400 



IDAHO. 



a canal is nearly finished that will reclaim between 

 40,000 and 50,000 acres. In Cassia county (along the 

 south side of the Snake river), Raft river, Goose 

 creek, and many smaller streams are owned entirely 

 by the Mormons and used by them for irrigation pur- 

 poses. At Shoshone, in Alturas county, twenty-five 

 miles north of Snake river, Little Wood river has 

 been turned on the desert, and a thriving town with 

 its outlying farms has grown and is growing, where 

 but two short years ago was a sage-brush-covered, 

 desert plain. In the Bruneau valley 60,000 acres are 

 already under cultivation, and a canal has been start- 

 ed to cover from 25,000 to 30,000 acres more. In 

 Wood river valley a canal has been constructed and 

 irrigates over 20,000 acres, while below these now 

 fruitful acres lie 50,000 acre's that will shortly be cov- 

 ered with water and cultivated. The Idaho Mining 

 and Irrigation Company of New York is constructing 

 a canal with a capacity of 4,000 cubic feet of water per 

 second, which takes the waters of the Boise" about 

 seventy-five miles above its confluence with Snake 

 river. This canal will irrigate and reclaim about 600,- 

 000 acres of land on the north side of Snake river and 

 south of Boise City. On Payette river two canals are 

 nearly completed that will cover about 50,000 acres, 

 while a third is contemplated that will reclaim 30,- 

 000 acres more. On the Weiser about 75,000 acres are 

 being brought under irrigating ditches, there being 

 three or four different canals now building. In ad- 

 dition to the above, a plan is maturing to take the 

 waters of Snake river and reclaim nearly 2,000,000 

 acres of valley land. 



Mormonism. On this vexed subject, which is 

 becoming involved in the politics of the Terri- 

 tory, the Governor expresses his views with 

 great emphasis : 



The question of polygamy has grown to such gi- 

 gantic and monstrous proportions as actually to over- 

 shadow our present and imperil our future as a Com- 

 monwealth. With Utah on the southern borders of 

 Idaho, crowdod with Mormons, the passes through 

 the Owyhee mountains at hand and inviting immi- 

 gration, swarms of the faith of filth thronged through 

 the passes, pre-empted the land, founded villages, 

 erected temples of idolatry, and have since lived in 

 defiance of all law, except the canons of the Mormon 

 Church and the direct commands of the apostles of 

 lechery. Their numbers arc so considerable, their or- 

 ganization so close, and their obedience to the com- 

 mands of church so servile, that they are able, by 

 alliance with one of the political parties of the Terri- 

 tory, to thwart justice, warp judgment, and control 

 legislation to the extent of preventing the passage of 

 any laws that would interfere with their fecund and 

 feculent institution. I feel that in the near future this 

 polluting thing must be checked, the barbarous and 

 blasphemous practices and tenets eradicated, uprooted 

 entirely, or the destiny of this great and rich public 

 domain will be periled beyond bloodless redemption. 

 All this Territory asks is, that the line be drawn at 

 the forty-second parallel, beyond which no polyga- 

 mous Mormonism may exist, where one wife shall 

 content one man, and both man and wife shall ac- 

 knowledge allegiance to the laws of the land first and 

 of the church afterward. 



Political. The Republican Territorial Con- 

 vention met in Bois6 City on September 11, 

 and nominated Theodore F. Singiser for re- 

 election as delegate to Congress. The follow- 

 ing are among the resolutions passed : 



That we view with concern and alarm the com- 

 bined, organized, and constantly increasing encroach- 

 ments upon our Territory of the herd of foreigners 

 under the auspices and commands of the Mormon 

 Church in Utah. That already the Mormon Church 

 has control of three counties 'in Idaho. That their 

 power is daily increasing, and that unless a firm and 



united stand is taken and radical measures adopted 

 by all of our citizens, irrespective of party alliances, 

 the day is not far distant when our fair and prosper- 

 ous Territory will be under the control of the alien 

 and hostile element now wielding complete sway over 

 the Territory of Utah. That ttie Democratic party, 

 by their fawning upon this element for their political 

 support, are alone responsible for the power already 

 exercised by the Mormon Church in Idaho. 



That it is the sentiment of the Republican party of 

 Idaho that there should be a reapportionment of rep- 

 resentation in the Legislature, based upon our present 

 population, and we charge that the Mormon Democ- 

 racy of Idaho, in its efforts to preserve the Mormon 

 power in our Legislature, and deprive the chief anti- 

 Mormon county in the Territory of a just representa- 

 tion, is responsible for the failure to reapportion the 

 Territory according to a just and equitable standard. 



That the wishes of the people of northern Idaho in 

 regard to annexation to Washington Territory should 

 be faithfully and justly represented. It is a question 

 of local importance with the people of that section, and 

 demands recognition and support in proportion to the 

 unanimity of their expression on that subject. 



The Democratic Territorial Convention met 

 at the same place, September 12, and nomi- 

 nated John Hailey for delegate. Anti-Mormon 

 resolutions were laid on the table. The elec- 

 tion on the 4th of November resulted in the 

 choice of Hailey. The vote was as follows : 

 Democratic, 6,992; Republican, 6,206; scat- 

 tering, 90. The vote in 1882 was : Republican, 

 7,183; Democratic, 4,035; scattering, 10. 



Legislature. The Legislature of 1884-'85 met 

 on December 8, and was in session at the close 

 of the year. It is politically constituted as fol- 

 lows: 



The Anti-Mormons act with the Republicans. 

 The most important law passed before the end 

 of the year was one directed against Mormons, 

 requiring county and precinct officers, before 

 entering upon the discharge of their duties, to 

 give bond with two or more sureties in con- 

 siderable sums for the faithful discharge of 

 their official duties, and to take and subscribe 

 the following oath, to wit: 



I do solemnly swear that I am a male citizen of the 

 United States over the age of twenty-one years. That 

 I had actually resided in Idaho Territory "for a period 

 of four months and in- this county thirty days next 

 preceding the date of my election (or appointment). 

 That I am not a member of any order, sect, or organ- 

 ization which teaches, advises, or encourages the prac- 

 tice of bigamy or polygamy or any other crime defined 

 by law, as a duty or privilege resulting or arising from 

 the faith or practice of such order, sect, or organiza- 

 tion ; or that teaches, counsels, encourages, or advises 

 any person or persons to commit the crime of bigamy, 

 or polygamy, or any other crime defined by law, as a 

 religious duty. That I am not a bigamist or a polyg- 

 amist. That I do not cohabit with any wman not 

 my lawful wife. That I do not either publicly or 

 privately teach, counsel, encourage, or advise 'any 

 person or persons to enter into bigamous or polyg- 

 amous relations, or into the relation known as " plu- 

 ral or celestial marriage." That I regard the Con- 

 stitution of the United States and the laws thereof and 

 of this Territory, as interpreted by the courts, as the 



