Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1888-01-19


a part, is and always will be absolutely
ruineus to our prosperity.
End, North and South Idaho are sep
arated by natural boundaries. Be
tween the two is mountain range i'm
passible except on horscba TX or on foot
over rugged mountain trails, in summer,
and in winter except on snow shoes.
There has never been wagon road and
never can be Fraction BILE one. The
Salsaon river mountains, which constitute
this range, is, i least, sixty niles wide
extending east and west acrcss the eutire
territory.
Bird, The only routes of travel be
tween the two by private or public con-
veyance, except rs before stated, is by a
wide detour westward through Washing
ton Territory and the stat 0 Of Oregon
over the Blue Mountains, or northward
through Washington and Montana.
Alb, Our remotness from md inacccss.
iSility to the seat Of the Territorial gov.
crnment deprives US O! oil the protection
a government should afford to every
section Of lis domain. North Idaho,
| with comparatively small area, is the
present home of large number of In
dams. In it are the Nez Perez, Occur
dAlenes, Pend d'Orei!lts, a part of
kootenais, permanently, and the Spo-
kanes roam through the northern por-
ton thereof. There is nd prospect Of
these tribes being removed therefrom.
We are subject, therefore, in the future
as we have been io the past, to sudden
and cruel savage outbreaks. When the
Indian war, under Chief Joseph, broke
upon our people in 1877, We appealed
to the governor for aid, but bis reply
was eve have no arms 10 spare for so
Tong a distance, and that aid could
reach US from other sources sooner than
from Boise, our capital" Gen Howard
attempted to aid us By command sent
from South idaho through the nearest
and most accessible route. This COM
mand, under brave and energetic Of
|
fccr, pushed forward with the utmost
| dispatch until it reached the southern
base of the Salmon river mountains,
within eighty miles of our people. 1t
sought to make wagon road and cross
this barrier. but was obliged to turn back
before the difficulties Of this mountain
range. Although within eighty miles OF
the point where men, wor pen and chill
dren were being massacred with ruthless
cruelty, this command was obliged tc
leave our people to their tate, and tc
come to the rescue, if at all, by passing
through Oregon and Was ingtan, dis
lance of not less than six hundred miles
Governor Ferry, of Washington Terri
tory, came at once to our aid and, though
beyond the jurisdiction OF his territory
loaned US arms and munitions of war
Thus this savage warfare was stayed by
aid from the territory to which we ak
to be annexed and could naturally come
from no other source. We take the
broad ground that the South has nc
right to speak in this matter; thomselve:
wards of the government, have no right
to ask that we of the North shall suffer
a lifetime of obnoxious servitude tina,
they may be benefited. Here we arc
practically united people, telling you
that our social, commercial and political
welfare demands Our attachment tc
Washington. We claim this in accor.
dance with the principles of popular
sovereignty. We stand in like position
as did the district of Maine, which
struggled for thirty years for her indie.
pcndence, which was accorded her upon
vote of five ninths of her people, as
did West Virginia, which came in, q
creature of circumstances. Have We less
rights than they? We came from
those states, relinquishing, for the time,
our status as sovereisns to develope the
resources OF this western land for the
benefit Of ourselves and our government
has the government no return to make
for this sacrifice?
What occurred in 1871 may occur
at any time in the future. The govern,
ment in South Idaho can only draw
revenue from our taxable property. 1t
can afford no protection from impending
danger. Between the two sections there
eau be no commercial intercourse.
Neither has products which find mar.
ket in the other and no transportation
routes from either to the markets of the
world passes through the other. The
products have heretofore passed west ward
to the Pacific and will in the future take