The Arizona champion., 1884-03-01
TERRITORIAL RIGHTS.
Larger Political Privileges Demanded Why they should be Grartcd-Speech of Delegate Onry, of Arizona.

on TerritorieS, Tn favor ot granting larger political privileges to territorial voters:
 MR. CHAIRMAN: 1 have learned that the sub committee, to whom was referred the House bill No. I066, whch'provides for the election of gov ernor and secretary by the people of the several Territories, had determln- ed to report adversely upon said Dill, and were prevented from so doing by the interpretation of friend upon the committee, MT. Lanham, of Texas, who suggested that final action of the committee be postponed until the gen tleman inroducing the bill could be heard from.
 l here acknowledge the courtesy of the gentleman, not alone to myself, but to the people l represent. in giv wing me an opportunity of being heard upon the subject matter of the bill.
 Of course the points of objection haue not been made known to me, consequently am left to grope in the dark, but, in considering the question, I am left to form my own conclusions as to the objections that could possl bly, be argued agalnst the measure, and upon examination of the question, the only desion l can arrive at is, that while there is absolutely nothing in the bill that is obnoxious to the constitution of the United States, or incompatible with the idea of free government by the people, that the committee has enconsced itself behind long line of precedents that the gov ernment has followed since the in- auguration of the first territorial gov ernment on the continent During all this time, I confess (and do with reluctance) that it has been the policy of the government to dictate abso- lutely and directly the mode and man. ner of the government of the ierrito- ries, not because the idea has any warrant under the constitution, but because the government has assImed that position. Upon an examination of the constitution we find that the government has absolute and unim- lted control of so much territory, not exceeding ten miles square, as has been ceded to it by certain states, and in addition thereto such property as as it has purchased from certain states for navy yard, dock yards and mill, tary purposes; beyond these no one comedies the absolute authority of the government to control districts eS- tablished for the convenience of the people.
 The only warrant found in the Con- stitution for the continuance of the policy of the government towards the territories is derived from that clause of the Constitution whice provides that Congress shall make all needfull rules and regulations for the govern ment of the Territories. In order to arrive at a correct conclusion as to the meaning of this clause, we must necessarily consult contcmporaneus history. we must look to the facts as they appear of record, and by the light of thos facts the intelligence of the country mnst be convinced.
 It cannot be argued that the Terri tories are dependent provinces, com. posed of inhabitants hotile or mimi cal to our form of government, or that they have less of the attributes of independent freemen than any oth- CT equal number of people living in any other portion of this broad land, that they are not equal in intellect, as devoted to free government and as persistent in their demands for equal rights under the laws of the country as any other citizens wherever domi ciled Then what does the Constitu- tion mean when 1t says "that Con. gress shall make all needful rules and regulations for the government of the Territories.
 In my judgment it means simply this: That Congress shall furnish or supply the means by which the peo- pie of the Territoriet may govern themselves in accordance with the spirit and genius of American insti,u- tons as understood by the fathers of the country. That they may elect the officers who have in charge the execu- ton of the laws That those officers may be selected from the body of the people, who are acquainted with all the circumstances that surround the people who elect them, whose inter. ests are identical with the people, and who acknowledge responsibility to to the con ,tituency who elect them.
 In proof of this proposition, l call the attention of the committee to the fact that in the indictment drawn against the mother country by the signers of the declaration of indepen- dence the complaint was that the peo- pie were not consulted or allowed voice in the selection of government al officers; that they were taxed with out representation; in fact, that they were held in a state of subjection to Il. L A. = ll,ra,t tb l,ha,t,,