The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1886-03-20
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Mr. speaker,1 desire to say but
little a. this questioo. This pan
handle Of Idaho. about which thnre

/
: bone Of contention for the last
twenty years. A largo majority Of
the people living in-thet pot;cn-cs
the Territory have wanted annexa-
ton TO Washington Territory.
There is no doubt about that fact
in my mind. The-people Of the
southern portion Of Idaho, however,
have objected to it until the last
two years. Up to that time their
objection was serious one. Three
years ago last fall the people of the
north were so embittered against
the people of the south because
they could not be annexed that
both political parties of these
northern counties refused to paltic
ipate in the Territorial convention.
They called an Independent con
vention for the purpose of nomin-
ating a man to run on the annexa
! ton question with view Of sending
him TO Washington City to work
for the annexation of those coun-
ties To Washington Territory,
whether he was elected or not. But
the Republican candidate was a
little sharper than the Democratic
candidate, and he rushed up north
and pledged himself to go for
annexation, and they took him as
their candidate with the under
standing down south, am told by
good authority, that he did not
intend to work very hard for it.
Laughter
However, he secured the almost
unanimous vote of these north
ern counties, was elected. But
although lie was elec.el, and
he did not secure their an
nexation. At the recent election,
or rather at the conventions which
preceded the election, the Republic
cans placed section in their plat
form pledging their party to do ell
IN their power to secure the annex
alton, and their Delegate also was
pledged to do whatever was in his
power, if elected, to annex these
northern counties TO Washington
Territory. The Democratic party
took the matter under advisement.
talked it over. and after some con
sideration of the subject, concluded
that they would also put the same
plank in their platform, or substan-
TALLY the same thing, favoring this
annexation. | gave them due notice
that if that plank was inserted in
the platform, and they nominated
me, that if elected | would try to
give this 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 a desire to go to
Washington, and | do not propose
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 well
without them. 1t has been clearly
understood for years that the PEG
pie OF those counties themselves
wanted to be annexed to Washing
ton Territory. The lie gislature in
1885 passed a memorial requesting
that these counties be annexed TO
Washington Territory, but with the
proyiso that they should pay their
proportion of the debt of the Ter
ritory just as this bill provides.
Now az this late date some of
these northern counties, | under
stand, are kicking about it when
they find that they can really be
annexed to Washington Territory,
and they do not want il near so
bad rs thcythought they did. Some
OF them say they prefer to 90 to
Montana Territory, and for that
reason they send in here and oppose I
The passage Of tie bill which pro-
poses to give to them the very thing
hey have been asking for for so /
many years, and | therefore INST
upon the passage Of the bill.