The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-07-13
oUn DEARrH OF pUnLIs MEN.

The satisfaction felt by all nef cltlZehS AZ
the prospect of Montana's early entrance into
possession of her heritage of Statehood is
married by the reflection that the advan-
tages of the school of instruction offered by
her experiences during the formative period
of existence as a Territory have not been
fully availed of. As we yesterday cndeavored
to show, the people of Montana have received
their full share Of the benefits to be derived
government should by rights be a training
school for the public men, as we'll ~ for the
IA k and file among the citizens of that Ter
ritory. The days when a Territory's delegate
goes to Congress as a lobbyist, rather than as
a representative, IN the days when that Ter
ritory should provide itself with a corps of
able public msn-of men who should not
only be acquainted with the methods of Con-
s~rsssional Legislation, but who, through max
ing the ~nselves personally known at the
national capital, would not be found wanting
IN influence when The time arrived for turning
that influence to advantage. A Territory
pursuing such q course has a corps Of trained
Legislators from whom = select tho incum-
bent for any required Office, aud when it be-
comes a State it is not compelled to send to
Congress men whose ignorance of their new
dates is only equallcd by their entire lack of
personal influence in the pew relations which
they are called upon to enter. Untortu-
uat.ly the latter promises to be Montana's
condition on e%nt-rin. the Union in the course
OF a few years. We have fallen into the
vicious practice of s%rantin. to one individual
som-thing resembling a perpetual delegate
ship, and in consequence We must submit to
he evils alluded to above. In the course o
three or four years, perhaps, sooner, Montana
will become 4 State. 1t will then be our priv
Ilcye to elect two United States Senators and
one Representative to Congress, but where
are We to find the mcn creditably to fill these
offices, if in the mean tins we refuse them
any opportunity of acquiring Congressional
experience? When Montana becomes a State
our Senators and Representatives will enter
The arena Of national politics as active partic-
ipalts. not merely as on-lookcls, the role as
signed the non-voting Territorial delegates.
Montana will then be endowed with power
which may be welded to her advantage and
benefit, provided that power be lodged in SUIT
able hands. But where are these to be found
# we obslinately persist in closing the door to
public life IN the faces of our ablest men?
Upon entering the Union our new State can
be made the object of beneficent national leg
islation in many different ways, if her inter-
ests only be taken properly in charge. But
this is more than We may expect if We must
send representatives utterly unknown, as we'll
as entirely Ignorant of the methods to be pur-
sued in advancing legislation in Congress. 1t
tory lately admitted should do fully as well
as new men from an old State, but there is a
very wide difference between their relative
advantages. The mel taking a leading part
in tho government of a State enjoy a national
reputation, whereas in the East the people of
q Territory may consider themselves fortu-
nate upon finding they are considered even
as half civilized. If we entertain any doubts
on this subject, we have only to consider the
case of Arizona. That Territory also has
fallen into the way of having a perpetual
delegate, and the result is that in the East
that delegate is popularity believed to be the
only citizen of Arizona sufficiently civilized
to be permitted to visit Washington without
being in charge of a keeper.
Whether this one mar power be a good
thing or the reverse in the way of
furthering the interests OF the southern terri
tory we leave our readers to Judge for them
solves. If good for Arizona it is also most
likely good for Montana. But if it be decided
that it is not tile best policy to be pursued by
Arizona, then let us set ourselves soberly to
think whether or not the self same policy is
good for Montana. If we decide that it is.
let us continue to pursue it; if not, let us
make a change. In any event a fair express
sion Of opinion will do Ito harm SO long as
we make up our minds to abide by the de-
cisi"n rendered by the majority, and to do our
best towards putting that decision into effect.
Free discussion and majority rule is surely
good democratic doctrine.