The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1889-10-19
STATEHOOD.

ED. TRIBUNE.-In your last issue
I was pleased to see a communica-
ton from C. J. r. Peterson, of
Lower Boise, on the Statehood ques-
ton. Mr.. Peterson is al intelligent,
honest man, and 1 believe yin act
and speak conscientiously on this or
any other question; and | believe
if sufficient slight" could be given
him, he would support Statehood,
although it might take a food of it
to convince him. i am glad he is
willing to reason On the question.
I am sorry he did not get the
signature of the Joint Com mittee to
the the reason he assigns for their
inactivity. His mere statement of
the cause leaves still a lingering
doubt as to whether that is thetrue
and full reason why theyhaye done
nothing. Still I am willing to let
his explanation of the matter stand
as his opinion, and I viii venture
my own in connection with it; and
I suppose the people will be com
PEELED to keep On guessing while
the honorable Committee proceeds
to promptly keep its mouth shut.
/ suppose the reason they are doing
nothing is because they have no
funds to run a campaign on, and
perhaps another reason thatI would
rather have more grounds for before
l express it publicly. I am with
you in this Brother Peterson. The
committee so far have not broken
their necks, nor bursted any blood
vessels with over exertion.
think the mere fact that oul
officers took the initial steps fol
Statehood is nothing against the
movement; they were the proper
parties and it seems to me that the
popular will was manifested in the
fact that every county of Idaho
selected their representatives under
the call. The large majority as.
sembled and worked "a days on the
Constitution, and, barring a few
who where disappointed in shaping
that instrument to their liking, are
now strongly in favor of Statehood
Of course there was nothing done
looking toward Statehood previous.
ly for the reason that the time had
not properly come. Perhaps the
proper time has not yet come; that
is what we want to discuss. Sure.
ly we are near Statehood now than
ten or five years ago, for our popu.
lation ten years ago was not 10000
and five years ago it was not 10000
but now we surely have 100000
What will it be five years hence !
Six or eight of the states have been
admitted with less population and
wealth than Idaho now has, and
some of them with not half as
much.
AS far as the. enthusiastic pre-.
cinct meetings are concerned, they
would be forthcoming had there
been no Joint Committee selected
As it is everything is waiting or
the committee.
Mr.. Peterson says that "our school
land is not going to SPOIL" and ]
am willing to admit the truth of it;
but that's poor argument. suppose
our hay would not spoil if we kept
it four or five years, but it would be,
perhaps, better to winter our stock
with it. The act of holding it don't
enrich us. From my knowledge OF
the school lands of Idaho am con.
WINGED that the amount that can be
sold under the Constitution will
find ready sale for more than ten
dollars an acre. Why not have the
use of that money for the education
of our children? Why let it lay
five or ten years, and have to go
without school or pay for it directly
by taxes :?
Mr.. Peterson claims that it is
love of the people of Idaho that
makes him oppose Statehood; that
additional burdens will be laid
upon them in the way of heavier
taxation. Now Brother Peterson,
| believe the taxes willru about as
follows, and ] ask you to use your
pencil and reason and see how far
we are apart at the outcome: At
present we have Tor had last year,
$21 900, 900, valuation; on that we
paid 35 cents on 500, or total of
S73,5O0. This year we levied 40
cents on the same valuation which
will raise almost $4,000. That is
the straight property tax and does
not include any of the poll tax nor
licenses. Suppose now flor much
of the future must be supposed)
that our taxes will be increased
nne-third and it would take 60
cents on the 500 to run the state
on, from this scource of taxes we
would have to raise $l10,500. You
will readily see that with the
same valuation the taxation would
be heavier. But we have every
reason to believe that the valuation
would rapidly increase; in fact, this
year as q Territory, we will increase
almost one-fourth in valuation; and
with Statehood we would double
our valuation in less than three
years. You ask how? One item
will be the Is sections Of school land
that will be sold each year, value
$4,000 per year; the farms not
now surveyed but improved will
be another item; the growth of the
towns and cities another; the new
railroad lines building another; the
new mines opened and mills built
another; new irrigating canals and
their settlements still another. We
have doubled in the last five years
hv natural rroufb 10 ~ ,,nfo.r IN