The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1883-01-26
Tur MOVEMENT FOR STATEHOOD.

by Mr.. Hickman, providing for q convention
10 form a State Constitution for Montana,
shall pass or not, the agitation Of the
measure is proper. We believe the time
has come for Montana TO take the initiato.y
steps in the direction OF Statehood. IL will
be long enough before we attain the end
even II we start now. Colorado was not ad-
mtted for twelve years after framing its
first constitution. Congress will not invest
us with that sovereign degree until we have
al least a population Of 13o,533, and may
not then. Dakota had a population OF
49,, 900 two and half years ago, has more
than treble that now, and is not State yet.
New Mexico had 900 and Utah l44,O0o
In 1880 and have rapidly increased, but are
still Territories and will probably remain SO
for some time. Montana is. not likely TO
have its ratio for Congressman for two or,
perhaps, three years yet. While the eventual
capabilities of Montana for sustaining
large population are great, II is not Terri
tory that can as rapidly absorb into the in
dustnes and sustain NJ once heavy imml-
grafton ss have many that are now States.
Its resources are more difficult 10 bring
under tribute. Stock raising affords but a
limited employment. The development Of
mines Is tedious and requires heavy capital.
The area OF farming land upon which water
can be conveyed with small capital is largely
occupied, and the mechanical industries will
ouly develop as these others create dem aud
We cannot expect, like Dakota in 1880, to
this year have l20,0O people added to our
population. Nor do we presume any such
idea is entertained by those who advocate
the movement for a State government. 1t 10
seen that in two or three years our rivers
now running useless to the oceans will be
largely diverted by great canals to the now
uncultivated lands; that capital will now
seek investment in our mines and develop
them; that artisans will BULL shops, and
merchants business houses in proportion, As
these other industries progress, and the more
people we have the more can be added unto
them for years. And, looking to that vfatL
mate day, not far of, he who has pride In
Montana and the aspiration to be q citizen
Of the United States, in the full sense of the
term, feels an insatiate desire to see her en-
ter the galaxy of States and exercise his full
rights as q citizen. We do not exercise these
rights while We have no Representative in
the National Congress; while we have no
voice In the election of the Chief Magistrate
or our own Territorial officers; and it is only
through benefcent exception that our Ter
ritorial laws, after being once approved by
United States officer, are not required to be
submitted to Congress for notification if
they should be disapproved there.
After population has become settled and
law-abiding, the resources de demonstrated to
be sufficien. and permanent, and the differ
ent portions of q Territory are SO accessible
10 each other and TO . common center that
material disintegration Of It's area is not nee
sssary or probable, the only potent argument
there Is to offer against Statehood is It's e1-
pense. That Is PROPOSE ton entitled to Sc
nous and respectful consideration. The
question is whether there Is population and
taxable wealth enough Of a permanent char
acter to erect the necessary buildings, and
maintain State government without impos-
ing burdensome rate Of taxation upon the
people, or incurring ruinous debt. Al
though the national appropriations made, Of
which Montana re ,eives benefits, are large,
there are many thai would not and should
net be Withdrawn. The expense Of main
tanning military police force with posts and
garris0ns on the frontier is nothing In COM
parison with what Is expended in similar
service IN the States and the army must be
kept somewhere. Our postal facilities would
not be decreased any more than we would
cease to pay U. s. Revenue taxes. An
Assay Once is as proper here as Mint in
Philadelphia. We pay now for the cost OF
keeping our convicts and insane just as we
would II we were State. We pay our Ter
ritorial Auditor, Treasurer, and Superintend-
ent Of Public Instruction, although We have
no voice in naming the authority that nomi-
mates them. We pay also our District At
torneys and Attorney General; Library ex-
penses, Territorial printing, etc. The Uni.
ted States would still maintain Its Land or
ices to sell Its lands; anyhow the salaries Of
land Offices are paid in fees. 1t will con-
tinue Its surveys till the work is completed |;
Its United States Courts, Marshal, Revenue
and Custom officers, and Attorney. 1t will
throw upon US the salaries Of Governor, Sec
rotary, Judges, and Legislative expenses
which new aggregate over $50, 900 per annum,
but which would doubtless be Immensely in
creased. The cost of buildings, however
economical we may think now We would be,
would be enormous. Colorado started In as
. State In 1876, without any debt, and had
assessed property TO the amount Of $4,000
900. Her State tax the first year was fifteen
mills on the dsllar. BY Nov. 30, 1878, her
State expenditures had reached for the two
years preceding s3sS, 6ss, with an income
during the same time Of $S07. s93, and she
had piled up . debt by Nov. 80, 1880, Of
$lo2 500. The rate Of State tax was then
increased to three and three ffths cents on
the dollar, and her taxable property was only
$43,000,000. This heavy tax was levied to
meet outstanding warrants, the State csnsti-
tuition prohibiting the creation Of any DO nded
debt. So, it will be seen, expenses and
taxes do greatly increase, Notwithstanding
but little advance Is made with public build
ings. The State expenditures Of Nevada in
1880 were 1891, 99l, although she had only
2,2e5 population, and was over half mil
lion dollars In debt. The Central Pacific
Railroad Company In 1882 paid over twenty
per cent. OF all the real estate tax collected
Nevada. These two instances, q. new State
starting without debt, and an old State with
small population, are examples Of how 1t
costs to run State governments, and how
heavy taxes have 70 be laid to keep out Of
debt.
Montana last year had assessed property
to the amount Of 1921 $40. Her revenues
proper, from taxes and licenses, were $780,
se3.47 Expenditures, SOL ,o77.52); and this
with Territorial tax Of only one mill on
the dollar. Compare IL with the Colorado
State tax Of SO mills on the dollar.
On the other hand, We have right to an
ticipats . rapid increase In taxable property,
| The increase of over nine million dollars In
1882 10 encouraging. Much Of this is rail.
road property, but the Northern Pacific hs'
not paid anything on Its road-bed and doe'