| Show STATEHOOD CLAIM 1 it to 10 the habit of the residents of a territory to rail at the territorial system this habit is coonfi confined nod to no class being indulged in by citizens general I 1 ly 1 irrespective of party or conditions the h 11 1 exceptions to the rule are those who hold bold the federal offices and those these who profit in some manner by the an ex nt nor to tent restricted to a single territory li it embraces all the people of all the dependencies it was as vociferous in colorado a few as it is in arizona today it is no more pronounced edin in utah than in now new mexico ex abt that bat in the former there are more people hence the proportionately greater discontent the antagonism asserts itself with the organization of the territory and increases la in intensity with the years and the growth ot of the population the become louder because there are more people to complain I 1 sometimes Bome times think that perhaps we of the territories are so accustomed to quarreling with ther the territorial system that we do not dot stop to consider that the originators of the scheme devised what is probably as an wise and good a plan as could be arranged in ia our knowledge that the territorial government is un on american in principle and is openly and defiantly in practice it may may be that chat we forget all else and blind our intelligence to the fact that the aim of the abu founders aders of the system was humanitarian and nd charitable manifestly the theory is ie that during the period of their infancy while they are lacking in population and wanting in the wealthy wealth ame necessary essary to establish and carry on an a state government the as the parent guardian ga ardian and protector shall assist the weak community not dot with its moral influence merely but with material aid that it shall take under its parental oars care the few who are unable to stand alone or to walk providing them a government and paying that proportion of the expenses which the people themselves cannot contribute without suffering buffering deprivation and hardship THEORY AND PRACTICE this I 1 say is the theory and would undoubtedly be oftener taken into account were it not that the practice is accompanied by so much oppression and such utter disregard of the rights of american citizens As an a rule our officials official are sent neat to us ui from distant states and it Is rare that the they atness are chosen with reference to their heir fitness for the duties to be performed they are not acquainted with our people are seldom in sympathy ayo apathy with them and I 1 regret to say it they sometimes pose almost as the representatives of a foreign power acting as it if they regarded themselves as rulers and officials sent to govern a subject province it if the people of the territories have lost loat might eight of one feature of the theory of our territorial system may it not with equal truth be said that the nation itself has forgotten or at least ignores another sod and very important fe feature aturo which is that it was intended the territorial government should be temporary continuing only until the time when the conditions are such euch as to warrant the erection of the community into a state can anybody name a territory which was admitted 0 fo o the union at that precise period will somebody mention a state the sole motive for admitting which to the union was wait congress that hor her people had become sufficiently numerous and wealthy enough to maintain a stable government without the aid of the nation it if this had been the rule some of the territories wo would 1 uld have been states long years before they were admitted and way may I 1 also alao say that some of the present states would yet be in the condition of territorial serfdom but let jet me speak directly ot of ray my own territory of utah I 1 am not going to quarrel with anybody because it was not admitted a quarter of a century ago when it possessed all the qualifications for statehood nor am I 1 going to find fault because so many of her neighbors and sister dependencies have havo been taken into the union while she sh with more population greater wealth as aa high culture and with as am much loyalty and patriotism as the best efthem of them has been denied enfranchisement chloo chi ment UTAH SHOULD BE BB ADMITTED I 1 will simply congratulate the neigh or and sister dependencies I 1 do loist inist now dow however that utah should be admitted it IL has baa been urged an an excuse for denying emancipation to utah that cartall objectionable conditions existed ex feted in the tha territory which must be changed as a condition precedent to admission admi aalon to the union what thoe tho e conditions were it atia is unnecessary for me to detail here beyond saying they referred to the braice of polygamy by a portion of the people and to the alleged domination of the state by a church the members of which embrace a large percentage of the population whether or not those allegations jerewell rewell we were well foun founded dedis is nota not a matter for present discussion it la in sufficient to assert wrt which I 1 do with emphasis that however much truth there may have been in the cry in times gone by there la Is absolutely nothing in it today nor has baa there been anything in it for fully three years for some time previous to 1990 polygamous marriages marriage had be come fessand les sand lose lees frequent and in the year named the mormon church in the most solemn and effective manner possible declared against further plural marriages marriage si how sincere and honest they were in that declaration is demonstrated by the records of the federal courts in the territory which do not show the indictment of a single mormon for contracting a plural marriage within the period NO IN politics As to the other charge that the church controls in politics and the territory to Is therefore under an un on Ame american rule as to local affairs I 1 assume that the public is reason reasonably aby familiar with the emphatic denials of f the church author authorities lUes that they have the right or the desire to dictate in politics and also with our recent election campaigns and party oon contests tests I 1 may however with p propriety refer to the election last N november for delegate to congress on oa one ticket the democratic was the name of a well known and influential gentile while the republican clr aspirant a antto to the delegates delegate Is seat best was not only a mormon but the son of a prominent official of the cvarch ci aroh the conventions vent ions ione were composed of both classes of 0 citizens if we may be allowed to divide people into religious classes when talking of politics the campaign was most moat spirited prominent mormons cormons and leading gentiles being arrayed on either side and when the votes were canvassed it was found that the gentile bad been elected and of course largely by mormon votes I 1 claim and am seconded and supported in this by all the intelligent unprejudiced people in the territory that the demonstration of american ism in utah has been full and corn and should be accepted as satisfactory by congress and the nation and this being true there can no longer be presented a reasonable ex cuse for denying admission to the union or depriving us of our rights and privileges as aa american citizens beyond the time it will take to secure them by the speediest ediest possible poe gible process but one or two of all the territories at the time of their admission had bad population equal to that of utah today OF UTAH her people are chiefly they are almost exclusively permanent residents the floating element such as is attracted by booms boome and spasmodic excitements excite ments of a becu dative character comprising but a small percentage of the whole the taxable property is greater in the aggregate te and per capita than that of any territory heretofore admitted the people efm re educated up to the american standard An dard the community ranking among the foremost in this his respect reet the official records gi give we her an enviable reputation throughout the west went as regards obedience to the laws and an d in the observance of the moral code in short while not saying it boasting ly nor with the thought of giving offence offense to anybody L refer to the history of utah as furnishing a splendid example of community stability amid surroundings and under conditions tending to the opposite that history providing an excellent certificate of character for the people today utah aka for admission to the union as a state and I 1 cannot understand der stand how bow any fair minded person can oppose her appeal the territory has fully demonstrated her qualifications for statehood and that is in all that can in reason be asked of her that is all the theory of the territorial system contemplates we have done our part and now lot let our fel fellow low citizens through their representatives in congress do 50 theirs and add another star to the grand constellation and which I 1 vouch for will shine to the credit of the commonwealth which hasso has so long been in the shadow of the clouds hon john 1 2 czeine in washington Ev aversing ersing agnews |
