, 1876-08-19
ANNEXATION QUESTION.
From the Ssattle In:e!lieeucer.l


WaI!a valley are in favor of having
that part of our Territory annexed to
Oregon and that uprn the reasSembling
OF Congress i'll December next, '-ihr
l>t OF January should mark the ani,tx-
ariun of Walia Walia valley 10 the
State of Oregon"
That tnis desire is reciprocated by
the people of Ores"n | have good rea
son to know, for during recen, visit
to Portland, | took occasion to ascer>
tain the views of leading men i'll lha.
city. Moreover i. is intended 10y the
/ Senators and member from that State
to push the enterprise through during
the next session OF Congress.
Tne efforts Of one single delegate
will be pOwerless TO prevent it, and
We will hn! ourselves con>isned 20 a
condition "i puug provinciaIi>m. which
no American cl;!zsn Of any s!,irI; vii!
submit to any Longer than it is posi-
/ be 10 avoid it by removal el-ewhere.
The lnis>ion of the remaining pnr
ton Of tie Territory NO a S;aie vii.
be postponed so far into the future
that but few now living will ever wit
ness il. The scheme AS now presented
mus. be defeated. This can be done
! ia one or Two ways.
FlR>T-Let Eastern Oregon, East
ern Washington, and that part Of Lila
ho living north OF ;he Salmon MUun
1air., b" constituted The ''rerrl;ocy of
Wa-hing;on," and that part lying
west Of the Cascades be annexed TO
Oregon as an equivalent for loss Of
eastern territory. There would be
bu, E:lIe, ii any, loss 10 Oregon OF pop
uIa,ion, and the new territory would
.aiu immensely in lhe mere compact
lD5 Of people into a hnme govern
mrn;, with similar industrial pursuits
aui mnlnaliy OF Interest. Ihn' the
dr>lle for y"yernmvn, nearer home
would be gTA,itir1, and with Nai!a
! Nalta ~ the cipital-cenIer ot ter
!
years before tile new Safe of Wa>h-
in2fon wIull be admitted into thu
! Union. Indeed, with q population
much greater than Nevada has, Com
"rr-s might admit her ere The crntrn
nIal year has gone, IhlIS crown'nL the
century with the glorious name o!
Washington.
TIE advantage of i!:i= change 10
Oregon would bc very distinct. l.
wpn.l make her a mnre pronounced
Pacific cuaat Safe, with 2n Ocean lin.
nearly as ionL ~ that OF California;
L. would add immensely 10 h.r ppi.ti
cal and ierTit"-lai power, AID hrng
together under one government y
compact people with similar tastes,
axe pursuits, ana common Interests.
SECoNH-A sill better pinu would
he IL anary :hn whole o, Wa-hin ton
Territory 10 Oregon. provsI rg il the
o,,, a." ri,r -. :',.,s..-., ...- tn.. al
mission q th At part lying east Of tie
! Cascades IA a s'.prrate Sa'r, VII. ~
ever a :iX"I E:i:!i:uIn Il regulation
,hoUtd Ee reached.
Ta.s wnud 1T once make Oregon
WIZ: she oighL To be, a balaucii!r
power upon lne E4"i;c cu:>>. NUE
size i bat an oEti.iEc prr:inrr (cnm
mr'ciAii!) "f California. VIVA ,!i-
accrr,'on Of population she woIi,d b.
"n.itieI to TWO members il The lower
llpn>e, and thus double her yuli.:cal
strength.
She wonld own ana frS:c rin;o l;y-
iEy force the mineTa. an,l mauu:.clur
ir4 resources OF the PAGE Sound
basin. Sha would lie together with
bands Of iron he sonrca> .: the Wal
annette and the waters Of The Suuui-
the agricultural wealth OF the Wis
annette valley and the timber, coal
and iron Of the Sound The Co'um
b!l with itS wealth of fisheries would
b. all hers, and under her control To
foster End project that important in
du>rry.
| Tae desire of the people Of WaIla
Wa'a TO be separated from US is i
very natural one. They are tar re-
moved from the capital, and there is
cat h:tle commercial and 10 social il
! ;erc.:'rSe between III" people Of the
two sec, ions The Cascade tnuun
rains prt,. ent an aIMoS. impts1able
barrier To au, p'. ct'cab!e interchange
OF products, ana wo,:'I seem to mark
a natural boundary betwren different
governments and people.
\ similar stale of things c-'Sts
even III Oregon, where the people
have no complaint to make of the
evils OF prov!ncis! government. The
people Of Eastern Oregon have anI
do constitute sor: Of outlying prov
ince, and doubt not, would even
prefer territorilt government nearer
home than their present condition.
Anyhow, the prospect of a home State
government in the same near future
would arm them TO endure provinci4l
ism for short time.
do not wal: 10 compute areas or
populations, nor do | stop 10 elaborate
or argue-there vii! be lime enough f,
for that when the probable protest of
officials are heard. | only know there !
Is pressing need for immediate and in
;e!iigent action on the part of those of
us who a"e west Of the Cascades. II,
"" do not awake, We will be bouni !,
hand and loot for a lie time, and
might rather he subjects in the East
Indian prNvince. than q wati for lf.