The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-04-17

some one, ssnder the initials w. g.
B. writes long letter from Prescott,
Arizona. to the New York Nation as
20 whether Arizona can ever become
xufiIcieutly Americsnized 70 become .
successful state in the Union. He
calls attention TO an article BY Prof-
John w. Burgess In the Political S'sesace
Quarterly In which he contends that
there should be no more states made
out Of the territory west OF the Rocky
mountains for long time to come
for the reason that there are too many
alien, I'M American elements to COM
bat. And w. q. b. goes on 70 speak
Of the climate OF Arizona and New
Mexico rs Mexican climate and asks
viii these combined ih the end be
American or Mexican7 All Of this u
very absurd. One Of the most notable
features in the development Of the
United States Is the gradual and sure
trisnph Of the Amsrican idea over
every alien element on the continent.
While Mexico Is composite nation In
the literal sense Of the word, yet the
central heart and cone Of It have
always been intensely American in the
sense that American Is now understood
and Il more 20 to-day than ever before
In the history OF the country. The
larger We grow the more powerful and
absorbent do we become, and the more
quickly and perfectly do We assimilate
everything that comes within our
influence.
II may be thai Arizona and New
Mexico are not worth making states
Of. Their climate may be..so bot and
so dry, and the meansz Irrigation 70
impracticable that Akerican enter
prise may not find in them enough TO
warrant an effort al settlement ard
Improvement. I,ut the failure would
never be because Of alien elements Of
population there. There was very
large alien element In Utah . few
years ago. in the shape of the Nor
mons. and yet when Utah was found
10 be country worth having, the
Identities began to fall In. and
through constant increase and agita-
ton the despotic and fanaEaal rule OF
Mormonism has been broken, polyg-
amy has been estirpaied, and the real
sceptre of power transferred 10 Ameri-
can hands. California is still more
brilliant example of what has
been done west OF the Rocky
mountains in the destruction of an
alien element. Less than half CEN
tury ago We did not ewn California at
all II was ~ thoroughly Mexican as
Sonora. but see She change. In less
than i've years the Americans had
gained complete control of the terri.
tory embodied In the state, and the
Mexican and Spanish population that
once owned all the lands therein, and
that had established a civilization
peculiar 10 itself, is now almost com,
pletely absorbed or extinct, remem-
bered chiefly through the names oil
towns. counties and objects Of nature
There never was furnished So striking
an illustration of the irresistible
quality of Amerieanism when brought
into aggressive competition with an
alien elesnens As that furnished by
California. This is 10 he accounted
Tor by the fact that the gold dis.
eoveries in that state and its other
sources OF wealth aroused the highest
effort. 4 like result would have been
seen in Arizona aud New Mexico. two
territories that embrace over a.ss 90
square miles. had the inducements,
there been saGiseient 10 attract Ameri.
can Immigration ard American enter.
prise. What the ultimate destiny oI
AmerieaniSu on this continent is. II
would be impossible 10 predict, but il
has not yea been known 20 stop Al
anything WORTH having
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