Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-11-21
THE STATES NEEDS.


The great evil under which the people
of the Pacific coast have always suffered,
has been an inadequate representation IN
the Halls of Congress. Our condition.
the character of our resources anu
our real necessities have been entirely aH-
ferent from those of the AtlantIcsS'a'eS'
and we have been legiSlated Tor U! 'u
who were as tit to make laws LOT tue III
habi,ants of Jupiter or Saturn as th'Se "a
Carf,-n;, or Nevada. To more than
r;re,oan.,wentieths of the Federal Con-
rsss the mining States have been' and
49,. ,s uuch a terra meognita as the noun
-. and valleys of the planets we have
r,med. Tosatisfy the most skeptical OF
this ignorance, it is only necessary to
,oLeup a Congressional Globe and read
the debates upon any question relating to
anv of the mineral lands. Our represen-
tation in Congress has ever been feeble,
and the word will apply with equal JUS
tice to the material as to the number.
The number of men that California has
sent to Washington, who had life, ANNA
ton, spirit, or ability enough to do more
than keep sober and vote Yes" or NO."
on somebody else's resolutions has been
but small; and those, as general thing,
have not been men who knew anything
at all about the one great interest of the
Countrywide mining interest. 1t is q
fact well known to every man who knows
anything at all about the matter, that men
who have spent years in the large cities,
or the agricultural counties Of California,
know no more about the mines and min
ing interests of that State than a dog
knows about his grandfather. Their ig-
norance upon that subject-and that too
the great vital interest of the country
renders them laughing-stocS whenever
they attempt to discuss such matters. 1t
has, as general thing, been that class Of
men who have represented that State.
The consequence has been, that whenever
legislation has been had with reference to
the mining States and Territories, and the
California delegation has mustered cour-
age enough to put in its oar at all, it has
baen the old story of the blind leading the
blind, and they have all tumbled into
some nonsensical ditch. When Nevada
became, as Territory. entitled to the
farce of Delegate to go and humble his
complaints and desires before the Com
mittee on Territories, we have had two
different persons to draw the mileage and
salary attached to that position, but as
far as any influence they had in Congress
or any knowledge of the real interests OF
the Territory that they brought to bear
while there, the Territory might as well
have been represented by the wooden hg-
ure-heads of a couple of condemned whale
ships. We have, happily for US, emerged
from the colonial and tongue-tied condi-
ton of Territory to that Of State ;
and are now entitled to three voices in
Congress, and, what is more-three rotes.
One of those voices and votes has already
been chosen by the people to represent
them. The Legislature, when 1t meets
will be called upon to elect the other two
to represent the State. Let US urge upon
that body the necessity of selecting,
for our United States Senators, men who
will carry with them to Washington the
greatest amount of sound practical know
ledge concerning the mining interests OF
the Pacific States, an interest which more
than any other needs, for the good of the
whole nation, the most liberal, fostering
care, and wise, and understanding legis-
lation. Compared with the mining inte-
rest, all others on the Pacific coast are Sc
condary, and in this State sink into in
significance. 1t should be with an eye
single to the advancement, encourage
ment, and protection of this interest that
our Legislators should be looking about
them in contemplation of the approach
ing Senatorial election. We have men
among us who have made this subject the
study and business of long years spent in
the mining districts of California as well
as Nevada. Such men will, upon all
matters connected with the mining inte-
rests, act advisedly, and be guided by the
light of experience. From among that
class of men, let our Senators be chosen.