The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-04-23
IDAHO'S STATEHOOD.

There are two things which will tend to
defeat the scheme for getting Idaho into
the union. If anybody shall take the
trouble to bring either of these to the at
tention of Congress- we fear the efforts of
our ambitious neighbOr will be defeated,
and statehood delayed for some years. We
refer first to the matter Of population. The
claim is put forth that Idaho's people num-
Der fully one hundred thousand. We wish
it was true but it may be doubted that if
census were taken tomorrow more
than sixty thousand souls could be
enumerated without resort to
the head boards in the cemeteries and the
listing of mules At the election in No
vember a total of 10000 votes were polled.
Aside from those in the southern and south
eastern sections Of the territory, the mum
Der above represented the full voting
strength of Idaho. 1t has been estimated
that 9S per cent of those entitled to vote
cast their ballots at the late election, the
aggregate being given above. The canvass
was most thorough, and party spirit
was 50 intense and so general that
every man who could reach the
polls felt it to he patriotic
duty to vote The more populous counties
being those which include the mining dis
tricts, the percentage OF males of voting
age is much higher than in agricultural
regions, and higher perhaps than in any
other territory. In old communities it is
estimated there is one voter to every five
people, while in Idaho there is a voter to
every three of the population. Thus, in
Guiding what are known as the Mormon
districts, where the majority Of the
people have been disfranchised,
the total population would aggregate
between fifty and sixty thousand
We think that fifty thousand enterprising,
progressive western people are equal to the
duties, the responsibilities and to bearing
the expense.of a state government, and if
the people are willing to accept the increased
burden for the sake Of gaining more of
their rights as citizens, they should not be
denied the privilege. But Congress has, if
not by law, certainly by a custom which is
equally binding, established rule that no
territory shall be admitted to the Union
before it contains population which
would entitle it to a Representative
in Congress. The theory is a correct
one, but the practice is cruel which deprives
thousands of American citizens of the rights
of local self-goYernment because they do
not happen to be grouped in crowded com
munities. The last appOrtionment made
15O, 900 population the basis Of representa-
ton, or nearly three times the number of
people in Idaho. 1t is not likely that the
l,a Of ba vt m
portionment. as the demand of the country
is that the membership of the lower house
of Congress shall be reduced rather
than increased, it being recognized
by all that that branch of the
national legislature is so large as to be I'M
wieldy and awkward If the enemies to
Idaho statehood shall go to Congress with
the showing that the territory is unable to
muster half the number Of people in the
average Congressional district, bill for ad-
mission cannot possibly be passed, the OPP
position to ''rotten-borough states being
more and more pronounced every time the
people think of decaying Nevada. That
Idaho has enemies who will make the
showing indicated, and viii press it, cannot
be doubted. Next year the census enumer-
ators viii settle the business, for they
will necessarily expose the Righteousness
of the claim in regard to population.
The other matter to which we refer as
being something that will kill the pos
sibility of statehood in the immediate
future is the late legislature. The journals !
of the assembly, or file of local news
paper for the sixty days that the law
makers were in session, would be suf- |
fcient with a Congressional committee to
put quietus upon the statehood scheme. |
We do not think it will be disputed that no
more incompetent, scurvy and disreputable |
men ever came together as legislators
than those who were in control OF