Idaho Constitutional Convention

Seal of the Idaho Territory

Date| July 4 to August 6, 1889
Location| Boise, Idaho
North America
Participants| see below
Outcome| Created Idaho Constitution

The Idaho Constitution Convention drafted the Idaho Constitution in 1889 in preparation for the Idaho Territory to become a U.S. state.

## History

[edit]

### Background

[edit]

On April 2, 1889, outgoing Territorial Governor Edward A. Stevenson, who had successfully prevented the territory from being absorbed by neighboring territories, issued a proclamation calling for an election to be held on June 3 of that year, to elect 72 delegates to a constitutional convention. On May 11, Stevenson's successor, George L. Shoup, issued a proclamation endorsing the convention, which was scheduled to meet on July 4 in Boise. Idaho, like its fellow statehood-seeking territory, Wyoming, was not the subject of an enabling act, as other statehood-seeking territories usually were before holding a constitutional convention. However, an enabling act for Idaho had been introduced in December 1888 by Oregon Senator John H. Mitchell, and its potential statehood was discussed over the remainder of the 50th Congress.[1]

### Proceedings

[edit]

The convention met as scheduled on July 4, 1889. John T. Morgan was elected temporary president while the convention organized and settled membership disputes. The following day, William H. Clagett was elected as permanent president of the convention. On July 8, the standing committees of the convention were assigned, and from then until July 17, the committees proceeded to write the bulk of what would eventually be adopted as the state constitution. From July 18 through August 5, the convention engaged in debate over the particulars of the constitution. On the twenty-eighth day of the convention, August 6, 1889, the constitution was approved by delegates by a vote of 51–0, and 64 of the 72 delegates (of whom one was deceased) proceeded to sign the constitution.[2][3]

### Approval of constitution

[edit]

On November 5, 1889, Idaho Territory voters approved of the new constitution by a margin of 12,398 to 1,773. North Idaho had the strongest returns for adoption, while central and southeast Idaho had the weakest returns for adoption, with southeast Idaho falling in between.[4] On July 3, 1890, President Benjamin Harrison signed the law admitting Idaho as the 43rd U.S. state.

County | Votes for adoption | Votes against adoption | Approval %

|
|
|

Ada | 1,331 | 443 | 75%
Alturas | 290 | 51 | 85%
Bear Lake[a] | 44 | 39 | 53%
Bingham | 716 | 171 | 81%
Boise | 539 | 80 | 87%
Cassia | 130 | 92 | 59%
Custer | 498 | 33 | 94%
Elmore | 795 | 26 | 97%
Idaho | 199 | 137 | 59%
Kootenai | 1,032 | 24 | 98%
Latah | 2,523 | 117 | 96%
Lemhi | 890 | 30 | 97%
Logan | 380 | 71 | 84%
Nez Perce | 112 | 103 | 52%
Oneida | 278 | 95 | 75%
Owyhee | 388 | 37 | 91%
Shoshone | 1,811 | 51 | 97%
Washington | 442 | 173 | 72%
Territory total | 12,398 | 1,773 | 87%

## List of delegates

[edit]

Delegate | Representing | Residence
[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] | Party
[14][15][16] | Signatory?
[17]

|
|
|
|

George Ainslie | Boise County | Idaho City | D | yes
W. C. B. Allen | Logan County | Shoshone | R | yes
Robert Anderson | Bingham County | Eagle Rock | D | yes
Norman I. Andrews | Lemhi County | Salmon | R | yes
Henry Armstrong | Logan County | Broadford | R | yes
James W. Ballantine | Alturas County | Muldoon | R | yes
Orlando B. Batten | Alturas County | Ketchum | D | yes
Frank W. Beane | Bingham County | Blackfoot | D | yes
James H. Beatty | Alturas County | Hailey | R | yes
A. D. Bevan | Shoshone County | Wardner | D | yes
Henry B. Blake | Latah County | Moscow | D | yes
John W. Brigham | Latah County | Moscow | R | yes
Fred Campbell | Boise County | Placerville | R | yes
Frank P. Cavanah | Elmore County | Rocky Bar | D | yes
A. S. Chaney | Latah County | Kendrick | D | yes
William H. Clagett | Shoshone County | Osburn | R | yes
Charles A. Clark | Ada County | Boise | D | yes
Isaac N. Coston | Ada County | Boise | D | yes
A. J. Crook | Custer County | Clayton | R | no
James I. Crutcher | Owyhee County | Silver City | D | yes
Stephen S. Glidden | Shoshone County | Burke | R | yes
John S. Gray | Ada County | Boise | R | yes
Albert Hagan | Kootenai County | Coeur d'Alene | D | no
William W. Hammell | Shoshone County | Wallace | R | yes
Hiram S. Hampton | Cassia County | Shoshone | R | yes
H. O. Harkness | Bingham County | McCammon | R | yes
Frank Harris | Washington County | Weiser | D | yes
Sol Hasbrouck | Washington County | Weiser | R | yes
Charles M. Hays | Owyhee County | Silver City | R | yes
Wilbur A. Hendryx | Kootenai County | Kootenai County | R | no
Weldon B. Heyburn | Shoshone County | Murray | R | yes
John Hogan | Lemhi County | Salmon | D | yes
J. M. Howe | Nez Perce County | Lewiston | R | yes
Edward S. Jewell | Washington County | Salubria | D | yes
George W. King | Shoshone County | Wallace | D | yes
Harry Kinport | Bingham County | Pocatello | D | yes
J. W. Lamoreaux | Cassia County | Albion | D | yes
John Lemp | Ada County | Boise | R | yes
John Lewis | Oneida County | Malad City | R | yes
W. C. Maxey | Ada County | Caldwell | R | yes
Alexander E. Mayhew | Shoshone County | Murray | D | yes
William J. McConnell | Latah County | Moscow | R | yes
Patrick McMahon | Alturas County | Ketchum | D | no
Henry Melder | Kootenai County | Rathdrum | R | yes
John T. Morgan | Bingham County | Blackfoot | R | yes
A. B. Moss | Ada County | Payette | R | yes
John H. Myer | Boise County | Placerville | D | yes
Thomas F. Nelson | Idaho County | Cottonwood | D | no
Aaron F. Parker | Idaho County | Grangeville | D | yes
P. J. Pefley | Ada County | Boise | D | no
A. J. Pierce | Custer County | Challis | D | yes
A. J. Pinkham | Alturas County | Ketchum | R | yes
James W. Poe | Nez Perce County | Lewiston | D | yes
Samuel J. Pritchard | Owyhee County | Silver City | R | yes
Thomas Pyeatt | Lemhi County | Salmon | R | yes
James W. Reid | Nez Perce County | Lewiston | D | yes
Warren D. Robbins | Latah County | Moscow | R | yes
O. J. Salisbury | Custer County | Bayhorse | R | no
W. H. Savidge | Bingham County | Pocatello | R | yes
James M. Shoup | Custer County | Challis | R | yes
August M. Sinnott | Elmore County | Glenns Ferry | R | yes
Drew W. Standrod | Oneida County | Malad City | D | yes
Frank Steunenberg | Ada County | Caldwell | D | yes
Homer Stull | Elmore County | Mountain Home | D | yes
Willis Sweet | Latah County | Moscow | R | yes
Samuel F. Taylor | Bingham County | Eagle Rock | D | yes
John L. Underwood | Bear Lake County | Montpelier | R | yes
Lycurgus Vineyard | Alturas County | Hailey | D | yes
James S. Whitton | Logan County | Bellevue | R | yes
Edgar Wilson | Ada County | Boise | R | yes
Charles A. Wood[b] | Lemhi County | Salmon | R | no
William W. Woods | Shoshone County | Murray | D | yes

## Committees

[edit]

Over the course of the convention, 37 committees were established. The Republican majority controlled most committees, including those that set the framework for the state government.[18][19]

Committee | Date established | Majority party | Majority members | Minority members

|
|
|
|

Credentials | July 4, 1889 | 56% D | Democrats: Crutcher, Poe, Cavanah, Standrod, Hagan | Republicans: Heyburn, Savidge, Shoup, Allen
Committee to receive the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs | July 4, 1889 | 60% R | Republicans: Sweet, Clagett, McConnell | Democrats: Beane, Ainslie
Committee to escort the President to the Chair | July 5, 1889 | 67% D | Democrats: Cavanah, Batten | Republican: Morgan
Committee on Committees | July 6, 1889 | 60% R | Republicans: Heyburn, Allen, Hays | Democrats: Standrod, Batten
Rules | July 6, 1889 | 60% R | Republicans: Shoup, Beatty, Morgan | Democrats: Reid, Mayhew
Committee to wait upon the Chief Justice | July 8, 1889 | 67% D | Democrats: Ainslie, King | Republican: McConnell
Ways and Means | July 8, 1889 | 50%–50% | Republicans: Hasbrouck, Wilson, Shoup | Democrats: Crutcher, Harris, Blake
Executive Department | July 8, 1889 | 57% R | Republicans: Gray, Savidge, Allen, Hampton | Democrats: Ainslie, Coston, Poe
Legislative Department | July 8, 1889 | 56% R | Republicans: Morgan, Pinkham, Robbins, Lewis, Glidden | Democrats: Blake, Pefley, Pierce, Stull
Judiciary | July 8, 1889 | 53% R | Republicans: Heyburn, Sweet, Beatty, Wilson, Howe, Hampton, Morgan, Savidge | Democrats: Mayhew, Ainslie, Woods, Reid, Stull (to July 16), Harris, Batten, Hagan (from July 16)
Preamble and Bill of Rights | July 8, 1889 | 50%–50% | Republicans: Shoup, Morgan, Hammell | Democrats: Standrod, Clark, Steunenberg
Names, Boundaries and Organization of Counties | July 8, 1889 | 60% D | Democrats: Reid, King, Jewell | Republicans: Crook, Hasbrouck
Seat of Government, Public Institutions, Buildings and Grounds | July 8, 1889 | 57% D | Democrats: Cavanah, Crutcher, Kinport, McMahon | Republicans: Gray, McConnell, Melder
Education, Schools, School and University Lands | July 8, 1889 | 56% R | Republicans: Shoup, Pinkham, Harkness, Armstrong, McConnell | Democrats: Batten, Chaney, Hogan, Bevan
Elections and Right of Suffrage | July 8, 1889 | 57% R | Republicans: Beatty, Salisbury, Heyburn, Hays | Democrats: Ainslie, Mayhew, Beane (to July 18), Hagan (from July 18)
Revenue and Finance | July 8, 1889 | 56% R | Republicans: Hays, Sweet, Hasbrouck, Crook, Glidden | Democrats: Blake, Hogan, Lamoreaux, Steunenberg
Legislative Apportionment | July 8, 1889 | 56% R (to July 20)
61% R (from July 20) | Republicans: Shoup, Underwood, Heyburn, Ballantine (to July 10), Pyeatt, Hendryx (to July 16), Whitton, Brigham (to July 31), Hays, Maxey, Pinkham (from July 10), Melder (from July 16), Sinnott (from July 20), Sweet (from July 31)  | Democrats: Myer, Kinport, Parker, Stull (to July 16), Poe, Lamoreaux, Standrod, Jewell, Cavanah (from July 16 to July 20)
Militia and Military Affairs | July 8, 1889 | 57% R | Republicans: Hammell, Pyeatt, Campbell, Pinkham | Democrats: Clark, Myer, Hogan
Public and Private Corporations | July 8, 1889 | 56% R | Republicans: Ballantine, Andrews, Savidge, Glidden, Pritchard | Democrats: Mayhew, Kinport, Chaney, Bevan
Federal Relations | July 8, 1889 | 60% R | Republicans: Sweet, Salisbury, Moss | Democrats: Nelson, Anderson
Municipal Corporations | July 8, 1889 | 56% D | Democrats: Woods, Hagan, Pierce, Pefley, Vineyard | Republicans: Beatty, Harkness, Crook, Wilson
Labor | July 8, 1889 | 56% R | Republicans: Armstrong, Sinnott, Howe, Heyburn, Robbins | Democrats: King, Lamoreaux, McMahon, Pefley
Schedule | July 8, 1889 | 56% R (to July 29)
56% D (from July 29) | Republicans: Gray, Sweet, Howe (to July 29), Savidge, Hampton | Democrats: Woods, Beane (to July 18), Blake, Vineyard, King (from July 18), Reid (from July 29)
Manufactures, Agriculture and Irrigation | July 8, 1889 | 56% D | Democrats: Stull (to July 16), Coston, Jewell, Beane (to July 17), Taylor, Cavanah (from July 16), Anderson (from July 17) | Republicans: Allen, McConnell, Harkness, Moss
Mines and Mining | July 8, 1889 | 56% D | Democrats: Crutcher, Cavanah, Bevan, King, Standrod | Republicans: Glidden, Ballantine, Salisbury, Hays
Live Stock | July 8, 1889 | 60% R | Republicans: Harkness, Underwood, Pyeatt | Democrats: Myer, Pierce
Printing and Binding | July 8, 1889 | 57% R | Republicans: Allen, Hays, Lemp, Sinnott | Democrats: Clark, Parker, Steunenberg
Revision and Enrollment | July 8, 1889 | 56% R | Republicans: Beatty, Hammell (to July 27), Morgan, Shoup, Howe, Sweet (from July 27) | Democrats: Hagan, Vineyard, Harris, Standrod
Salaries of Public Officers | July 8, 1889 | 60% D | Democrats: Poe, Coston, Reid | Republicans: Wilson, Hasbrouck
Public Indebtedness and Subsidies | July 8, 1889 | 60% D | Democrats: Hagan, Batten, Taylor | Republicans: McConnell, Harkness
Committee to escort the ladies of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union | July 9, 1889 | 100% D | Democrats: Pefley, Mayhew, Ainslie | —
Special Committee on Finance | July 18, 1889 | 100% R | Republicans: McConnell, Harkness, Lemp | —
Committee to receive the delegation of Members of Congress | July 20, 1889 | 50%–50% | Republicans: Hays, Clagett | Democrats: Ainslie, Reid
Engrossing | July 26, 1889 | 67% R | Republicans: Hasbrouck, Sweet | Democrat: Mayhew
Special Committee on Revision of the Minutes and Proceedings of the Convention | July 27, 1889 | 67% R | Republicans: Wilson, Moss | Democrat: Clark
Select Committee to draft Article VIII, Section 6 | July 30, 1889 | 60% D | Democrats: Ainslie, Reid, Mayhew | Republicans: Hays, Clagett
Address to the People | August 3, 1889 | 50%–50% | Republicans: Clagett, Pinkham, Hays, McConnell, Armstrong | Democrats: Ainslie, Reid, Taylor, Clark, Cavanah

## See also

[edit]

* Text of the Constitution of the State of Idaho, as approved by the convention in 1889
* Text of the Constitution of the State of Idaho, as amended as of 2017

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ County results were not officially returned.
2. ^ Died June 14, 1889, as a delegate-elect.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Hart, I. W., ed. (1912). Proceedings and Debates of the Constitutional Convention of Idaho 1889. Vol. 1\. p. III-X.
2. ^ Hart, I. W., ed. (1912). Proceedings and Debates of the Constitutional Convention of Idaho 1889. Vol. 1\. p. 1, 18, 64, 315.
3. ^ Hart, I. W., ed. (1912). Proceedings and Debates of the Constitutional Convention of Idaho 1889. Vol. 2\. p. 2037, 2090.
4. ^ "Official Vote: Adopting the Constitution". The Idaho Statesman. December 4, 1889.
5. ^ "Constitutional Convention List of Members". Territory of Idaho. August 6, 1889.
6. ^ "Shoshone Delegates". The Idaho Statesman. June 1, 1889.
7. ^ "Overland". The Idaho Statesman. July 4, 1889.
8. ^ "Overland". The Idaho Statesman. July 6, 1889.
9. ^ "The Wagon Road Bill". Idaho County Free Press. April 5, 1889.
10. ^ "Washington County Letter". Idaho Semi-Weekly World. May 3, 1889.
11. ^ "Personal". The Idaho Statesman. July 3, 1889.
12. ^ "Judge J. T. Morgan". The Ketchum Keystone. May 18, 1889.
13. ^ "Delegates Elected". Wood River Times. August 16, 1888.
14. ^ "Delegates to the Constitutional Convention". Idaho Semi-Weekly World. July 12, 1889.
15. ^ "Delegates to Constitutional Convention". Blackfoot News. June 15, 1889.
16. ^ "The Republican Convention". The Idaho Statesman. September 2, 1888.
17. ^ "Constitution of the State of Idaho". Territory of Idaho. August 6, 1889. p. 181-184.
18. ^ Hart, I. W., ed. (1912). Proceedings and Debates of the Constitutional Convention of Idaho 1889. Vol. 1\. p. 3-4, 19, 23, 33, 60, 64-70, 77, 84, 94, 163, 181, 203, 209, 518.
19. ^ Hart, I. W., ed. (1912). Proceedings and Debates of the Constitutional Convention of Idaho 1889. Vol. 2\. p. 1058, 1272, 1275-1276, 1279, 1284, 1493, 1896, 2096.