Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1886-12-02
An OPEN LETTER TO HON
JOHN HALEY.

sentatiues, Washington, d. G.
DEAR SlR:-1 have received no
demonstration whatever from you since
your letter to me Of April last, defining
your position on the question Of annex
alton, which l published, save your
Telegram from Shoshouc Of Nov. LIST,
which / also published on the morning Of
the End, and gavc it as wide circulation
q I could before the voting, You
ought to have received at lcast fifteen
hundred majority in the Northern coun-
ties, had your position been fully known
upon the question Of annexation among
our people after the Bellevue convention:
Or had there been any declaration direct.
y from you renewing your pledges 10 US
after said convention. The absence Of
this renewal left the matter open to your
enemies to csvil about what your true
position was, and while thinking mon Of
your friends were ready and prompt to
rspel every intimation that you had
changed your views, since your letter Of
April, yet they had not from you, or
ysur immediate friends, any expression
Of denial Of the charges made against you
that you had changed your grounds upon
the question Of annexation. You were
represeuted 10 the North as favoring an
pexaticn to Montana in Shoshons
county. You we're represented as saying
IL Ada county: II introduced bill to
annex the North to Washington Terri
tory, but managed it so that it could
not pass both houses" Mr.. james H.
Hawlsy was represented as knowing your
visws on this subject, which he claimed
70 b that annexation is now dead issue,
and you having fulfilled your pledges Of
two yeas ago. you we're now opposed to
any further agitation Of the question
Ths chairman Of your Democratic Zen.
tral Committee was also represented as
saying aannexation WAS dead, and W.
a1uslched it 10 our convention; We are
opposed to it" With such like express
aions Published 10 the South, and no
direct contradictions from you, or Mr..
Hawley, or Mr.. Ainslie, your friends in
the North had hard fight, upon what
- deemed your true position the same
s@tns you held while in congress. and
j Dubois charging publicly that you
1Ahe Same position with him upon
The question Of annexation, which was
that s'he could not work for it it he
would, and that be would not if be
could" A member Of the Territorial
Democrat Central Comm. ttee resident
here 10 tho North could get DO express
sion from George Ainslie, a. to your true
position, and the democrats had to fight
your battle with the republicans upon
general principals, alone, that you could
not have 90 suddenly changed so as to
oppose NJ while Dubois and his friends
were constantly charging that you had
changed against the annexation Of the
North V Washington. To add 70 this
embarrassment you were unable to come
10 Mes Perce or Idaho counties to speak
! fresh for yourself, and you did even
ssnd ~ q line 10 assure US that you stood
IL the same position on the question after
the Bellevue convention that you did in
April when you wrote the letter which
No pablished. 10. this county both
denocrats and republicans concluded to
submit, ths qurstieo Of annexatio0 te
al9sson directly to the people on
and &c sdqtral committee Of
SeaRsy conventions e resolved, and
the ftSali Of that vote, As 4 returned BY
the different prscipcts -xas 1873 for an
nexation to Washington Territory, and
70 only against it, out Of l705 votes
polled, while the county only gave you
304 majority over Mr.. Dubois. My
impression is that had you came here in
psrssn and made your own statements, Or
svsn had you sent q letter, renewing
your pledges on annexation, you would
have received, at least, 1900 Of the
1,7O6 votes polled in this county. In
reference to Idaho county, I know not
what tho vote would have been had they
submitted the question direct the same
= did Nes Perez county, but an. told
81 peonineut men from that county, that
- . direct vote on the question Of an
nsxaticp to Washiogton, not fifty voters
u ~ ssliss county would have soted
aliiusl asuexaiion, notwithstanding atbe
snall disafsc.ion represented BY their
essnty commisioaers 10 regard to dis
kAIsfassios viii ;thc boundary line. In
r1hard 10 Koolsoai cousty the Kootenai
'tbsrslr pepssss 205 votes cast apon the