New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-03-23
Ma. REpUDLAT0RS NEED APPLY.

The protest made by Senator Hale against
| the admission of Dakota as State presents
| an issue upon which it may be exceedingly i'm
| portant for the Republican party to place it
| self on record. Mr.. Hale's statement of facts
| makes out a pyima fdcie case against admls-
SION He states that in 1872 1ankton County
issued bonds, under all authorizing act of he
I LEGISLATURE to the amount of 5000 900, III aid
of the Southern Dakota Railroad, that the road
WAS built. and the bonds repudiated, and that
the Territorial Legislature at once passed an
act virtually legalizing designations OF county
officers upon whom a writ OF mandamds wa
served to compel payment. Mr. Hale p opposed
10 have the admission of Dakota deferred until
this matter should be cleared up. Mr. Nc
Milan in reply, Is reported as saying thu!
Eastern fIancers, accustomed to charge
"usurious rates for their investments, were
prone 70 charge localities OF the West with re-
u pudiation whenever the prompt collection OF
| their incomes was retarded The Issue OF fact
must of course be met by Mr.. Hale, and any
who may dispute his statement. But if his ac-
count is correct, Dakota ought 70 wait outside
the onion until it has learned to deal honestly.
1t is quite time for the Republican party to
consider whether honest payment Of debts
should not be insisted upon as a condition Of
membership of the Union. We have iii the
| Union already several rcpudiating States
They are net all from one section, nor Of one
uarty The crime--for it is a crime to rob
honest lenders--was pcrpetratcd in some cases
many years ago, and in other cases quite re
Gently. But the principle which should Ice
adopted, and to the full limit OF the power OF
| the Government hereafter enforced, is precisely
| the same whether an offence has been for long
tima continued or not. The Nation suffers be
yond measure, in credit and in prosperity, by
reason of these acts of reputation. Each and
every State is injured by dishonest act of any
State No one can calculate the extent OF the
injury, but it is great enough in any case to
Justify Federal interposition to protect the
Nation from injustice The only question is as
to the power of the Union in the matter.
One thing, at least, the Union has power to
do beyond all dispute. Ii has power to refuse
admission rs State TO any community that
does not come with absolutely clean hands
financially. Admission TO the family OF States
il favor. That favor ought III future to bc
rigidly refused TO any community, whether
Northern or Southern, Republican or Demo
cratic, that has upon it the faint OF Reputation.
If Dakota is open TO this censure, let Dakota
wait for century, if need he, until its people
are ready to pay their debts.
One other thing tie Union has power to do.
Beyond question it has power to provide means
by which claims against State or Territory
may be prosecuted with effect in the courts OF
law There may be difference of opinion as to
the best means Of giving practical effect to
decisions Of the courts against state. But
recent events have greatly strengthened the
belief that the most stringent measures are
needed. No State ought to be represented in
either branch of Congress that repudiates Il
Just debt In the end it will come to this that
no regulating State--no State that casts dis
honor upon the country and impedes its pros
perity by refusal co pay its just debts-shall
have any part in the government of the coun-
Try during the continuance OF such refusal.
All this lies in the future, though it will not
be very long before this question will be
pressed for settlement. But it is timely and
just for the Republican party now to declare
that it will not support the admission AS a State
Of any community, be it Republican or Demo-
cratic, that refuses to pay its honest debts.
That declaration alone would help to bring