The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1871-02-17
"TO DE, OR NOT TO DE I"

We reprint from the Idaho iSlntesnsnn al
article on 1.-THE Territorial Condition.
We have, ordinarily, \ liking for the States
man. It's tone is generally good. its arii
clcs well considered. their arguments clear
concise and pointed. The one referred
to is dyspcptic. II practically asserts thu
Territories arc losing flesh. and recon-
mcpds discmbowcling rs remedy. Hav
ing set up housekeeping for ourselves and
not grown rich and powerful In decade
We arc advised to burn the house, throw
the children in the we'll, and packing tic
dirty linen of failure back 10 our Uncle
Sam. confess we hadn't nerve to go through
the struggle for independence and crave
to be taken back like the ProdiSnl. Or, il
not that. to DC tagged on 10 Nevada like 50
many pips on a potato.
Idaho con do this il it will, and Congress
concurs. But Montana. as we know il, is
not ambitious for humiliation IL 10 sr1o We
have not the 10000 population Of "a. Or
perhaps even the "a, 900 OF ~. although we
believe the census of 1870, giving 90, 50t,s
not within 5000 Of complete. The people
of "a We're, as whole, Advent urOus, tran
sirnt, migratory. not given to the rearing
OF buildings, the establishing Of industries,
the cultivation Of land. Those Of ~ are
The wild fantasy o; fortune in o summer
and u fitting in tho fall, has vanished. Our
towns arc filling with manufactures, we'll
established business firms. and buildings
such rs the great cities speak of with pride.
Our va!lies are propling with farmers, and
ourquar,z mines are paying. The machine
ry Of government, is thoroughly organized
the courts arc established, respected and cf.
dcient. We are in debt $l0l 600; have as
sets OF taxed property aggrcgating IS. &c.,
737 and ii is estimated that with the repeal
Of cxua compensation 70 officers, the entire
deb: Of the Territory can be discharged in
two years. The government paid for US
eo5, 40 q last year for Federal officers.
Legislative expenses, surveying and other
little incidental expenses, not mentioning
es3.0OO for mail carriage, tho military posts,
Court expenses, and Indian appropriations
cd h5Hum. Montana is therefore dong
very well. We do not yearn for annexa-
ton 10 Nevada, or the Sandwich Islands.
1t involves cntang!ing alliances with re.
mote anu somewhat too mucl, cxcayutcd
form Of government. beside possible rcla.
tons with Brigham Young, who has more !
now than The law and COOL gospel justilics
There arc also certain expenses attendant
upon State governments we do no, care to
assume just yet, and the public buildings
would DC too much scat . cd or inaccessible
FOR convenience, to say nothing Of the lin.
g. Ing susric on flat Nevada conventions
*. not safe TO bet on.
Neither 90 we petition inccssan,ly for q
State government IN fact Jalllrr inplorc |
!hnt calamity may not be visited upon Us
until We have four or five times the pres
cnt population. Nor. do we tiiik that
event is "hfyycars' Lcrcc. The !S.otesmum
is Mn,cntably dolcfu on this point, and a
little ridiculous about tho territories in car.
)y times beng contiguous TO States, etc"
1t is on u par with the blubb,ring bride.
groom who felt completely undonc in hay.
ing married strange girl, whereas his faith.
er had married the ninry's mother. Kan
sas has gained 212, 1000 people in ten years.
Nebraska in the same time has increased
from u population Of 2S,S4l 10 LOG, SIS
Gn increase Of over three hundred FER
cent These rapidly popu;a'iny States arc
alMos! on our borders. The railroads arc
rendering the Pacific coast as accessible
now, as Kansas and Nebraska. SION
the tide that is reaching Colorado, Wyo
ming and Utah. will vt:.ch our Territory.
Two years hence the Northern Pacific
X. X. will open the Yellowstone Valley to
settlement, ind eastern Montana has bet.
ter and broader agricultural lands than
many eastern States Who lives five years
hence will sec Montana . State, strong
enough in numbers and wealth to take upon
herself the honors, and responsibilities Of
The station. How it may he with Idaho.
We may not write. |:
Our contemporary writes gloomily. We
hope it is attributable rather to indigestion
than Judgment. But If it is true of Idaho,
We dissent as to Montana, whose people
neither desire Territorial humiliation, or
10 have their Golden apples setin the Silver
pictures of Nevada.