Show I PRIDE OF THE WEST Statehood and Mormonism the Idaho Problems THE INFAMOUS TEST OATH LAW The Schemes For County Division and How they Are Worked General Notes of Interest BOISE CITY Idaho January 101889 Special Correspondence of THE i HKBALDJ la a previous letter your correspondent mentioned the faot that several high license bills had been introduced in-troduced i in tha House There was very little difference between them The object of the authors of all save the first was no doubt to claim the paternity pater-nity of the bill reported by the committee com-mittee whatever it may be and if it should pass it will not want for fathers as each who offers an enactment bearing bear-ing on the temperance issue will claim the chicken after it is hatched The House committee have been holding meetings nightly and on Monday evening even-ing the five Boise preachers addressed tnem The liquor dealers had done so the previous week D P B Pride the great Sanhedrim of the Republican party in Idaho was called upon for s speech on Monday evening HA said but little and it was to the effect that his mind was entirely engrossed in matters having reference to the Statehood State-hood of Idaho He believed his mission in this world to be to bring such a desira able state of affairs about under a constitution con-stitution embodying the principles of the test oath law When all this was done he could bend his energies to the accomplishment of OTHER GREAT MOBAL REFORMS which were occupying his mind but he considered Statehood and the wiping out of the Mormon issue in Idaho the questions of the hour and paramount to all others The committee have not yet reported but will probably continue con-tinue the present series of meetings and hear arguments pro and con as long as orators will present themselves In the meantime many Republicans are moving heaven and earth to compose a defeat of the measure and unreservedly declare that if it passes it will ruin the party in Idaho Tney say it will not only array the liquor influence against them but that their enemies will stigmatize the Republican I organization as Puritanic blue stockings stock-ings and point to the fact that the first Republican Legislature Idaho ever had was also the first to create sumptuary laws The Democrats are saying nothing Their enemies have an almost unanimous Legislature are alone responsible for its acts and the former looks ou with more of curiosity than concern There is I NOTHING SO DANGEROUS as power particularly in the hands of those who are not accustomed to its exercise ex-ercise The story not a new one but apt of the negro captain of a military company upon the island of Hayti who drilled the troops under his command in the presence of some American officers offi-cers and after doing so asked their opinion as to the discipline his men had acquired After the reply had Been made in terms of commendation the captain walked deliberately up to one of the privates and knocked him down with his fist What did you do that for was asked To show my authority was the reply Those who have closely watched the acts of Idahos representatives in the Assembly during the present session ses-sion will be quite certain to conclude that they have in many cases been actuated ac-tuated by no higher motive than the negro military commandant THE BILL FOB A BEAPPOBTIONMEHT of the Territory will pass as the Republicans Repub-licans wish it and no matter what the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States may be in relation to the constitutionality ot the test oath law the great mass of the people of Southeastern Idaho will remain re-main prastically disfranchised We car see no help for it for during a term of years There is no possibility of obtaining ob-taining justice at Washington and nc hope of it with a disfranchised people But when thieves fall out honest mer get their dues and the seeds of dissension dis-sension are sown and are taking deep root in the Republican party of Idaho The various bills providing for chi naturalization of Mormons in Idaho after the lapse of years from the time they apostatize have not been reportec upon Like the Cid in Byrons Corsair I And I have pondered and i ponder still On pangs that longest rack and latest kill All the venom of the Republican will be embodied in the provisions of this act when reported and it is probable that they will go so far in their madness that no court in the land can follow them however personally they might feel disposed to do so THE LONGEST BILL of the session was introduced Monday by McPherson of Alturas It overhauls over-hauls the entire school law and will make at least forty bill pages when printed It would be impossible to give your readers an idea of provisions within the limits of a letter If it should pass the Council and is likely to become the law it will be time enough to give some of its most important provisions pro-visions An effort is being made to have a wagon road constructed by the Terri tory from Mount Idaho in Idaho bounty to Little Salmon Meadows in Washington Territory The political stock in trade of the Nez Perces and jatah people who favor territorial d vision and annexation of the severed part to Washington has been that there was no means of communication between the north and south of Idaho save by going through Washington and Oregon at the same time they have opposed the making of such lines of communication so as to preserve their argument The annexation scheme is now generally considered as dead and it Is probable that the road will be built Southern Idaho has always al-ways been favorable particularly the country west of the Sawtooth range I If you want to see the average Idahoan Ida-hoan HGET UP AND HOWL talk in opposition to one of his pat schemed for county division Wash in ton has one Alturas three Custer one Bingham one Ada one and large number of counties yet to hear from Never was there a people so greedy for territory particularly the Alturas people peo-ple who have expended several thousand thou-sand dollars during the past summer in running lines upon its boundaries so Bf to take in if possible parts of Boise and other outlying counties They forget that Extended empire like expanded gold Exchanges solid strength for feeble splendor And whether it be desart or snowcapped icon taint it matters not but is graspe 1 with eager hand Those division questions have been a fruitful source of corruption and many a thousand dollars have found their way INTO THE POCKETS of Idaho legislators ere this when this class of bills came up They do not make their appearance until towards the last cf the session It would cost too much to introduce tnem at an earlier period No railroad bill has been introduced as yet with the excretion of Badleys compelling them to fence where running through cultivated fields We are told that G000 was placed in the hands of a member two years ago to defeat the freight and passenger bill to which a majority of members were pledged before its introduction and that the honorable succeeded to the satisfaction of the road keeping one half the treasure himself The money outlook is not very favorable this year The railroads have placed many members mem-bers under obligations on account of the junketing trip and yearly passes and rear no infringment on their prerogatives preroga-tives while the general depression on Wood River and other points where county division affects has made money scarce and hard to get It is rather AN UNFORTUNATE STATE OF AFFAIRS for some of the boys in the assembly who are serving their country but there seems to be no help for it Guns were fired at the barracks on Monday last on account of its being the anniversary of the battle of New Orleans Or-leans The amount of ice put up here this season is very large and is the finest crop that has been gathered for a longtime long-time being very clear and free from snow Bus |