, 1889-10-01
TO THE PEOPLE,
Address Issued by the eonstitu-
tionaI Convention. V
Why the Great Territory Should
Become a State.
In a Short Time Taxes Will be
Lower Than Now.

Following is the address OF the cOnstl-
tutional convention to the people. 1t
was prepared BY NJ. G. Brown, C. H.
Burnett. H. G. Hay, NJ. N. Grant, jesse
Knight. G. c. Smith. G. P. Organ, H.
A. Colleen, d. A. Preston. Mark Hop.
kins and F. Fl. Harvey:
The convention convened at Cheyenne
on Sept. 2, 1889, to frame a constitution
for the state of Wyoming, has completed
its labors.
The constitution so framed will be sub
mitted to you for adoption or rejection on
Nov. 5, 1889. .
The convention designated the under
signed as a committee to lay before the
people of the territory reasons Why the
foregoing constitution should be adopted.
Our space is limited and in this ad.
dress We can only call your attention to a
few of the many good reasons that exist.
Every county in the territory was rep
resented in the convention. A months
time of careful, conscientious and pains
taking labor has been spent in formulate
ing this constitution. In all our deliber-
atoms we have endeavored to embody in
our fundamental law such economic meas
ures as we believed would commend our
work to the people of the whole territory,
without reference to partisan politics and
with equal protection for the rich and
poor.
TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT.
TOR twenty years and more Wyoming
has been laboring under the disadvantages
of a territorial form of government.
These disadvantages are numerous. We
have no voice in the selection of the most
important officers who administer our To-
cal affairs; no voice in the enactment OF
laws by congress, to which we must Weld
obedience; and 90 voice in the election OF
the chief magistrate of the republic, who
appoints the principal officers by whom
the executive and judicial affairs of our
territory are administered. 1t has been
well said. "A territory cannot have a set.
tied public policy. The fact that congress
may ut any time annul its legislation on
any matter Of purely local concern, pre-
vents active cooperation by the people
on those sl.ighter planes of public life
which result in the establishment of a
permanent stats policy" The abuse of
the veto power ny alien governors-tke
lack of familiarity Of alien judges with our
laws, and the frequent changes of our ex
ecutive and judicial officers, as it has been
in the past and may be again in the tu-
ture, cannot but discourage the people.
Although citizens of the United States in
name, we have in fact been DISTINGUISHED.
Territorial representation in congress is a
delusion-the territories of these United
States have no representation. Taxation
without representation, a condition in
many respects allied to colonial
vassalage, with the many other
wrongs that follow the application
of those two anti American ideas. and
with which you are familiar. have all
united to render the condition of the
people OF Wyoming-the most energetic,
intelligent and patriotic citizens of the
United States. well nigh intolerable. We
have endured all those things up to the
present time without a murmur of dis
content because we have not heretofore
seen u way clear TO throw off those
chains OF political and industrial hon
dage, and to ask, with hope of success,
our admission into the federal Union
where we could enjoy equally with sister
states the right of local self government
and those other natural and inalienahle
rights granted in the constitution to every
man. The residents of Wyon ing terri
tory ale the descendants OF free citizens
such as framed the constitution of the
United States. The loyalty of the sons
to Republican institutions and their love
of liberty has not been decreased, but
increased by the hardships and dangers
that have been endured and by the diff
culties that have been encountered and
overcome in laying the foundation. 1t is