The Benton record. [volume] (Benton, M.T. [Mont.]) 1875-1879, 1876-09-15

1t is sufficient that the power exists and
unquestioned, but the form and method o
government prescribed or to be prescribed
rests in the judgment and wisdom of tn
Congress; and, without questioning tht
power, We simply ask that Congress, in tn
exercise Of its high prerogatiYe of proyid
ing government Of a temporary characte
for the Territories, shall revise the presen
system in favor ofheme rule and local self
government and of increased personal ane
political right to the people Of the Terri
tories. There is no provision of the Con
stitution which prohibits or prevents Con
gress giving to the people the largest liber
ty of self government and control, and the
spirit Of the Constitution and of our system
of government demand the largest liberty
to the citizen consistent With the safety ot
the government itself.
But it is objected by some that the pop
ulation Of the Territories is small, and
therefore that it makes but little difference
whether the people are unjustly governed
or not. Yet our declaration ofrights holds
that man possesses certain inalienable
rights. If this be SO, each citizen in his
own right possesses certain privileges, the
right to exercise which is inherent in him,
and does not depend upon the number of
citizens who may be aggregated together.
The right of the people of Territory to
govern themselves should not depend up
on the question of whether it contains a
population of $4,000 or Of 100, 900; for un-
der our system Of government the citizen
is entitled as of right to local selfgoyern-
ment. Congress possesses the power to
impose upon the Territories colonial form
OF government and to disfranchise them,
but | deny is moral right to deprive the
humblest citizen Of his inherent and guar
anteed rights except on conviction for
crime; and more especially do [ deny the
moral right of Congress to deprive entire
communities of the dearest and most sac.
red rights of American citizenship. The
exercise Of these rights can in no lust sense
be made to depend upon the number of
citizens who may be aggregated tagether
within certain geographical limits. If it
does SO depend, where is the limit and what
the number where seryitude and vassalage
end and freedom and citizenship com
mence?
When the colonies asserted their inde-
pendence the best authorities estimate their
population at about three millions; and
yet at the end of a century we find in our
own land one-sizth as many people, ssor
in all the Territories about five hundred
thousand people, with property valuation
Of from $I25,000,0O0 to Slot, 100000 aud
with an annual mineral production alone
valued at about $25, 100000, disfranchised
and deprived of some of the most valuable
fights Of citizenship.
1t is frequently said, Ifyou do not desire
Q be deprived ofthose rights of citizenship
Why do you go to the Territories? This is
Is ungracious as illogical. Because a sys-
EN- Of government is bad we should not
oe preeluded from agitating for change;
ind as the development, prosperity, and
progress of the Territories add to the
wealth and prosperity Of a common coun-
~, our people should be encouraged in
opening up. and developing the great ma
ional domain, which is bat in the infancy
# the development Of its great natural re-
sources, and should not be discouraged
rom engaging in such a work by the
hought that they will be punished for en-
grating to and developing the great West
y loss Of the rights which every true
American citizen believes to be his proud
st heritage.
The nature Of the public domain open
0 settlement has changed since the coun-
ry from which the great States of the
Northwest and Southwest was formed has
oeen settled and occupied. The rich prai-
les settled SO rapidly, that the Territorial
were in fact temporary, and
,ut means of organizing the first govern
nent, and of establishing the basis upon
which they should be clothed with state
lood.
But the country now formed into Terri
ories IS largely composed of mineral and
PASTORAL lands, which will not attract or
uPport SO dense a population as the agri-
cultural lands have done, so that the Ter
itorial governments will in many instan-
,es be permanent in their character for
many years to come. In this condition of
lAfairs it becomes the duty of wise states
nanship to devise system ofgoyernment
which will renderthe people contented and
lappy, which will aid them in developing
he resources ofthe country, and in adding
Q the wealth, power. and prosperity Of a
common country
do not say that all who hold Federal
,fices in the Territories are unfit for their
positions, but that very large percentage