The Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1903-1909, 1908-04-04
CONTINUED FROM LAST ISSUE |
CHAPTER ".

The Fifteenth session, which wa
the last session OF the Territorial
legislature, convt ned in Boise il
the early part of Deem Der, 1888
and in the beginning it looked a
though the cause in Elmore coun
ty would once more be a failure
and that the coming of the ney
county would be deferred for an
other two years. The Haileyites
regardless of party politics, were {
unit against the division OF thu
county, and had both men anc
money in the lobby, bent on nip
ping the proposition in the bud
The ablest wire pullers, not only Of
HALEY and Ketchum but also oil
Boise, bent on their purpose, as.
sembled about the capitol building
as we'll as in the hotels and bar.
rooms, lying in wait for every
member of the Legislature.
In the organization Of the legis-
lature the Alturas delegation cap.
tured the speakership Of ths House
in the election of II. q. Burkhart
of HALEY as its presiding officer.
In addition to this they captured
some OF the best legislative jobs for
their henchmen. In the Council,
or upper branch OF the Legislature,
they captured the presidency for
John P. Clough of Lemhi, who had
arrayed himself on their side, and
now, having secured the presidency
of the Council and the speakership
OF the House, like veterans in the
parliamentary field, they laid out
their plane with skill, tact and d.
plomacy. Every advantage al
lowed by parliamentary rules was
heard, considered and fully under.
stood, and persuasion. coercion and
bribery in the cause became the or.
der OF the day. Sack after sack
for the purpose of defeating the
measure by corruption, was passed
along to tempt the cupidity OF the
avaricious members, and promises
of all kinds of rewards in the shape
OF political favors were made to the
ambitious in order that the designs
of the ring should be accomplished
But, as the old Scotch proverb says:
1.-THE best laid plans of men and
mice oft gang aglee," SO did all the
ingenuity, fair and unfair, of the
anti-divisionists prove of no avail,
as the sequel will show.
The new year of 1899 rolled in
boding dark and evil days for old J
Alturas, the empire county" The
existence of a debt, both bonded
and floating, of nearly quarter of
a million dollars hanging over AL
turas county, over three fourths OF
which was incurred for Hailey's
benefit, had already set many leg.
islators from other parts of the Ter
ritory to careful consideration OF
the case and favorable to the divis. {
ion bill. c
e. G. Helfrich, G. r. Shaw, d. B.
Ethel, DR.. w. +. Smith and Jake i
Reeser were on the ground, and a
heir efforts among the members of
both houses ia the interest of the
division bill were untiring and in t
lefatigable, particularly those of b
delfrich, Shaw and Smith, who re- p
NAMED at their posts night and 6
md day, from the begin ming to the &
lose of the session, ably counter. t
citing the influence and the wiles o
+ the anti. division forces. Il
The bill for the creation OF El. 81
nore county was introduced in the h
House by Hon. d. L. Bailey Of W
'sldwell, then in Ada county, in
he early part of the seseion, and u
eing read, was, in accordance with je
be usual routine, sent to the com. to
littee on counties and county or az
anization. While in the hands OF FL
nis committee the bill disappeared, III
nd in the hope of effectually de. ga
Lroying the movement a substi. vi
ute bill was prepared by the Hal so
~ clique and introduced for the tn
reation of Logan and Gilmore as
|