The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1889-08-17
TO THE PEOPLE OF IDAHO.
BOISE CITY, August, 6, 1889.

l
The Convention convened at Boise
City on July 4, 1889, to frame a
Constitution for the State Of Idaho,
has completed its labors.
| The Constitution SO framed will
be submitted to you for approval
or rejection on November 5, 1889.
Before adjournment, the Conven-
ton by resolution appointed the I'M
dersigned as a committee to lay
before you the reasons why. the
Constitution should be adopted, and
this duty we now fulfill.
DISADVANTAGES OF A TERRITORIAL
GOVERNMENT.
The Territorial system of govern
ment under which we have lived
for the past twenty-six years is in
direct conflict with the spirit Of
Republican and Democratic institu-
tons.
We have no voice in the selection
of the most important officers who
administer our local affairs; no
voice il the enactment of
laws by Congress to which we
must yield obedience; and no
voice in the election Of the Chief
Magistrate of the Republic, who
appoints the principal officers, by
whom the executive and judicial
affairs of our Territory are admin
istered.
We are held in state of pcliti-
cal vassalage, similar in many
respects to that in which the Amer
lean Colonies were held by Great
Britain.
Governments are instituted for
the purpose of securing to all men
their natural and inalienable rights
to life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness; and all rightful govern
ments derive their just powers from
the consent of the governed.
Taxation without representation
among all people who love freedom
has ever been held valid COM
plant against the governing power
While Territory, Congress, in
which we have no vote or other ade-
quate representation can at any
time annul any act of our Legis-
lature, and under a present law of
Congress placing limitations and |
restrictions upon the power of the
Territorial Legislature, no great |
public work or Improvement in the
interest of the people, no matter
how necessary it may be to the
development of our mineral or
agricultural resources, can be in
augurated or carried out.
Under the Congressional Alien
Land Act, no alien can own or hold |
lands in the Territory, and this pro-
hibition shuts the door to the influx
and investment of millions of foreign
capital in our mines containing
precious and useful metals, thus re-
tarding and almost paralyzing the
development of our unlimited re-
sources, and depriving labor of its
mostencouraging and inviting fields
Unemployment.
Our school lands lie unoccupied,
returning no revenue for the
education of our children, and are
not open TO purchase by those SEEK
ing homes among us, thus retarding
immigration, and that great increase
of population to which our natural
resources and unexampled health
fulness Of climate entitle US.
A Territory can not have a set
tied public policy. The fact that
Congress may at any time annul it's
Legislation on any matter Of purely
local concern prevents active CO.
operation by the people on those
higher planes of public life which
result in the establishment of a
State policy.
The veto power of alien governors
who in the past have been, and who
in the future again may be sent
US, is one of which we have
had more than one example of sad
experience by which the people
have been discouraged.
The most intolerable evil how
ever, under which we have lived for
the past twenty-five years, has been
the changing and shifting character
of our judicial decisions, by which
we have been deprived of the inesti-
mable benefit of judicial presidents
as safeguard to our rights of per-
son and property.
Scarcely has one judge sent to US
from abroad obtained even slight
insight into the laws and customs of
the Territory, before another
coming in his room has undone the
work of his predecessor, and this
chronic condition of change has left
all of our business and property