Our Government: Local, State, and National: Idaho Edition Part 26

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THE GOVERNMENT

OF IDAHO

By

J.T. Worlton

Superintendent of Schools, Sugar City

Copyright, 1907, By

Charles Scribner's Sons

CONTENTS.

HISTORICAL FORM OF GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS OF GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS THE GOVERNMENT OF IDAHO.

HISTORICAL.

The country out of which Idaho was created, known as a part of the Oregon Country, was acquired by treaty with England in 1846. Long before this date, however, trappers, hunters, explorers, and st.u.r.dy pioneers had found their way across the Rocky Mountains into the fertile valleys drained by the tributaries of the Columbia.

The earliest white men in this region were undoubtedly the half-breed French-Canadian voyageurs and the trappers of the Hudson Bay Company, who opened the trails through all the great wilderness of the Pacific Northwest; but the honor of revealing to the world the first impressions of the natural beauty and boundless resources of this new country west of the Rockies rests with Lewis and Clark, who crossed the State on their voyage of exploration and discovery in August, 1805. They found the Indians in possession of articles of European manufacture which had been obtained from the trappers of the Hudson Bay Company.

The first white settlement in Idaho of which we have record was established in 1834 at Fort Hall, Bannock County. This fort was important in early Idaho history, being at the crossing of the Missouri-Oregon and the Utah-Canadian trails.

Fort Boise, established in 1836 near the junction of the Snake and Boise rivers, was a rendezvous for thousands of Indians, who gathered from all the country between the Pacific coast and the head waters of the Missouri River to trade and barter in horses, furs, and articles of adornment.

The discovery of gold in 1860 at a point on the Clear Water River in northern Idaho was followed by a vast immigration to that section; this led to the discovery of gold in other parts of the territory, and soon the placer mines in the vicinity of Boise and other places were developed.

The territory of Idaho, comprising what is now Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho, was organized by the Federal Government, March 3, 1863, and Lewiston was made the temporary capital of the territory.

The placer mines of the Boise Basin proved richer than those of the north, and the bulk of the population rapidly drifted southward. This s.h.i.+fting of population caused the removal of the State capital to its present location at Boise in 1864.

By an act of Congress creating the territories of Montana and Wyoming, Idaho was reduced to its present boundaries in 1868.

On July 3, 1890, Idaho pa.s.sed from a territorial form of government to that of a state, being the forty-third State to join the great Federal Union. Since that time her growth and development have been continuous and rapid.

Mining, lumbering, manufacturing, and agricultural pursuits are the princ.i.p.al resources of the State.

FORM OF GOVERNMENT.

The Const.i.tution of the State of Idaho, like those of the other states in the Union, is modeled after the Const.i.tution of the United States. It contains:

A Preamble, setting forth the purposes of the Const.i.tution.

A Declaration, called the Bill of Rights, containing twenty-one sections.

Provision for dividing the powers of government into three departments.

Articles relating to taxation, suffrage, public schools, corporations, militia, immigration, labor, amendments, and other public affairs.

Preamble.--"We, the people of the State of Idaho, grateful to Almighty G.o.d for our freedom, to secure its blessings and promote our common welfare, do establish this const.i.tution."

Declaration of Rights.--The Bill of Rights is a declaration of privileges retained by the people, which the departments of government are expressly prohibited from invading. The most important provisions in the Bill of Rights may be cla.s.sed under the following headings: democratic principles; personal security; private property; freedom of religion, speech, and of the press; and security against military tyranny.

Democratic Principles.--All men are equal before the law, and are protected in the enjoyment of life, property, and the pursuit of happiness.

All power is inherent in the people.

Personal Security.--The people have the right to bear arms for their safety and defense, but this privilege is regulated by appropriate legislation.

The people shall be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and other possessions against unreasonable searches and seizures.

There shall be no imprisonment for debt except in cases of fraud.

Private Property.--Private property shall not be taken for public use except a necessity therefore exists, and then only after just compensation has been paid.

Religion.--The free exercise and enjoyment of religious faith and wors.h.i.+p shall forever be guaranteed.