Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1889-01-11
The State Convention.

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The following resolutions were
adopted at the Statehood convention
which met at Ellensburgh on the I'd
instant, as reasons for speedy admis-
sion into the Union:
First-The population Of this Terri
tory is over 250,000. 1t is true this
number is an estimate, no reliable
census of population having been tax
en- since 1880. At that time the fed
eral census showed the population Of
this Territory to be 66,979. There
was sharply contested election for
Delegate to Congress in the fall of 1880.
At that election 1897 votes were
..o:led in the Territory for said Office,
thus showing that there were about
| five inhabitants to each voter. At the
election for Delegate i'll November,
1883, 46, ,348 votes were polled. Count
ing five persons to each voter, which
the election in 1880 showed to be nearly
correct, there were in the Territory at
the November 1883 election 231,740
people. Add to this fact that six
months residence is qualitificaon of
voter, and that the six months pre-
ceding the election were remarkable
for greatly increased population to
this Territory, We can safely say that
our population is over 100000. A
simple reference to the increased val
uation of taxable property presents in
controvertible proof of this fact. In
1880 the total taxable property was
3,70S,5S7. In 1888 this amount was
almost quadrupled, and reached the
sum of $S4, GAL ,34S. Washington Ter
ritory is the home of families, not
adventures, of home-builders, not
transients.
Second-This population is intelli-
gent and patriotic, having no opinions
or institutions, civil, political or relig-
ious not in harmony with republi-
can form of government. Though liv-
ing over 5000 miles from the seat of
government they are as devotedly at
tached to the principles Of liberty reg
ulated by law as the people of any 9TH
er portion of the American Union.
Third-The industries of the people
and the natural resources of the do
main to be included in the boundaries
of the future State are to be consider
ed. Washington Territory has within
her borders an inexhaustible supply of
lime, fish, timber, gypsum, marble,
coal, lead, iron and the precious met
ais. In coal and iron she il the Penn
sylvania Of the Pacific coast. Her ag-
ricultural and pastoral resources are
unequalled. No country can exceed
her in the production of the cereals,
vegetables, fruits, hops and live stock.
The port of Puget Sound, in ton
mage from entrances and clearances,
is the fourth port in the United States.
Not only are her resources varied, but
they are by the enterprise Of her peo-
pie in such a state of developement
and productive wealth as to enable her
to meet the additional expense of State
government without burdensome tax
alton. Not only that, but her re;
sources are Of that nature and char
acter as to give prominence and in
creasing growth. These natural re-
sources, now but in the infancy of
their development, are the foundation
of a mighty commonwealth soon to be.
The people Of Washington are able,
willing and anxions to assume the
rights and meet the responsibilities of
State government Her citizens, us
American freemen, ask for admission
into the Union as sovereign State.
The rights, privileges and immunities
deemed SO dear and valuable to the
citizens of State she asks to have
conferred on her citizens. Why
should she be denied?
The annexation OF northern Idaho
was also included in the petition to
Congress, it being urged that the ne
cessities of the people of that locality
depended more upon Washington
than Idaho.
An address to the people of this
Territory was prepared and read. Al
ter reciting the history and advance
ment Of Washington Territory during
the thirty-six years since the Territory
was created, the address says: The ad-
mission Of Washington Territory into
the Union at this time will be but an
act Of simple justice and its longer ex-
clusion will be q grave political wrong.
Therefore your delegates in convention
assembled appeal to you as citizens of
this great and growing commonwealth
to Join in an earnest and united effort
to secure its admission into the Union
by the present Congress. They be-
lieve that clear and candid state
ment Of it's claim to admission and an
emphatic expression of the desire of
its people for it will receive careful at
tention and insure favorable action,
and, therefore, they urge you to use
every honorable effort to secure it and
especially to circulate and as soon as
possible forward petitions to that effect
to your Delegate in Congress to be
by him presented to that honorable
body for consideration. The time has
now come for action. Let no honest
endeavor be spared to insure success.
The form OF petition adopted for sig
natures by citizens is as follows:
To the Honorable the Senate and
Representatives Of the United States:
We, the undersigned, your petition
ers, most respectfully pray that your
honorable body, at the earliest moment,
pass such acts Us may seem to you most
rron.r for the admission of the Terri