The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-12-14
THE WHOLE SITUATION.
Admission Will Complete the
Measure of Utah's Great
ness,
BOTH SIDES PRESENTED.
Utah is Now Fully Prepared for State
hood in Every Re-
spect.
Enumeration of the Political and Com
mercial Benefits That Would Follow
Statehood-The Objections Raised
and What There is in Them.

and What There is in Them.
The events of the recent election have
placed Utah in touch with the Union.
Statehood, which year ago was remote
and problematical, is today much more
than possibility. Utah viii then have
equal opportunities in regard to public
advantages with every other state in the
Union.
To persons accustomed to roam over
the mountains, with no fixed habitation
except the most likely mining camp, and
who are always liz readiness to pull up
stakes the moment a new and richer camp
has been discovered; who shift from one
state and territory to another regardless
of their boundaries, and who are as much
at home in New Mexico as they are in
Idaho, the birth of a new state is a mat
ter of little consequence. It has never
occurred to them that s'The crowning
fact, the kingliest act OF freedom, is the
freeman s vote. -
But our mining camps are full of men
who are there to stay as long as the ore
lasts. Our valleys are thickly populated
with thrifty and Industrious citizens
nuOS6 Interests are WEdppOQ up III IUOSS
of the territory, our cities are built up and
sustained by men of energy and means,
who expect to spend the remainder of
their days IN Utah, and to all such the
question of state hood and the consequent
exercise of all the powers of American
citizenship is of vital importance.
Complete citizenship is priceless boon
and all the greatest privileges of a Repub-
iican form Of government are withheld
he ,--fo
The rights of local self government are
the most precious guaranteed by the con-
stitution and without which Americans
might almost as we'll live in a monarchy.
The probable admission of Utah natur-
ally attracts a deep interest as to the pro-
cess OF legislation necessary to attain adj
mission into the Union. New Mexico
and Arizona having applied for the neces-
sary license Will probably be admitted
before or at the same time as Utah.
An enabling act passed the House at
the last session for the admission of New
Mexico and was reported favorably by the
Senate committee. A bill for the admis-
sion of Arizona passed the House and is
pending before the Senate committee.
Three or four days prior to the adjourn
ment of the last Congress, Representative
Game introduced an enabling act for
Utah, which is similar to the New Mexi-
can bill. 1t is different from the bill in
troduced by Senator Teller earlier in the
session, as it provides for the calling of
q constitutional convention, and that
upon its adoption the president shall by
proclamation declare its admission. The
Teller bill, while it held out TO be an en-
abiing act, provided that after constitu
ton had been formulated and ratified by
the people, the whole matter should 60
to Congress for its adoption or rejection.
The Game bill leaves the matter wholly
in the hands of the president, and ii was
in this way that Idaho, Montana, Wyom-
ing and the Dakotas came into the
Union. The Utah constitutional con-
vention viii consist of delegates elected
from the different counties, and after the
convention has formulated constitution
it viii be submitted to the voters of the
territory for their ratification. A gen
eral election for state officers will then be
held and the president will issue proc
lamation announcing the admission of
Utah into the Union. This is the mode
OF procedure laid down by the Game bill.
ADVANTAGES OF STATEHOOD.
The political and commercial advan-
fages which may be anticipated upon
Utah becoming a state are so many and
so varied that it is almost impossible to
even refer to them in one article, as they
include every blessing and every privi-
lege conferred by the constitution of the
United States, the inhabitants of q terri
tory being in a great measure aliens and
viewed with distrust by all large finan-
cial institutions. While it has pleased
the members of that political party in
Utah that opposes statehood to style
themselves 'sthe only Americans, - in
point of fact, as for participating in the
privileges accorded the citizens of the
states, they occupy almost the same 70 OF
ing as the aliens who have not vet re-
ceived their naturalization papers.
Among the political advantages that
would follow the admission of Utah
would be a realization of that idea,
so dear to the American peo-
pie, OF local self government.
The management of local affairs
would be placed under the absolute con-
troll of the people. Carpet bagism would
be wiped out. The administration of
local self government would no longer be
IN the hands OF politicians selected at
Washington, but the people would select
their own officials to administer their own
laws. The material interests OF the
territory would surely be most effectually
promoted if the affairs OF government
were in the control of men whose personal
interests and prosperity were identified
with those of Utah.
Then it is well known that people who
have enjoyed the privileges of living
in the states have almost insuperable OBJ
jections to placing themselves in terri
torial community. With its well known
timidity capital stands aghast at the idea
of embarking in territorial enterprises,
and with these shackles on immigration
and capital the prosperity. of territory is
greatly curtailed. Many large financial
interpretations are precluded by their
charters from investing in territories.
FOREIGN INVESTMENTS PROHIBITED.
We are now suffering from pro-
hibitory United States alien law which
prevents any foreign capital from invest
ing in mines or real estate in our midst,
while our neighboring states on the
north, west and east are free from any in
hibition whatever. Our mines have to
go begging. while France, England and
Germany can invest in our nelghboring
states free from these jectionable restric-
tions. Foreign capital has done much to
develop the mineral and other resources
OF other western states. Some of Den
ver's great business blocks have been
bnilt by foreigners.
As territory we are absolutely re-
stricted as whole, and our counties and
cities Limited to the amount Of bonded