The morning times., 1895-12-26
THE FoRTY-FIFTH STAR.
Facts About the Next State to Come
Into the Union.
Cleveland Leader.

Facts About the Next State to Come
Into the Union.
Cleveland Leader
Except as TO a few formalities which are
technically important but cannot long af
| feet the position of Utah, that territory
| is now a State. Its constitution has been
! framed and adopted in accordance with the
| requirements OF the enabling act passed by
| Congress. Every condition has been met,
| and there is no doubt that the President
| making the commonwealth a State of the
| American republic.
| This fact renders the annual report of the
| Governor of the famous Mormon territory
| peculiarly interesting. 1t is careful and
unusually complete statement of the condi.
ton of Utah, its resources and development, +,
and many facts are presented which must
| be gratifying 10 all Americans who desire
| to see healthy, strong and promising States
| instead of weak and dubious ones, come
| into the Union.
1t is shown that the growth of the terri
tory since the national census of 1890 has
been steady and even rather than strikingly
rapid. Thepopulation of five yearsago was
207, ,905. Now it is placed at PAT 1924.
These figures are not estimated. TGey are
the result of an enumeration last summer
which the Governor thinks was the most
complete and careful ever made in Utah.
The rate OF growth has been slightly less
than it was between 1880 and 1890, year
for year, but the actual increase has been
larger than ever before In n like period.
That is exactly the condition OF things
revealed in some of the oldest States Of
the East-Massachusetts, for instance-by
enumerations made this year.
In Utah the growth since 1890 has been
very well distributed. Every county in
the Territory has increased in population,
except two out of which two additional
counties have been organized. This is a
remarkable showing i'll these days OF
| dwindling industries and decreasing popu
lation in many rural districts, throughout
the Eastern and Central States. II be-
tokens the flourishing condition OF agri-
culture in Utah, which is shown by other
statistics bearing more directly upon that
industry.
Moreover, the growth has been of the
hasting, hotne-building kind, as is demon
strated by the nearly equal division between
the sexes. There are &c, ,SO3male nd 20.
521 female residents OF the territory, and
the small excess of men is distributed
through every county except three, where
there are a few more females than males.
four counties. Less than l 400 of the in =
habitants are other than white, most of
this little minority being Chinese. Almost
$4,000 OF the people OF Utah are native
born, and about $500 are OF foreign
birth. This is an unusually large proportion
of native Americans for such section of the
West.
One consequence of the great preponder-
ance of Americans in the territory is seen
in the adoption of State constitution,
which limits the right of suffrage TO citi-
vens OF the United States who have been
citizens at least ninety days before they
may seek 10 vote. When many of the
newer States of the West, in their reckless
desire to attract Immigration, have given
the ballot to aliens on a mere declaration
of intention to become citizens, it is graft
flying to note the caution and safe American
ism which is conspicuous in the constitu-
ton adopted last month by the people of
Utah.
The Governors report shows that Utah
is rich territory. The assessed valuation
of its property is about sos, ,OO0, 600, which
is not much less, in proportion to the
number of inhabitants, than the value put
upon the real and personal property of
Cleveland. Nearly half a million acres
of land are under cultivation, and 300, 600
more are fenced in for pasture. About
80 per cent of the land titled is irrigated
and it is estimated that $500, ,0oO acres
more can he rendered productive in the
same manner. That means that this
mountain region Will not merely be able
to supply the wants of its own citizens
in the way of food, wool, domestic animals,
and the like, but will have a good surplus
to sell to neighboring mining camps.
Another striking evidence of the general
prosperity of Utah, and especially of Utah
farmers, is the fact that out of more than
90, 900 farms only 1900 are in any way in
numbered. Nine out of every ten Utah
farms are clear of mortgages. 1t is doubtful
whether any other new portion of the United
States can make such a showing of fore
handedness.- However, farmers ought not
to be burdened much by debts in q territory
where the average yield of wheat is reported
at twenty-one bushels to the acre, with
the highest yields running up to 65, 81, 20,
T3 and so bushels to the acre. in different
counties. The average yield of barley is 81
bushels, of oats 80 bushels, and of potatoes
l21 bushels. Fruits of many kinds abound.
and live stock flourishes. Dairy products
make fine showing. So do all minor
branches of agriculture.
The banks of Utah have more than So
coo. 900 capital, and their deposits are
about $4,000 900. The factories and
shops of the territory produce nearly ST.
600 900 yearly in finished merchandise,
lasting. building kind, as is demon
products j s between $4,000 900 and ST.
900 900 year. Silver is the chief product
of the mines. with gold a good second,
and coal. lead, and copper following in
order. In every department the industries
of the next Stute seem to be flourishing,
in spite of the low price OF silver.
~ There can be noquestion. in view of such
facts. that the territory long handicapped
by Mormon polygamy is now more than
fit for Statehood. Its new constitution
hedges religious. freedom about as care
fully as it renders plural marriages i'm
possible without gross violation of the
fundamental laws of the commonwealth.
Everything which could be asked has been
done to insure morality. enlightment, and
separation of church and state. Utah is
ali right and the forty-fifth State is GER
tain to take rank at the beginning above
many earlier admitted to the Union.