OCR Text |
Show DAKOTA, WASHINGTON AND MON TANA.. There is some considerable prospect that the Territories of Dakota, Washington Washing-ton and Montana will soon be admitted to the family of States. That Dakota is entitled to admission as a State there, can be ho doubt. In regard to Washington Territory there is not much doubt as to fts right to admission, but as to Montana's right there is. Among the older States there is a dislike to admit new States owing to their influence in the Senate. The second branch of the National Legislature, is not chosen directly di-rectly by Ihe people, while the first branch is. To make the Senate elective by the State Legislatures was a wise provision pro-vision and one that, if observed in its true spirit, will" always maintain that balance of - power in this country to maintain which in Europe is the problem which vexes all statesmen in all countries of the Continent. There armed hosts are depended upon to maintain this balance, bal-ance, while in this country a wise provision pro-vision of the Constitution does it. The American Government has always been and always will be in danger from two excesses the excess of centralization and the excess of decentralization. To make everything in this country comport to one law and one rule of action would be to annihilate individuality, from which tyranny would -rarikly grow. Govern- ments always tend to one extreme or the bther,when it is only by keeping to the conservative con-servative and middle way, which requires the wisest and strongest . statesmanship to guide the affairs of State, that dangerous danger-ous 'extremes in either directioil 'can be avoided.' If safety is placed in armed hosts alone,- then anything Vthat takes from the authority or force of such a host to that extent weakens the State. If safety is placed in absolute individual independence in-dependence without any coercive power in the State, then the danger of incoherence incoher-ence threatens. Both of these dangers -have been wisely guarded . against-in against-in the American Constitution, and " for the older- - and - richer Eastern States to object to the admission of new States when the Territories out of winch they are to be formed "meet all the requirements re-quirements exacted for the conferring of Statehood, is for them to violate the plainest intent of the Constitution. . Admit Ad-mit the Territories of Dakota, Washington Washing-ton and Montana, and admit them on the broad ground of Constitutional "right and not on the narrower one of party expedient. |