Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1888-08-09
OF WASHINGTON
TERRITORY.

ADMISSION OF WASHINGTON
TERRITORY.
The Chicago Tribune Of July %, has
an article on the admission Of Washing.
ton Territory, which is so truthful and
90 pertinent to the real issue that VIC
venture to copy it entire, and its influence
that Senator Cullom is really ignorant of
the situation and has spoken without due
reflection in his minority report to the
Senate, is patent to every well posted
man, who is disposed to be honest:
The position which Senator Cullom
has taken on the Senate bill for the
admission Of Washington Territory does
not seem to be the conclusion Of mature
reflection. The bill provides for the
fosr1stion aud admission Of the state of
Washington with the addition of the
so-called pan handle Of Idaho to the
present territorial area. The substitute
for which Senator Cullom is contending
proposes to admit Washington with its
existing boundaries, and in this con.
tention he makes the point that "it is
not right, after twenty years Of the
privations that belong to frontier life, to
FAY to the people Of Idaho, just as they
are beginning to see daylight and to be
entitled to admission as state, I'VE will
take off $4,000 square miles of your
area and 10000 Of your population and
attach them to some other territory, and
put you back twenty years longer"
Senator Cullom evidently has not
studied carefully the statistics or barren.
ness Of Idaho. So far from "beginning
to see daylight" the people Of Idaho
will not see daylight for fifty years yet.
The population Of Idaho ID only about
$4,000. At the last census it was
$4,000. At its present rate of growth
it will be fully half century before it
will arrive at the ratio of population
sufficient to reach the present conditions
of representation in congress, which
requires about 100000. AZ matter Of
fact, it is probable that the increase Of
the representative number each decade
will put statehood beyond the reach Of
its people for century, as large part
Of the territory is as dry, verdurelesa,
aud raiulcss as Nevada, which it rcsem
bles and Of which, in fact, it is but q
northern extension. IF the panhandle
Of Idaho (ths strip or horn running up
north to the Canadian boundary between
W ashington to the west and By noun
tain range on the, east which separates
this pan handle OF Idaho from Montana)
were annexed it would add to Washing
ton the best part Of Idaho, being pretty
we'll irrigated and having considerable
mineral deposits, and would bring the
population Of Washington up to the
requisite number Tor admission. 1t
would also be positive benefit to the
people living in the pan hahdle, who are
now thousand miles or so away from
their capital, and can only get to it by q
long, circuitous route that carries them
outside Of Idaho. In case Of annexation
they would have direct and easy railroad
communication Of two or three hundred
miles with the Washington capital.
The commercial relations of the idaho
panhandle nro hundred times greater
with Washington Territory than with
Inaccessible Southern Idaho.
The logical destiny Of the remainder
of Idaho would be with the state Of
Oregon, bounding it on the west, aud
with which it has direct and ample
railroad comm unicatiop. But for the
Mormon predomiuepce in Utah it might
be united properly Herewith, and then
both should be annexed to Nevada. All
three will never have too much popula.
ton for one state. The Gentiles might
govern it, and thus solve the potygamy
question.
There is probably no better solution
Of the whole business than the annex
alton Of the pan handle to Washington,
and the remainder of idaho to Oregon OF
to Nevada, with the view of anncxing
Utah to them, and thus giving the
Gentiles chance of redeemiug the
latter and relieving Nevada from its
ridiculous paucity Of population for the
support Of statehood"