Nevada County picayune., 1890-04-09
SELF.GOVERNMENT.
MT. Mills Lays Down Some Good
 Democratic Doctrine.

Mir. Chairman, it would seem from the speeches we have been listening to and the amendments which have been offered to this bill, either that the settlers in this new Territory arc not part of the American race or that the American people have lost their capacity for self-government. The whole of our political institu- tions are based as upon q bedrock upon the assumption that man is capable of self-governmclt; and the history of the formation of all the governments of this Union, from the first in Massachusetts and Virginia, extending all over the whole country from ocean to ocean and from the lakes to the Gulf, has in century demonstrated that each American community is capable of governing itself
 They tell Us, Mir. Chairman, that there are Indians in this Territory and that, therefore, we must prevent the white people from importing in- toxicatlng beverages. Where is there q Territory in the Union m which the first nucleus of govern ment of English-speaking people was not formed in the presence of Indi- ans: The first government of Mass achusetts, of Rhode Island, of Con nectlcnt, of Georgia, of New York of Pennsylvania, of all the other States, was formed in the presence of Indians. There is not one of those States to-day in this family of the United States whose first local government was not formed in the presence of Indians. It was so in my own State, and the Indians large ly dominated the whites; yet we had no prohibition. The white people of that State were capable of governing themselves and taking care of them selves and the Indians, too.
 A statute has been read which has been on our Federal statute books these many years, but it is statute that was made against the Indians, because our fathers never believed that the Indians were capable of self-government. They knew they were not, and hence they provided that no intoxicating liquor should be carried into the Territory where the Indians were, and where white peo- pie were prohibited from going. The Indians are not capable of self gov ernment, but we are; and the histo- ry of the last 100 years has shown that this government, based upon the consent and will of each individ- ual and of each community, has at tained greatness of power, yes, and temperance which exists nos where else. Our fathers hated pa ternalism and l inherit that hate. If the people, who are our creators, are not capable of self-government, how is it that the creature is so much more wise and virtuous than those who created it! How IS it that we can govern the white people of Okla homa better than they can govern themselves! How is it that we, the servants of the people, can govern our masters, and yet that those mas ters arc incapable of governing them selves! l shall vote against all these amendments, and if you attempt this paternalism by placing these prescriptions upon this bill, prohib' ting each man from determing for himself what he will eat, what he will wear, where he will go, how long he will stay, when he will come back, l will vote against the bill.
 This is free government, and freedom means that each man shall determine for himself what he will do, what he will eat, what he wll drink, what he will wear, what creed he will profess, everything that re- gards himself alone and dissociates him from his fellow beings. The rightful jurisdiction of government comes in where his action involves ! another; he is not the subject of any government except the government of God and his own conscience This, sir, is my creed,
 ] believe that l am capable of talk ing care of myself; believe that each of the gentlemen before me is capable of taking care of himself, and believe equally that each one of the white men in Oklahoma Territory is just as capable of taking care ot