Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1902-05-12
THE WEST FUR STATEHOOD.

1t was good news Tor the territories.
and for the lovers of fair play every
where, that the house passed the state
hood bill. says the Ell Paso Herald. The
house leaders may have some astute
political motive in fighting statehood,
but western republicans are unable to
appreciate it, and stand for fulfilling
platform promises. The west is solid
for statehood. There are many reasons
for holding to this position. Chief
among these are the inherent justice
that demands fair treatment of the ter
r~itories. the ample precedent for the
granting of statehood, and the in
creased weight that the west would
have in both houses with these addi-
tions to the union of states.
1t is beneath the dignity of true
craftsmanship to fight statehood on
grounds of fancied partisan advantage.
In the first place. republicans in the
west are willing to trust the people to
vote the right way; in the second
place. there is no reason to believe
that they will not vote the right way;
in the third place. the party has twice
promised statehood in it's platforms,
and is in honor bound to grant it; in
the fourth place, there is such a thing
no otAOh6thShih6 nv Pooitioh VI bC
party by putting a state or territory
under obligations to it. In the fifth
place. the opposition to statehood is
based on absolutely %untenable and un-
American arguments, that finally re-
duce themselves to a question of not
understanding and recognizing the
needs of the great west, and the limit
less opportunity for the development
of this wonderful empire within our
boundaries.
Craftsmanship is broader than party
or section, n craftsmanship will in
the end conquer all obstacles and the
territories will come into their right
full estate. Until that can be brought
about, it is by no means an i'll omen
to see the western representatives
standing together for the accomplish
ment of this great work. Cooperation
in this matter will lead to united ac-
tion in behalf of other measures for
the development of the west, and the
campaign of education will be followed
up by determined action that will have
to be considered even by the house
leaders,"
The great fight of statehood will
come up in the senate, of course. The
problem there is in some ways pecu-
liar. Six senators will be added to a
body OF ninety, and the west will have
representation apportioned rather to
area than population. The change that
will be brought about in the house of
representatives will be comparatively
Insignificant, being mainly due to the
fact that the representatives Will have
a vote apiece while the delegates have
none. But in the senate the six new
.,A.0@. .A-at0r1 rnnanIlaca of thnfr
party allegiance, will certainly have
weight in determining action on qucs.
tions involving the settlement and de
velopmeIt of the country this side OF
the Mississippi, and the influence OF
the east in national affairs will be less
than ever proportionate to the density
of her population.
The problem is a deep one, and can
not he discussed lightly. II is easy to
see how those in the east hold fast "a
the population basis of estimating rep
rescntation. On the other hand. the
men who planned u government
were compelled to adopt the compro'
mise of the upper house, and expert
ence has proved that all right and JUS
tice and foresight and prophetic in
spiration and ability to work for the
hest things are not bound up in the
densely populated cities Of the east,
but often develop. most successfully in
the newer, broader. fTeer. less artificial
life of the western plains and noun
tains. And although the west has AZ
times gone after false gods, he would
indeed be rash who would assert that
the system of balancing representation
has not been on the whole for the best.
The house of representatives, by a
wonderfully wise provision. holds the
purse strings, and the president on oc.
casion is able TO exercise a mighty
power. The senate, with all its short
comings as an institution and as a
body of men, is still an effective bal
ance against the wrongful exercise OF
power, might against right, numbers
against principle.