John N. Irwin - Idaho Territory

Idaho Territory

Following the removal of John Baldwin Neil, Irwin was nominated as Governor of Idaho Territory by President Chester A. Arthur and commissioned on March 5, 1883. Arriving in the territory in April, he took a brief tour with Theodore F. Singiser before returning to Keokuk to handle personal business and prepare his family to move to the territory. At the end of a 60-day leave, he requested and received a 60-day extension. In August, news reached Idaho that Irwin had developed problems with his eyes. By October, the new governor was expressing his desire to soon return to his duties while at the same time expecting to undergo surgery to correct the problem with his eyes. Citing "personal reasons", Irwin submitted his resignation on December 20, 1883. During his tenure of over nine months as governor, he had spent less than one month in the territory.

An unusual aspect of his tenure was Irwin returning most of his salary, claiming he could not in good conscience accept the unearned pay. This action received widespread newspaper results due to its rarity – most political appointees of the day took all monies they could collect without question. It also created a problem for the Treasury Department which was unsure how to handle the situation. They initially attempted to place the returned money in the Conscience Fund, but this resulted in a protest from Irwin who did not wish the returned salary to be associated with monies returned by guilt-ridden criminals. The returned funds were eventually credited to the public debt.