The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-12-15
Utah us a State.

IL 10 natural that the House OF Repre-
sentatives should have listened to the ap-
peal OF Utah for admission into the Union.
although the provision IL has made for the
purpose Is not the wisest one. By vote
nearly or quite unopposed, no demand
even being made for a call OF the roll. the
House has passed an enabling act. under
which the people Of Utah may frame and
adopt a Constitution, preliminary to enter
ing the Union as State.
The claims OF this Territory to such leg
islation are undoubtedly great. Even three
and half years ago Utah had population
OF POI. 9Oj. which is far in excess OF the num-
Der required for Representative under the
present apportionment act. She may have
200. and one estimate gives her 246. 900.
people to-day. Her resources for maintain
ing herself as q State are also adequate.
Her assessed property is about Sl2O OOO. 600.
Her banks at u recent date had n capital Of
nearly $4,000. 900. and deposits of double that
amount. Her output OF metals In the last
twenty years has exceeded 1926. OOO. 600. and
last year 1t was valued at $l1 .50O. 900. al
though with the decline in silver 1t Is now
reduced. Iron. lead. copper. coal, and
salt are found in great abundance
in Utah. and 1t has been said that
her asphalt could pave all the cities
OF America for years to come. Her wool
clip recently reached 100000 pounds.
and her horses. mules. CATTLE and sheep
were valued ut SO, 100000. Her railroads are
busy. and her schools. thanks to the Free
School law. are tlourlshng. MS also is Desc
ret University. PolyRamy Is dead and
buried beyond resurrection.
But while Utahs claims to admission into
tho Union are strong, there Is better way
OF bringing ii about than the one which tho
House has adopted. The occasion should
be seized. as Mr.. CAKES showed during the
debate. for redeeming Nevada as well as
admitting Utah. The two should be
Joined and made a single State. Neva-
da for nearly thirty years has been a
discredIt to our American political sys-
TEN. She was brought into 1t in 1864
as a rotten-borough State. and has SO con-
tinued to be ever since. At the census OF
1860 she had only 6,s57 people. and the Rep
resentative apportionment law then called
for 1891. Ii was urged that she would
grow up rapidly. but in 1880 sho had ONLY
62,26s people, while in 1890 she had actually
fallen back to 1871, thus losing more than
one-fourth in the ten years.
These facts and figures have made Ne.
vada a byword. and they must be more dis
agreeable to her own people than to any
body else. A great part OF tho State was
once included In tho Territory OF Utah. and
the division line ought to be oLlterated to-
day. Should Nevada annex Utah. the two
would have splendid aggregate OF popu-
lation and industrial strength The com
bined area would by no means form the
largest State in the Union. The country will
do much for Utah In admitting her to the
Union, and she would more than repay the
obligation by helping to relieve our system
of one Of its peterborough States. Nevada
should. and presumably would. be delighted
at such means Of escaping from the re-
proaches Of her neighbors, and becoming
worthy companion for the strongest and
most promising Of them. Let the senate
think over these views.