The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-06-09

Rights COneTOvcrSys
| The decisive vote on the Colorado question
in the House yesterday shows that the friends
of the rotten borough States have more strength
than has been generally supposed. This whole
movement sheds o singular side light upon
the inconsistency of our political parties. 1t
proves how little thought they bsstow upon
the wider bearings and remote consequences
of the measures they advocate or oppose, and
what ID more curious. how little real impor-
lance they attach TO their own professed prin-
oiples We quite agree With those who resist
the premature admission of Territories into
the Union a. States. Such early applications
for State privileges are against the interest Of
the small communities immediately concerned
and grossly unfair to the populous States,
whose influence in the Senate is cancelled by
the equal representation of small States in
that branch Of Congress. Our Now York
county of Westchester has . much larger
population than either New Mexico or Colo
RADIO, and yet two other counties are joined
with it to make the one Congressional district
represented by Mr.. Potter. What would be
thought Of proposition TO give the county Of
Westchester two United States Senator'S 1t
to be erected into States, because it
would heavily increase their local taxes,
without any corresponding benefit 30 long
as they remain in the Territorial condition the
salaries OF their executive and judicial officers
and the pay and contingent expenses Of their
legislatures are betrayed out OF the National
Treasury. Nobody can expect any real advan-
tage from their admission as States, save the
aspiring local demagogues who covet election
to the federal Senate
On the usual narrow party grounds the
stake is too insignificant to be worth playing
for. The new Senators would, no doubt, be
republican; but the republican party has
already such heavy preponderance in the
Senate that an addition Of two or tour to the
number could be of no practical consequence
Yet if the applying Territories are admitted
it will be merely tor the sake of this needless
addition to the republican majority, and the
admission is strenuously opposed by the
democratic members of Congress because it
would bring slight increase of strength to
their opponents. Neither party seems to have
the dimmest perception that 1t is abandoning
its cherished fundamental principles in the
ground it is taking on this subject The
democratic party, a. the strenuous champion
Of State sovereignty and State rights and the
republican party, IS the impugner of State
sovereignty and the advocate Of central author
ity, are standing respectively on the ground
of their opponents in this controversy-a re-
markable exhibition of political Inconsistency
and striking proof of the skin deep shallow
ness Of theoretical convictions on both Sides
If the feryid defamation Of democratic ora
tors and journalists respecting the supreme
importance of State rights local independence
and exemption from federal control is any
thing but an empty party cry the democrats
ought to greet with warm and welcoming con-
gratulations every rescue by Territorial COM
munity from its subsection to tho central au-
thority. If State rights and exemption from
national dependence and interference are the
incalculabls blessings which the democratic
orators and writer's assert them to be they are
bound to rejoice in every now exemption Of .
local community from odious federal control.
What would they ray II ono Of the smallest
States, Nevada, for example, which has about
the same population as Colorado, or Oregon,
which has q smaller population than New
Mexico, were to have its Governor and judges
appointed by the President, its legislative acts
subject to repeal by Congress and its right of
representation in the Senate annulled2 How
they would make the welkin ring with cries
of federal oppression and violated local
rights But Nevada or Oregon would be no
worse of in the case supposed than Colorado
and New Mexico are at present. They can
not, indeed, be remanded to the Territorial
condition but the obstacle is q mere techni-
cal one, founded on the provisions of writ
ten instrument, and not on broad principles of
natural right and justice. Considered merely
as men, the citizens Of Nevada are no better
than an equal number of citizens Of Colorado
and there is no good reason why one Of these
communities might not be as happy and
prosperous without State rights as the other.
If local self-government be the invaluable
and indefeasible right which the democratic
party maintains that 1t is how can the
democratic Congressman reconcile it to their
principles and their consciences to withhold
this indispensable right from the people Of
New Mexico and Colorado, who groan under
the intolerable oppression Of absolute federal
authority and enjoy no political privilege Of
which Congress may not deprive them at its
pleasure?
The small population of these Territories
. sound argument intrinsically-is an argu-
ment which does not very well become demo-
cratic mouths. It is Of the essence of the
democratic theory that the smallness of a State
cannot impair its federal equality as men,
Der of the Union. The theory is, and has
been from the beginning, that the Senate is a