The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-11-21
ABOUT THE TERRITORIES.
Indianapolis Journal.

Indianapolis Journal
Democrats make no concealment oil
the fact that the admission of the tive
Dakotas and Washington Territory
will solidify and prolong Republican
power. This is equivalent 20 an ad.
mission that those territories have
been kept out by the Democratic par
ty for political reasons and that their
exclusion would have been continued
had the Democratic party continued
in power. Their early admission 10
the union is not the least OF the bene-
fits in the defeat of the Democracy.
Their exclusion had already become a
fragrant outrage and a source OF poiiti-
cal uneasiness and friction. which
could not have continued much longer
without serious results. 1t would
have become a strain ON our system
and a source of danger. The only
way to remove il is the natural and
right way, BY admitting them as
states as they are fully entitled to be
but this is precisely what the Demo
cratic party had refused to do and
what it evidently intended 10 con-
tinue TO refuse. The Republicans
will rectify the wrong and gain
by doing SO. This Is one of the cases
where Justice and policy are identical.
Ii is plainly the right OF these terrific
ries to be admitted. and plainly the
duty Of both parties to favor their adj
mission, aside from all questions OF
politics. With their present popula-
ton, wealth. and development, they
ought to be admitted without refer
ence to whether their admission would
aid the Republican or Democratic par
ty. Their exclusion is a plain case OF
making a great question OF popular
rights and constitutional government
subordinate TO partisan politics. The
fact that their admission will inure to
the immediate benefit of the Republi-
can party really does not touch the
merits OF the case. 1t only shows that
the political advantages Of the Repub-
leans comedies with their political
duty. The right thing is also the pol
itic thing, and the highest political
Justice is identical with the shrewdest
political policy.
The admission of three states will
give the Republicans six additional
senators and five or six additional rep
resentatiyes as an immediate result.
How long this political condition NAV
last is no more q proper question of
consideration than the exclusion OF the
territories for political reasons is
proper. Once admitted, the politics of
the new states will be subject to the
same influences and changes as other
states, and they may in time become
Democratic. There is this to be said,
however: The unjust treatment they
have received from the Democratic
party has begotten bitter prejudice
and made them more strongly Repub-
lican than they would otherwise be.
Those territories are naturally Repuh-
iican, just as Kansas and Nebraska
were, because they are largely peopled
by enterprising, intelligent and read
ing people from the older states, who
are mostly Republicans. The emf
grafton to the West and Northwest has
always been largely Repuhli-
can, as witness the enormous
Republican majority in Kan
sas. This has been a recognized
source OF weakness TO the Republican
party in some of the older states, and
there is an element OF Justice in the
party recovering, by the admission of
these territories, some of the political
ctttiiEth ~ ioHt ~ HOfuttttilS bAtuts
Bat aside from the fact that the terri
tories are naturally Republican. they
have been made more strongly so by
the treatment they have received from
the Democracy. The same spirit OF
injustice and oppression that made
the colord people solidly and perma-
nea.ly Republican has tended 20 make
Dakota and Washington Territories so,
and il viii probably be some time be-
fore those people can be brought TO
think the Democratic party entitled to
their confidence and support. This is
one OF the WAYS in which the Lord
PARISHES political sin and makes the
wrath OF man to praise Him. tits not
in accordance with the divine plan that
political majorities should be built mp
by persecution and injustice.