Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1917-02-23

on the same platform by 0OU majority.
g In the next campaign, of 1884, Mr. Sing
User was again the republican candidate for
delegate in congress, running on the same
platform, the democratic nominee being Hon.
John Haley, who was elected by majority l
exceeding 500. In that campaign, 1884, both 1
political parties inserted annexation planks in 4
their platforms The republican convention 4
met first in Boise. The annexation plank i
was introduced by a carpet bag official of the |
United States land office at Lewiston. 1t was
a bald bid inserted for northern votes and /
was knowingly inserted as such. The demo !
cratic convention met few days later, outbid
the republicans with stronger annexation I
plank and nominated my venerable friend, /
Hon. John HALEY for delegate in congress.
This was also a presidential campaign, the
year Of Cleveland IS first election, and the car
pet bag officials made unusually strenuous
efforts on behalf of Singiser. The campaign
was red hot In Lewiston, where then re
sided, carpet bag United States judge of
that judicial district adjourned his court,
then sitting and stumped the northern coun-
ties, making bloody shirt speeches for the
election of republican candidates These
speeches, supplemented by variety of col
lateral facts, opened the eyes of the people
nexation was political scheme devised to
elect republican congressman from Idaho.
The vote of. the northern counties, divided on
political lines, and Uncle John HALEY was
triumphantly elected.
''The name of John Haley is a synonym
for honesty. In his campaign he told the peo-
| pie that if elected he would stand by the an
nexation plank in his party platform. How
we'll he did it, let the fact that he secured
the passage of the annexation bill through the
lower house of congress attest That bill pas
sed in February, 1866, after also passing the
senate in the last few days of the session, and
, was killed by pocket veto. President Cleve7
land having declined to sign it within ten
days of it's passage.
lin speaking on the annexation bill in the
national house of representatives, Mr.. Hail
ey's remarks we're almost prophetic Allud-
ing to the number of letters and kilograms
| which poured in upon him at that time from
citizens of northern Idaho, urging to with
draw the bill, Mr.. Haley said:
'a'Igave them due notice that if that Can
nexation) plank was inserted in the platform
and they nominated me, that if elected I
would try to give that portion of Idaho away
to Washington territory. now propose to
keep good the pledges made by my party and
myself by trying to have them annexed to
Washington territory. They have expressed
desire to go to Washington and | do not
propose to keep them from going. They have
been very troublesome. hope the bill viii
pass to annex them. It has been clearly I'M
| derstood that the people of those counties
wanted to be annexed to Washington terri
| tory Nov at this late date some Of
| these northern counties are kicking about it,
when they find they really can be annexed to
Washington territory, and they do not want
it nearly so bad as they thought they did, and
for that reason they send here and oppose the
passage of the bill which proposes to give
them the very thing they have been asking
for, and therefore insist upon the passage
of the BILL
/ "This annexation bill passed the house
of representatives Feb. "a, 1886, and went to
the senate. In November, 1886, Mr.. HALEY
stood for election against Fred T. Dubois,
running on the republican ticket as an avow-
ed anti-annexation candidate and Mr.. HALEY
was defeated. From that time nothing has
been heard of the annexation movement I'M
til the present legislative session tried to in
ject the serum of life into dead issue.
/ I'm that campaign of 1884, Washington
territory was represented by Hon. Charles
| s. Voorhees,, a son of Senator Dan Voorhees,
of Indiana, better known as the "tall syca-
more of the Wabash" His influence secured
the passage of the annexation measure thru
the senate At that time maintained very
voluminous correspondence with the late Sen
ator George Hearst of California, and was for