. annexed, while he found plenty Of
S men ready to proclaim their belief
q that the annexation issue is not worth
: the powder and shot and wind that
has been expended upon it. Il 1nshort.
. Idaho county secedes from it's origi-
!. nal intention, and doesn't want and
# won't have annexation on any terms
i outside Of those specified in the last
Legislative memorial.
. A bill has been passed by the lowe r
j. branch of Congress increasing the
pensions of soldiers widows from SIS