Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1897-03-11
Legislative LabCrs.

weary length along and has passed !
iu,o history While few measures
have run the Legislative gauntlet and
Lecolne laws it is doubtful if single
general law at IL beneficial character
ha. been enacted. Time has been fritz
tered away haggling over bii.s intro
duced for the purpose of giving some
individual or some particular locality
AN advantage. Prominent among To-
eaI bills was one intended to confer on
counties where large herds of stock ara
wintered al opportunity to secure all
the take, on the stock wintercd within
their borders. The bili passed but up
on its heels followed another requiring
taxes ON live stock. ranged or herded
in two or more counties. to be distrib-
uteL among the counties according To
the time the stock should remain ~
them. One bill counteracted the other,
i, Is merely IA struggle tor advantage
among II number Of rival sections or
localities. There has nothing like u
state bride or state sentiment mani
tested itself since the session com
u,encet,. A chance to display state
spirit was afforded to the legislature
when the question Of tAvlng our state
represented at the Omaha Transmits
s,s-ippi Exposition was presented; but
Instead OF endeavoring to solve the
prub EN- and do the best that c,uld I've
done for Idaho in the matter inem-
bers from the agricultural counties
thought the miners of the country
would mon ,polize everything mining
county representatives believed The
"cow counties" would "hog the pot"
and 40 on the net result being that the
new state Of Idaho will not he officially
known ut the great Trans Mississippi
gathering. In this rs in some other
Things idaho seems to be entirely COM
panionless.
The great reform cry about r-'iuc-
tiun Of taxes has been heard in the
land for months but when measures
calculated to afford relief IN this direc-
tion are presented they are promptly
killed and the ''dear people" given
still further opportunity to enjoy the
theory Of reform without the practice
Of
TAXATION SHOULD BE EQuALIZED.
For the purpose of bringing about
some reiiet to the over -hur.lened farm
ers IA proposition to make mines yield
Ing over IS, 900 taxable, was made. but
1t was struck with IL palsy. Thus the
owners Of the Bunker Hill and SuIli-
van, the + risco and other mines Of the
Occur d. ienes are allowed to enjoy all
the protection accorded by the law
without contributing u cent OF taxes
on account of the property which pr"
duce their wealth; thus the alien own
err Of the famous De Lamar mines OF
Owyhee county can rest easy IN their
foreign homes and draw over haif Il
million Of net profits every year from
their properties without paying a
farshiug towards the expenses 1T gov
eminent IN Idaho. The people Of the
state can in this one illustration esti-
mate the true value Of reform preten'
si.u,s Aud yet n,ake-shift measures
Of reform are eagerly embraced When
y proposition I" temporarily ""stpont
the day III paying taxes comes up II
Is supported without consideration 81
the fact that spectators owning en,ln
~ aud state warrants laugh quietly t.
themselves. at being given the SAINT
extension Of tine To draw their pei
cent interest from the tax-payers 4
reduction In the number 1T useless otti
css IL the state was loudly heralded
but when, alter the proposition I" taA
miNe. hid been rejected, consideration
OF the abolition Of that useless append
ave, the Office Of State Mining Insrec
tor was askei almost every man wht
had is,sed us an apostle Of reform
roe IL righteous ,nlignat,"n and the
State Mining inspector still rngeth h
the land.
THEY LICENSE PKt SrITUTl0N.
The moral refOrmcr IN the Legislature
came to the rescue Ut the paop'e by
passing u law prohibiting gambling
ii r-tsaiing the pns.sioa| of our
stAtutss Tor the licensing Ut gaines, bu,
IT the same time fearing that too big a
dose Of this character might not he Ia
the liking of the people law was
passed legalix,ng prostitution" aud to
compensate for the loss OF revenue
caused by repeating the gambling
licrnse II il suggested that We now
gather n,,tney frnnl unfortunate women
by li,e,,sing prostitution. Another
measure far the promotion of good
morals is "a bin defining adultry aud
l.r-c,iling penalties. 1t II little am
Lip,,.,,,s in terms, hut MS 1t il entirely
,e.,