Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1882-08-19
NEVADA.
WHAT CASSIDY SAID IN CON.
GRsSS ABOUT THIS STATE.

His Showing of what Nevada IEa
bone for the Nation and She Has
Been Treated in Turn-An Flo
qaent VindicatiOn of His COnsti
tuency From Eastern SIanders.
Hon. Geo. W. Cassidy took the oppor
tunity while the House of Representative
had under consideration the bill to pro
vide for the erection of a public building
for the use Of United States Courts, Post
Office and other Government offices in the
city of Carson, to tell the people O
the East some things about Nevada, which
was doubtless new to a great many Of
them; and he left not one of the many
ISLANDERS cast upon his constituency un'
answered. Said he, in regard to the ad
mission of Nevada into the Union:
There never was any pretense OIL the
part Of our people, or anyone else, that VT
possessed the requisite population en-
titling us to assume the grave response
bility of Statehood. We did not come in
on that basis. We made no concealment
of our numbers; neither did we attempt
to augment them. Our status as to pop
ulation was well understood.
THE GENESIS OF NEVADA.
We were admitted partly to give the
party of the Union the aid of two addi-
tional members in the Senate, and partly
to exemplify a great living principle,
namely, the indissolubleness of the Ameri-
can Union; to demonstrate to the world
that while certain of the States were en-
| 100 ,o -, b. a-4 +l@,, ,r,tL
the Union others were willing to come in;
that the Government could prosecute a
great war to perpetuate its own existence
and at the same time add new stars to its
ensign; that the defiant strength and I'M
conquerable patriotism of the Union were
~symbolized in the admission of the Silver
State amid the throes of the greatest civil
conflict known to history, attesting I'M
answerably, be it said to the imperishable
honor and glory Of the loyal hearts of the
nation, that the Republic in the direst
hour of that stupendous struggle was
never for one moment despaired of. Ne
vada has not the smallest population in
the world. Indeed, the examination proves
that there are more thar forty members
occupying seats upon this floor who have
behind them a smaller voting population
than l represent. Therefore let it be dis
tinctly stated and understood, once for all,
that Nevada is quite as important and has
quite as many rights on this floor as the
general average of Congressional districts
throughout the Union.
WHAT NEVADA HAS DONE FOR THE COVER
MENT.
The people of Nevada contributed more
to the sanitary fund during the war than
any other an1,a1 nnmlar of nitivnnc in aDv
other part Of this country; and our con-
tributions were made in gold and silver,
which went further at that time than
double the amount in deprecated paper.
We also sustained the faith and credit of
the nation in those dark days with the
entire bullion product Of our mines, en-
abiing the Government to pay the foreign
~bondholder his interest i'll hard money,
thus maintaining its credit abroad and
otherwise aiding materially in bringing it
safely through the great civil war to the
haven of peace and needed recuperation.
All of these things we have done for
you, and you have done practically moth
ing for us in return. We have neither
rivers nor harbors in Nevada, and you
have never voted a dollar to that State for
any public improvement whatever, if I
except the United States Branch Mint,
which is run at a profit to the Government.
You hesitate about giving US a paltry ap-
preparation for a public building at the
Capital Of the State, q matter directly
related to the function of Government,
when, as / have shown, it would be greatly
to the %pecuniary interest OF the Govern
ment itself to do 80.
In nineteen years we nave paid into the
Federal Treasury about S., 900. 600 in In
ternal Revenue, and during the same time
we have contributed a million more in
payment for lands which were valueless to
the Government until our operations made
them valuable.
NO TuE TO THE STATE.
Comparatively not q dollar Of this money
has found its way back to our people. but
has been absorbed in river and harbor
improvements and tho construction of
elegant and costly Custom-houses and
magnificent Postofiee buildings in the
older and more populous centers of the
Eastern States. l protest that this is not
fair treatment Of the hardy pioneers OF the
frontier, who, Drawing all dangers and en-
during every privation incident to sub
DUNG the wilderness, have added so largely
and materially to the general welfare and
common prosperity. =
The gold and silver mines of the Pacific
slope, by their immense yield Of the pre-
cious metals, have created impulses that
have advanced civilization in this country
more than any OF your high protective
laws or free-trade theories. The arts have
advanced, architecture has made new dis
coveries in applying its skill, manufac-
turers have been called upon to supply
more people and with better garments,
and the great mass of people have been
im~measursbly benefited.
NEvADA's CONTRIBUTIONS TO CIVILIZATION.
Since the outpouring of the silver and
gold from the mines of the West the peo-
pie all over this land have in every way
improved. Where one used to have the
good things Of life one hundred have
them now. The whole plane of human
comforts and enjoyments has been lifted
up many degrees. The last thirty years
have seen the world moved ahead in
Christian civilization further than in any
century before since history began, and all
this, by q remarkable coincidence which
gentlemen refuse to recognize, OF. recog-
nizing, refuse to acknowledge, bearing
even date with the discovery of the pre-
cious metals on the Pacific Coast.
WE HAVE LIVED INDEPENDENT.
1t is n mistaken idea, sir, that Nevada
has ever been an incumbrance or a burden
to the Federal Government. Notwith-
standing we are a small community, we
have always been able to discharge every
obligation upon us as one of the sovereign
States. We have never cost you one dol
lar; we are ahead of you on general ac-
count. I have not the exact figures at
hand, but I have made some pretty close
and safe estimates. I figure that since a
State we have paid into the Federal Treas
ury in the way of internal revenue and
from other sources Sc, 000, GOO, and that
our total mail service, never ample, United
States courts, revenue officers, etc., have
cost the Government less than SO, 600 900,
thus leaving the Government q net profit
| of So, 900, GOO.
This is not q large sum, I confess, but