Show territorial AFFAIRS FR FROM 0 31 a p pamphlet containing be re marks of hon bichard richard C mccormick of arizona in the house of last session I 1 discover mr speaker in ill lil all that has been said in this discussion no just cause for a refusal to clothe tile the territory territory of colorado with the dignity and rights of a sovereign state if congress would treat her citizens as our fathers would have treated them if our system of government ia Is to be adhered to the simple au question e st conof of population cannot be made the lest test in the admission of new states although b by such test colorado has a claim which many luany of the tiie states did not have when admitted I 1 propose however how hou ever but a word upon this bill and that in support ot of a point made yesterday by the gentleman from nebraska mr hafle the chairman of the committee on the territories among other things that gentleman said it itis Is an alarming proposition that men are to go west and help build up and add to the material mour rc bOurLes ces ot of the coun country without having baving any auy representation whatever dere kere here or in the other branch ot of congress it is indeed an alarming proposition that hundreds of thou thousands an s of our citizens should be deprived of the right of a voting representation in congress for any cause and my wonder is that the fact has excited so little attention throughout the country and been so patiently borne by those directly interested it would be but reasonable to suppose that the men who carry the national alaf flag to the frontier who W ho overcome t the c hostile savage who occupy and redeem the distant parts of the public domain and whose achievements in the tile best interests of peace and material prosperity ty are the boast of our free vii VOI government t should at least enjoy all the privileges accorded to other citizens of the republic not only have these men under our present laws no vote in the presidential ident iden ial thil election although it is q ver ever a it matter of as much interest t to them as to any of the citizens of the tiie republic not only are they without a voting representation in in both houses of congress although paying their full proportion of federal taxation but they are treated with a systematic neglect and absolute indifference by congress for which there can be no excuse so profoundly unconcerned is the average member of congress upon all that relates to the territories that if he be speaks of them at all it is only to blunder as to their loca Icca locality lity area resources capabilities I 1 ij kopul population aa or needs inga anga and any lady apropo proposition for the tile admission as states of te territories ari even as populous as colorado utah or new mexico is denounced by him as preposterous however strong the arguments presented in its support gentlemen constantly overlook the fact as in the present resent discussion that through trie the very neglect of congress the tilo territories have no fair opportunity to rapidly make that substantial progress which is demanded as the evidence of their claim to admission as states The tile Federal fedell laws now in force deprive them of many important imports ant i lights and belie belle benefits fits and of the independent action guaranteed to the states if they are afe not to be admitted to the union as one by one they present what have hitherto been accounted reasonable claims then congress should in my judgment enact some law or an amendment to the constitution if required by v which inch the territories together as a unit may be formed into a state or states 1 tates with a formality at least sufficient to give them that potent voice in this his house and in the senate which alone will command for them the consideration their enterprising people deserve and their necessities absolutely demand which will M insure to the men of the frontier their full share of f government aid pi protection election and favor and 1 put ut them wham whereby by eve eye every ry alighi right light 1 they belon belong fi 3 upon an equal root foot footing I 1 ig with th their r brethren who wilo have preferred to remain in the luxurious ease and security of the old states slates and in blissful ignorance of the liard ilard hardships shi S tiie the privations vatious and the perils which alich beet beset the pathway of tie the pioneer if ti time me w would ouid allow I 1 might pile fact upon fact to illustrate and I 1 should like to how very little attention the territories with their varied and important interests now receive at the tile hands of congress together they tiley have an area greater by far than that of the tilo thir teen original states and today to day they have a population of more than half a million an active industrious dust rious aggressive resolute taxpaying bayly population possessing I 1 hazard aza not nothing hing in saying more truly heroic traits 0 of f democratic vigor simplicity and find patriotism than any population of 0 equal size in the broad world yet a most reasonable proposition ro p W ion lon of mine made more tra than n a year since that one day in each month should be set apart by this house for the consideration of territorial amm aff mairs affair still slumbers in the indifferent hands of the tile committee to which it was re ferreld ferria A proposal to place the territorial representatives upon certain committees has resulted in their admission to one only while there are a half score of committees for the particular duties of which they are by familiarity with western interests and wants especially qualified it is true that by dy orga organization atlon and united action the delegates have of late becu secured red more legislation in the interests of the territories than ever before but what they have obtained is but as a drop in the bucket to what is needed the eloquent gentleman fromnes fro m new york mr E H robertsa Robert roberts sj in his speech of the instant concluded his argument against the admission of colorado with this reference to local rule in ilic the tho territories the real aim of the territories is not control in the senate senal 0 of the united states but local self government all that the people of the territories seek is the right to choose thel their r own 0 officials and the repeal of the power of review by congress over their territorial laws this is well enough and there are good reasons why local self government should be permitted but my observation on this p point and I 1 think it has been quite as extended as that of the gentleman from new york does not prove to me that the real aim of the people of the territories ri is local self government however much they may desire that I 1 assure him they attach greater importance if the territories are to be kept territories to securing in some way a power and influence in congles Con gres enot thereby to infringe or trespass upon the rights of any one but simply to be ably promptly and adequately to secure the official care and consideration tion to which they are entitled upon which they must bo be d dependant and for the want of which their dearest dearee A interests as american citizens are now too often imperiled |