, 1888-11-09

JNO +.
Editor,
A 1T STATEHOOD?

~ - D@AAANH 49, 1922
ming have said statehood and said 1t
pretty loud. y Yesterdays Sun.
What Mr.. Baird doubtless meant in an
i%ronical sense the San accepts in sober
earnest. Judge Carey will probably be
elected delegate by a majority OF from
l,SOO to 1000 votes. Does any man at
all cognizant of the practical workings Of
territorial politics believe for a moment
that the question of statehood influenced
100 votes either way? THE LEADER feels
now as it felt during the whole campaign
regarding this question. Statehood is
now and will be for some years to come
nothing but an intangible political will o
the wisp. After all the asperities of the
campaign have passed away nobody will
assert that, with taxation so exorbitant as
it now is, this undeveloped territory will
be ready to assume the responsibility of
statehood for five years to come. When
it is realized by the people here that the
territory is ripe for statehood Mr.. Organ
or any other Democratic delegate could
have been relied upon to fight as vigorous
ly for that object as Judge Carey. and the
people knew it.
What did the hundreds OF Finlander
voters in Uinta and Sweetwater counties,
who know nothing of our institutions and
scarcely anything of our language, know
OIL care anything about statehood? All
these poor coal miners knew wa that
they must DO the bidding OF their masters
or lose the chance to earn bread to sup
port themselves, their wives and their
children. Marched up to the polls in
gangs, they stolidly took the tickets that
were offered them and cast the ballot,
with which the intelligent American citi,
zen may at any time settle the fate of the
nation, without knowing or caring or APP
preciating the consequences.
In Uinta county two years ago, when
nearly the entire Democratic ticket was
elected, Judge Carey, who then had no
opposition for delegate, received 924
votes. This year when the Democrats,
as usual, elect all the chief county officers,
Carey will probably receive a majority
of 700. As is well known a vast propor
ton of the Uinta voters are Mormons
and coal miners. WEI any sane man be-
lieve that these people kney of any extra
ordinary thing that Judge Caroy had
done for them or that they imagined he
would put forth any desperate efforts to
annlprafa th,ir ,nnIitinpD Non-a,a
There is a firm out in the western part
Of the territory with headquarters at
Evanston, which is known as Beckwith,
Quinn & Co. This firm runs a bank and
four general stores located at Evanston.
Almy, Carbon and Rock Springs
respectivs Ely. Through an arrangement
with the Union Pacific they
have Tor years paid the
coal miners at the stores located in the
various camps. In this way they we're
not only assured OF receiving cash for
whatever goods were purchased by these
men but in addition exercised a degree of
influence over them that is more tangible
than occult. A few months ago the m
ployment and discharge of all these men
was given to this firm absolutely. The
bread and butter of the miners depend
upon Beckwith, Quinn & Co., and the
immense power Of the firm is exercised
politically as well as otherwise.
The territorial contest this year has not
hinged on statehood. That was a SUBJ
sidiary issue that cut scarcely any figure.
1t was a question OF the corporations
against the common people, and the cor
porations have won.
Democracy's ultimate fight in Wyoming
must be made on these lines. Truth Is
mighty and must prevail. Corporate in
fuence has done Its work this year, but
the people may be sufficiently aroused to
do their whole duty some other year.