The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-01-25
APPLYING THE GAG.

APPLYING THE GAG
The debate in congress yesterday
showed plainly enough the partisan
animus of the Republican leaders IN
their effort to force a joint statehood
bill through congress. 1t showed. too,
that the far eastern Republicans have
mighty little use for the west except
in campaign times, and that they
would, if they could, prevent anything
like a square deal for the territories
which seek separate admission to the
Union.
Mr.. Grosvenor, who spoke for the ad-
ministration, frankly declared the joint
statehood measure was a partisan bill
and attempted to put the ''insurgent'
Republicans in the attitude of desert
ers. Mr.. Payne of New York protested
against giving the territories equal
representation with the great state Of
New York. as though such a protest
had anything to do with the rights Of
American citizens, east or west, to
have fair representation on a consti-
tutional basis
If Mr.. Payne's theory Of government
were IN vogue what would he do with
Rhode Island or Delaware? What
would he do with the western states
which comprise the great inland empire
between the Missouri and the Pacific
ocean? Mr.. Payne knows, or could
know If he would. that in population,
wealth. intelligence and good citizen
ship Arizona is the peer Of any state
at the time of its admission, and enti-
tied to independent statehood.
The object of the opposition to sep
arate statehood is to prevent the addi-
ton of four Democrats to the United
States senate as would probably be the
case if Arizona and New Mexico were
admitted separately. The welfare Of
the people affected. their rights as
Americans, the equity Of the case have
no weight with the Republican leaders.
They are unwilling to even let their
own members in congress vote upon
the question of separate admission,
fearing that the convictions Of those
Independents whom they call ''insur-
gents might result in defeat for the
Joint admission bill Even allowing
for the partisan object Of the majority
their Indifference to justice and right in
this matter is enough to disgust any
fair-minded man with their methods.
Entirely apart from the injustice of
the gag rule applied by the admins
tratlon crowd, the attitude Of the east
ern representatives is calculated to
make a westerner sick Of the whole Re
publican crew in Washington. Imag-
inc, for instance, the taste of Payne,
the New Yorker, in protesting against
equal representation from the terrific
ries, when his own state is represented
by Plat and Depew. If either Of these
derelicts attempted to run for office in
a western state he would be sent to
the political junk heap and kept there.
One might infer from Payne's talk that
representation I'm government is a priv
ilege, not right; and that the priv
nege ought to be reserved for the sa-
cred and holy state Of New York and
possibly a few other adjoining states.
The administration and the gang"
which is supporting every administra-
ton measure has forced the joint state
hood bill TO the point where it NAV
pass the house. bus the vote on the
'''gag" rule introduced by the rules
committee shows that a goodly Re
publican minority of the house still re-
tains respect enough for American cit
izenship TO bolt the majority measure;
and in this connection it is a pleasure
to note and commend the vote Of Con-
gresham Howell from this state who
went on record against the joint state
hood crowd when the rule was put to
a vote
Whether the bill gets by the house or
not, it ought finally to be beaten, and
beaten so badly it viii teach the Re-
publican majority some respect for
rights Of the people interested. When
1t reaches the senate there ought to be
no question of its fate. because there
are enough western senator's to beat
1t; and the western senator who would
vote to compel Arizona and New Mex
leo TO unite is not a fit man TO renre-
sent the west. As matter of COM
mon Justice not only TO the two terri
tories but to the country at large Ari-
zona and New Mexico are entitled n
separate statehood and should have II