The morning call., 1894-01-06
NEW STATES.

II seems TO be fOEegone conclusion that
Utah, New Mexico and Arizona are 10 be
admitted TO statehood by this Congress.
The arguments which were made against
the admission of Wyoming, Montana and
Idaho are not being reTeated. Congress-
men seem to have settled down to a con-
viction that the territorial condition in
wolves difficulties; that the sooner new
communities are trained to govern them
selves the better it will be for the nation,
and that they should not be kept In posi-
ton of tutelage.
1t is argued by some intelligent OBJ
servers that in admitting new States some
estimate of their probable future should
be made in order 10 prevent the larger
States from being swamped by the smaller.
When objections based upon such appre-
tensions were raised TO the admission OF
Montana. Idaho and Wyoming it was re-
piled that they were largely agricultural
States, and that they would grow az the
river valley States have grown. That re-
mains to be seen. The three States had in
1890 combined reputation of 277, 249, and
it has not trapspired that the population
has increased since then. though it may
have done so. Statehood does not neceS-
fraction OF the soil of all three States can
not be utilized without irrigation works.
The three Territories which it is now
proposed to admit differ in character.
Utah in the census year had a population
of 207, 905 after white occupation Of
forty-three years. The question whether
it will attract immigrants from the East
and from Europe depends largely on the
confidence placed in the Mormon assuT-
ance that pOlygamy has been abandoned.
That confidence cannot be described as
robust at the present moment. Many in
telligent people believe that as soon as
Utah is admitted and State government
organized, the Mormon church will re-
assert its doctrine from the vantage ground
of State sovereignty. So long as doubts
linger on this point, Gentiles will be slow
TO pitch their tents in Utah, and its in
crease will be largely confined to the influx
OF Mormon proselytes.
New Mexico occupied a different posi-
ton. II had in 1890 population of 153. 593.
1t contains some fine agricultural land.
and in the southwestern corner some ex-
celent mines. Its area is immense
121, GOO square miles. The chief objection
which has thus far been made to admit
ting it as a State is that its people are
mixed race, the Indian and halibreed
Spanish element outnumbering the AmeTi-
cans. People are slow to believe that
community in which Indians and half
breeds predominant can exercise inteli-
gently The duty of self-go verDment. But
if Utah and Arizona are admitted New
Mexico can hardly be kept out.
Arizona is the least developed of the
three Territories. 1t has been a Territory
of the United States for thirty years, yet
it only contains $4,000 people A great
deal Of its land is only fit for pasture, but
much of the remainder is ca pable of being
made highly productive by irrigation.
Great schemes are now protected, pro-
crossing or completed for bringing water
upon its arid tracts. Some of the best
agricultural and mineral land of the Ter
ritory is devoted to Indian reservations.
With its grazing, mining and agricultural
possibilities. the removal of the Apachss
and the opening of their reservation to
settlement Arizoaa's future is compare.
lively although not very Immediately
promising
II these three Territories are admitted,
as it seems they will be. six States-Wyo-
ming, Idaho, Montana. Utah, New Mexico
and Arizona, which had a total popula-
ton in 1890 of 697, 767-will elect twelve
Senators, enough to turn the scale on any
question on which parties are closely
divided.
To these should be added Oklahoma.
With its 100000 inhabitants of genuine
American frontier stock and its fertile
prairie soil it is really tile best fitted for
statehood of any of the Territories now
waiting for admission to the Union.