Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1897-06-29
TUESDAY EVENING, JUNE 90 1897

,1, wopld be an exceptional case u
our history II there were no oppos''''p
~ no annexation Of Hawaii. The
.,rooont area of the United States is
more than seven times as great as tnai
of The thirteen original states, ano
eyerv new aeqisiiion of territory 'ha'
met with strong opposition from som
Quarter. The first great eyeht OF Inc
kind. and one Of vast Importance the
acquisition of the Louisiana territory IL
1903. excited litter criticism and op
uositiop. TO begin with, it was ~
au,horizsd..- The cffsr of sale by
France was-unexpected, and President
Jefferson accepted 1T and closed tht
bargain on his own responsibility
without any constitutional a~uthorny
and without the knowledge OF con
gress. He felt conf lent it was a great
thing for the country, and he trusted
congress to ratify his &C ION. l
finally did 50, but not without Vioien'
opposition in congress and through
out the country. The purchase was
DIN unced rs unconstitutional. So II
wa. Jefferson bimself admitted tina,
it was. Some sAufdrhe price, $l5 ,000,
coo. was,farJtoo~ grehS-for q wilderness.
This wilderness comprised what now
forms the whole or part Of the present
states OF Arkansas, iowa, Kansas
Louisiana, Minnesots, Missouri, Ne
brasks. Oregon, the Indian Territory
Colorado, the two D.kotas, liaho,
Montana Washington aud Wyoming.
Fifteen million dollars was thought too
high a price for that piece OF land.
Then it was said so vast q territory
could not be held together under one
government; that there was no COM
b munity OF interest between Indian
fighters and trappers and the people OF
y the East that it would impoverish the
ofder states to maintain SO vast d ter
ritory, and SO on. But the purchase
was finally ccnsummated, and a great
y thing it was for the country. +
The Mexican war, which began with
the annexation of Texas and ended
with the acquisition of New Mexico
and California, vas regardedAatl the
time as n democratic measure and was
strongly opposed BY the Wing party.
The legislatures of eight northern
states protested against the annt xation
of Texas. All the close of the war
There was strong, Opposition to- the
J acquisition Of. California and New
4 Mexico, and it was with difficulty that
Z congress was induced to vote the
money necessary to consummate the
treaty.
The purchase of Alaska 10 1867
aroused a storm of opposition and
ridlcule. Andrew j Johnson was presi-
dent, ard there was a good deal OF
apolitils In the opposition, though 1t
was based on the alleged worthiessness
IF the Territory its remoleness, the fac'
that we did not need it, e'c. Mr.. Sc
ward. secretary of state, had negotiated
Che treaty secretly, and the first notice
congress or The country had of the pro-
ceeding was that the purchase had been
made. Then the administration appeal
"a to congress to ratify the transaction.
In the senate there was strong opposi-
lion to ratifyIDg the treaty and In the
house to voting the purchase money,
So. 200. 00c. Every possible argument
Vas used to defeat the purchase. Il
%was SAID the-Terfitory was absolutely
Worthless, that it would cost an enor
nous sum to hold and defend it, that
ii would weaken the bonds OF the re-
Gpublic, etc. One speaker in congress
9aid: "The annual cost OF holding
fhe country will be about as follows :
Interest on purchase money at 7 8 per
Gent, $3.50, 700; military power to
protect II, not less than s $1,000, 900;
total, SIS, 100000 q year." In return
for this be could see absolutely nothing.
As-to the absolute worthlessness Of the
country he said: "None but malefac-
tors will ever live there, and we shall
.M -
be at constant war with the savsges.''
But the treaty was finally retified.
and the purchase money was voted
as the best way out II o bad bargain.
From 1867 to 1884 Alaska got along
without any government at all. Then
it was made a ssa-civA and judicial
DISTRICT AT present the officers, ap-
pointed BY the president, are: Gov
srnyr, salary $4,000 marshal, 81. 500;
Judge, So. 600; clerk, $1,000. and four
United States commissioners. who re-
ceiye fees. The government does not
cost the United States 800, 900 . year.
The government has received IN ac'uai
went from the seal fisheries much
more thar the original purchase money
with interest. The salmon fisheries
M nnt o. several million dollars q