Show m IELAYL STATEHOOD The St Louis GlolicDcmucrat says Idaho has a population of about one hundred thousandperhaps less than that Until the population reaches the 172000 required re-quired in big states for each Representative Representa-tive in the popular branch of Congress there will hardly be much chance for its admission to statehood Still as immigration immigra-tion is probably active that limit may breached b-reached in two or three years It is not at all encouraging to our enterprising and ambitious neighbor on the north to be thus slightingly disposed of by the great Repub lican daily of the southwest But there is something else than lack of population which will prevent the admission to the union of Idaho It is the lack of republican principles in the people It is proposed to formulate a constitution based on other than republican ideas and which would permit per-mit of other than republican government The scheme is to disfranchise a large number num-ber of citizens on religious grounds denying deny-ing to them the right to vote or hold ofiie refusing them a voice in the affairs of goy eminent H treating them as aliens ani criminals without accusing them of crime or charging them with any offense which can be heard in a court of justice It will be this proceeding more than a shortage of people which will deny the admission of the territory The American Congress is not yet prepared to say that an unAmerican unrcpublican community is qualified to be clothed with the responsibilities the duties and the privileges of statehood and when our neighbors go to Washington with their constitution and ask to be let into the union they will be told to go back home and study the constitution of the Lnited States They will be further informed in-formed that when they have learned the full meaning of that sacred instrument and are prepared to obey it and live in harmony har-mony with its provisions and requirements they may return and solicit recognition as people who can be trusted with the privileges leges and responsibilities of selfgoven meat Meantime the present statehood movement move-ment in Idaho is a foolish waste of time energy and money It is really delaying the admission of the territory for the coming com-ing constitutional convention is preparing to do that which will excite the suspicion of Congressmen and force the communit to prove by years of repentance that they are not the unrepublican people that they arc about to stamp themselves |