The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-04-23

The Rule which Governs Them In the Admis-
sion OF New States.

The Rule Which Governs Them In the Adrnis-
sion OF New States.
Washington Special.
South Dakota. with ita 100000 people, its
wealth and intelligence, it's free schools. and
colleges, and churches, its extent of territory,
and its illimitable natural resources. win not be
admitted to the Union at this session of Con-
gress The Democrats as in the old days when
freedom was struggling against slavery, have
decreed that no territory that will elect Repuh-
lican Senators and Representatives to Congress
shall join the sisterhood of the States unleas
there comes in with he- ono that shall be
Democratic They are willing to ad-
NIT Washington Territory, even though in
order to make it's population laree enough it be-
comes necessary to cut of the panhandle of Ida
no. with its Is, 600 psople. and annex it. They
would vote tomorrow to admit New Mexico,
with only half the population of South Dakot q,
and more than 100. 600 Mexican greasers and Indi-
ans who can't speak the English language. South
Dakota is capable of supporting an agricultural
population of almost as many millions as New
Mexico is of hundreds OF thousands. They
might even consent TO the admission of Mon
tana. which has generally been Democratic
Territory. but they have determined and actu-
ally agreed in formal caucus that there shall be
no more Republican States added to the roll
unless two, and possibly three. Democratic
States shall come In mt the same time
Population is not the test that the Democratic
party in its caucus applies when it decides
whether State shall be admitted not; South
Dakota has more than enough population tn en-
title is to two Representatives in the lower
branch of Congress Intelligence is not the test;
lie schools and supports 5000 teachers, while
New Mexico reports no schools teachers.
Wealth is not the test; there are States now in
the Union that South Dakota could buy out and
have enough lett for comfortable work
ing capital. High character and pnre morals
not the test; South Dakota is inhabited by
ara6 1swvO aAw,lm
of crime, the churches that dot it's prairies and
point their spires to heaven in everv village at
test. Patriotism is not the test Thousands of
the men of South Dakota served in the armies
of the Union, and nearly all have honorably
performs d the duties of citizenship in the older
States The desire OF the people is not the test.
South Dakota has been knocking in vain for
admission year after year. while New Mexico
has not appeared before Congress. according to
the report of MIR. Springer, chairman of the
House committee since, 1874
But there is a test. The embryo State that is
surely Democratic may come in at any time; the
one that is surely Republican can come in only
on condition that it be accompanied by two. and
certainly by one, that shall elect Democratic
Senators and Representatives to Congress. No
such test was ever applied by the Republicans.
In the Forty-third Congress- enabling act for
the admission of New Mexico was passed by both
Houses in each branch of CONGRESS- by
jority of nearly three-fourths The Re-
publcaDs who voted for that bill
knew that ia all human probability
New Mexico would be Democratic State. The
character OF it's population, in spite of the choice
of Republican DELEGATE to several successive
Congresses sufficient guarantee for that.
In the present instance the Republicans will re-
sist the admission of the four Territories to-
gether and any arrangement that does not con-
template the division of Dakota, the interests
of whose people are as diverse as those of any
other two adjacent States, but they stand ready
now, as they always have been, to admit any
essential qualities Of statehood and which has
adopted republican form Of government,