The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-01-24
THE HEARING.

| Zee on IerrltorleS IN regard TO the pro-
priety of admitting this Territory to
the Union as State, has come to a
close. There was no question as to
whether or not Utah was entitled to
statehood. She has long possessed all
the requisites to State government.
She is financially able to bear the ad-
ditional expense which would come
with statehood. She has more popula.
ton than is necessary to representa-
ton in Congress under the present ap-
portionment. The people are orderly,
law-abiding and patriotic, and they be-
lieve in republican form of govern
ment. There is not member OF the
committee who does not know that
Utah possesses all the essentials and
requisites emitting her to local self
government as State in the Union
and yet we doubt that there
is member of the commit
tee who entertained the slightest
Idea that tbs Territory would be i'd
mitted, no matter what the hearing
might develop, and no matter what the
report might recommend. A year ago
the Senate said that it would not admit
Utah to the Union, which settled the
matter so far as the Fiftieth Congress is
concerned. Thereafter ali efforts look
ing to admission or to its prevention
were vain and idle. Hence when the
committee announced that it would
hear arguments for and against the
proposition to let the Territory into
the Union, it announced that it had
time which hung heavily on its hands,
and that it would like to employ some
of it in listening to wrsngle which
would be without results in so far as
the advancing or delaying of the State.
hood movement was concerned.
In one sense We are not sorry that
the hearing has taken place. though
pleased that it is over with. The mem
bers of the committee at least, and per-
hsps few others as we'll, will have
their eyes opened to the great injustice
that has been aud is being practiced on
this Territory by refusing the SELF
government to which the people are
entitled. The showing made by MessIs.
Richards, Game, Bean and Smith,
and the argument of Judge Wilson
must have had convincing
effect on the minds of the committee
men, assuming that the latter are in
telligsnt gentlemen and not afflicted
with more than the ordinary degree OF
prejudice. They must have seen that
the gentlemen named were honest,
earnest and truthful, and that they
were pleading for the RI hit and Justice
which were so long withheld and
denied On the other hand, the malice
the venom and the unreasonableness
OF Governor West and his associates
must have beer apparent to the COM
mittee. We assume that the PROPOSE
ton to govern a peaceful, law-abidir
American community by an irres onsl-
BILE commission with an autocralic
Governor at its head exercising the IN
heard of power to appoint all officers, |
would not strike the average Congress !
man very favorably, and unless that |
was constructed on a
most peculiar plan, he woald not hold |
in high esteem a man wac could make
such a startling and unrepublican
Those who listened to the
TRADES of West, Mcbride and, Ferry
could not have failed to be impressed
with the belief that it would
be like throwing children to raYenous
wolves, to turn this Territory over to
the rule of such men.
In the respect that it has given the
committee and others a better insi ght
into the true situation out here, the
hearing may result in some good; but
that it will speed or delay the enamel
patton of the colony one hour, we do |
not believe. at any rate, we
are glad that it has ended For
a couple of years past. the better
element in the community has done its |
utmost to keep down the agitation |
which so long distracted the people
and hindered the development and
progress so much desired. A fair de-
gree of success has attended the effort,
and as result considerable advance
has been made. If the Governor and |
his friends could have their way
they would put a stop to this
condition of things. Their as
saults on the people of the
Territory had for their object the re-
vival of the old order. when every body
was qusrreling with every body else.
when faction was trying to get the be 9
Ter of faction, and the material intere.,s
Of the community suffered. It is
hoped that His Excellency will fail in
his aim, and that he will not be able 10
again set the people by the ears. IfIe
shall succeed, then the committee hear.
ing will result in much more injury
49,. oood Wa bona thu confest hoe