The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1906-11-02

since the first settlement in Fremont
county.
Soon after the state had selected thi.
body of valuable land, the board had
an opportunity to lease the tract to the
sheep men of Fremont county, who
had been using it free for years
Having personal knowledge Of
the range conditions in Idaho
insisted that if the lands were
leased, conditions on the range should
not be changed other than to keep ou'
foreign stock, which had not previous
ly used any part of this range. No such
lease has ever been written in the State
of Idaho before, as that made in FIRE.
mont county. All other portions as he
may see fit, but in the Fremont county
lease there is written agreement be-
tween the state and the lessor that the
later shall not fence any part of it for
any purpose; that he shall not disturb
in any way, any cattle or horses that
have ranged upon these lands, or in any
way modest the livestock-cattle and
horses-of settlers in that part of the
county.
1t is also written in the lease that the
state reserves the right to sell any por-
ton of these lands when such sales
are asked by parties wishing to make
homes.
Under the law the State Land Board
could have leased the entire body of
land to one individual. This they re-
fused to do, and only leased $40 acres
to any one party SO as to prevent a
monopoly. It is also written in the
lease that no transfer could be made
without the consent of the board. The
lessons of this grant have already paid
into the common schools of the state
about $4,000. A careful estimate of
the value of the land shows that il will
bring on the market in the near future
anywhere from $40 to $50 an acre.
The range has been divided among
the sheep men in proportion to the
number of sheep each man grazed on
these lands in 1905, so that there has not
been single condition changed on this
range since selected by the state. Cat
tie and horses Craze there without ex-
pense to the owners, and the sheep men
are bound by written agreement not to
modest them, or fence any spring on this
great tract.
MORMONISM NOT AN ISSUE.
The Eighth session of the leg
islature passed laws for the punish
ment of the crimes of polygamy and
adultery. Today no state in the Union
has better laws for the protection of
the home than Idaho. No man or set
OF men have right to say that there
are any crimes being committed against
the home in Idaho that cannot be pun
ished under the existing laws, until
at least an honest attempt has been
made to see if this is true. We have
in South Idaho what is known as the
six Mormon counties Bannock, Bing-
ham, Bear Lake, Oneida, Fremont and
Cassia. In those six counties from
thirty to eighty per cent of the people
are of the Mormon faith. The six
counties are in three judicial districts.
Two of the judges are Gentiles and
the third Mormon. To say that a
fair trial cannot be had in the counties
presided over by Judges Lyttleton PRICE
and ]. M. Stevens, who are eminent
jurists and men of high honor, is an
insult to our courts and our state. Judge
Bulge is of the Mormon faith, but it
can be said for him that he holds
the high esteem of all who know him,
and it is not fair to him to say that
a crime against the home cannot be
punished in the courts before an honest
effort has been made to that end.
u know Of no crimes againSt The honeu