Weekly Arizona journal-miner. [volume] (Prescott, Ariz.) 1903-1908, 1906-04-04

III
If there be anything unusual in the
.m,,dmept | have offered and upon
which the senator from Indiana has
L.ep spcaking, it is due to the fact
that the proposition which the senator
oJyoeatcs is itself unusual. Never be-
fore in the history Of this government,
from the time the constitution was ad-
oo,ed down until this moment. has
there been a proposition made in the
creation of new state 10 join togeth-
,r two territories without regard to
whether they desired to he joined; and,
Mr. President, never before in the his
tory Of this government down until
this moment has n proposition been
presented in congress to admit TO
statehood in this union n territory that
had not first applied for admission.
1t may he that we have the constitu.
,onal right to admit a territory to
statehood in the union, or to join two
territories together and admit them
as one state, as is here proposed, with
out regard to whether the territory or
the territories in question desire 20 be
admitted. But the language Of the
constitution clearly contemplates that
- n Al.
congress until the territory makes APP
pication therefor. And that idea of
the constitution is in harmony with
The history Of the admission of states
into the union. No state has been ad-
mitted into the union since the begin.
ming Of the government, except only
upon its own application.
This proceeding is unusual therefore,
in this that instead Of waiting for
these two territories 70 make applica-
tlon TO be admitted into the union, con.
gress is going out, and, in sense, tax.
Ing them by the scauff of the neck and
Undertaking to compel them to come
into the union. Neither New Mexico
nor Arizona is applying at this time
for admission into the union. Both are
praying congress simply to leave them
alone as territories until such time as
the congress may see fit to admit them
as separate and independent states.
Assuming, however, that the senator
is RICH, in his contention that the con-
gress has power to do as IL may see fit
with respect to the admission of terri
tory to statehood into the union, and
that, therefore, it il "A question upon
which congress may act without an ap'
plcation made-that d has the power
10 do that-the question remains wheth'
er or not it is good policy to do 1t. Is 1t
good policy in this instance to do i'll
II So, it is unusual. IL IL unusual, Mr..
President, because always heretofore,
when we have undertaken TO admit a
territory to statehood, we have not
sought to joint II with some other ter
rtory, but we have created IL, IL IL was
not already territory in existence, Sc
pafate and by itself as territory, by
taking territory from some other ter
rtory. That IL the way Oklahoma was
created territory. 1t was carved out
OF the Indian territory. That Is the
way Vermont was made a state Of the
Union, by taking territory that was
claimed by the state of New York, and
creating Of II a separate state. Maine
was carved out Of Massachusetts. Ohio
hhd Indiana and the others OF the five
states that originally constituted the
'erritory lying northwest Of the river
oh'o' were made not by joining thc'n
together with other territories, but by
carving them out Of existing territory.
This is the first time, therefore, since
the beginning Of the government that
we have undertaken to make a state by
joining two territories together; and
"na' makes this case more unusual still
Is The fact, as the senator from Indiana
himself stated in his remarks yesterday
afternoon, that this is the only instance
where territory has been created, and
congress, in the act creating the terri
.oty' has written down pledge that
" is 10 remain territory until 1t shall
oe taken into the union a. a state. ]
o'heve in every other instance, with
Ou' a single exception certainly with
'''y Few exceptions, II any at all-con'
gross has, when creating a territory,
expressly provided In the organic act
creating the territory that II reserved
'ne power to Join the territory 10 ere