The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-03-31
Its Enactment Into a Law
Recommended.
THE TERRITORY's RESOURCES
Fitness of the People for Self Government
lniquity of Gubernatorial Yetoes-Neces-
sity for the Utah Commission Gone
The Territorial System is
Un-Amertcan.
HERALD BUREAU, !
Cor. 18th and G Streets, n. w.
WaGurN-SrSN- n n Moroh %

WASHINGTON, d. c., March 60
Mr.. Joseph E. Washington, the chairman
of the House tel ritories committee, has
finished the majority report on the Home
Rule bill. 1t is quite volumnious and is
made up largely of statistics showing the
social ana political conditions and the popu.
lation and material resources of Utah ter
ritory. The chairman treats the subject
in spirit so broad and liberal that no citi-
zen of Utah, however radically he NAV
differ from him, can fail to be flattered by
what he says.
He begins by saying that his committee
has had the Home Rule bill under favorable
consideration and that they herewith re-
port 1t back to the House with the recon-
mendation
THAT 1T BE PASSED.
Continuing, the chairman says: "Given
the resources and people qualified for
self government, there is no argument
known to our constitution which would de-
priye that people of the right to order its
own affairs. A territorial government is
an anomaly in our political establishment,
thing which the founders of the republic
never contemplated as a permanency, if
they contemplated it at all. When it was
established, IL was for the purpose of main
tanning order until the local community
should grow and develop into a society
competent to maintain state, when the
political establishment created by them
should become an integral part of the
Union.
This is too well understood to require
argument The community which is quail
fed for statehood, seeks only an oppor-
tunity to demonstrate its capacity for self
government by an experiment, presents an
appeal TO which Congress cannot close its
ears without questioning the theory and
the well established principles of local in
situations. Utah has been peculiarly the
subject of federal control, yet she has
grown into territory which in all the es-
sentials of population, wealth and charac-
ter will amply justify the grant of
THE SMALL MEASURE OF POLITICAL POWER
which this bill seeks to vest in her people
The territory has population of 2O7, 905 as
shown by the census of 1890 and an area of
S4l, 100 square mile.
AT this point two tables are introduced
which are taken from the governors report
Of 1891 and which explain the way this area
has been taken up and IN part used. The
report says:
From the same source it is learned that
the assessed valuation of all property real
and personal, exclusive of mines not taxed,
was for the year 1891, Sl21, 1876 04S.37. The
assessed valuation of the incorporated
towns and cities was $50, 664, 9Sl.27 and the
Indebtedness OF the same 81, 294, l06.97, the
greater part of which, or 81, $50, 600, consti-
tutes the debt Of the prosperous cities of
Salt Lake and Ogden, the former of which
has al assessed taxable list of So, 965, GSS
and the latter taxable list of Sl3, 243, 965.
This leaves an Indebtedness of S44, LOG. 70
resting upon seventeen towns which have
taxable values amounting to IS, Isl, 500. 20.
the twenty-six towns remaining having no
debts whatever, but having taxed lists
amounting to So, 2C3, 755.O7.
THE BONDED INDEBTEDNESS
of the territory is over $4,000 bearing 5
per cent. interest.
''As the statistics clearly show, the ter
ritory is the home of typical American
people, endowed with the energy and DOS
sessing the enterprise which have made
this beautiful mountainous country the
habitaUion of industry, refinement and
wealth. For the year ending June 80 1891,
there were erected or under contract for
erection in the cities and towns OF the ter
ritory 2,O59 dwellings of the value of 81
545, 1863, 300 business houses of the value of
s., 334, 995, total value in buildings of 81
$50, 464."
Then follows an interesting ANALYSIS
showing in detail the expenditure for
public and private buildings in 1890; the
number of industrial concerns established
in 1880, and the capital invested therein
the number of stores of all kinds in the
territory: the assessed value of the yari-
Gus farm products of the territory includ-
ng live stock and the various mines.
Under the head of
1.-THE PEOPLE AND THEIR CHARACTER -
the reports: The 2OS, 600 people of Utah are
permanent residents of the territory. iden-
titled with its interests and fixed in their
habitations. They are not nomads or itin
Grants. They have their homes in the
towns. cities, productive mining camps and
on the productive farms which they have
opened and developed. Much attention is
being given to the cause of education, and
the school system of the territory gives
promise of great development and useful
ness. The city of Ogden has issued bonds
to the amount Of 500, 600 for the purpose of
building additional schoolhouses. From
exhibit No. 5 Of the auditors report
in the governors last
message, it appears that ter
ritory and district school tax
to s6lS,6e5.21 was levied for the
benefit of the common free schools in the
year 1891. Besides the common schools
Utah has its due proportion of private.
church and UNCONVENTIONAL schools. OnIv
about per cent. of the people of Utah are
illitarQtn and this fact copcida~o5 - -