Omaha daily bee., 1921-06-19

40's. vouched chiefly by Thoma.
H. Benton, for Pacific railroad
was commonly coupled with a de.
mand for the organization OF the
territory to be called Nebraska
From the first there was rivalry be-
tween the northern and central, and
the southern sections over the loca.
ton Of the proposed Pacific road.
Official promotion OF the organ
izations into territory was begun in
1874. Wilkins, secretary of war, ad-
vocated it in his report for that year,
and Stephen A. Douglas. chairman
on the committee on territories OF
the house of representatives. in
troduced the first bill for that pur-
pose. He persistently pushed the
enterprise TO its accomplishment ten
years later. Mr.. Wilkins proposed,
for the first time It is said, the name
Nebraska for the new territory.
Stephen A. Douglas.
Illinois and Iowa had just begun
to visualize the vast and promising
trans Missouri plains as commercial
adjuncts. The east and south had, in
. its mind, preempted this territory as
perpetual asylum of their Indians
OF whom they were determined to
be rid. and accordingly about l00,-
0J0 of them had already been pushed
across the Mississippi. Douglas aft
crward explained that the apparently
premature introduction of his bill to
organize the Territory of Nebras-
ka" was to serve notice on the secre-
tary OF war to stop using it as a
dumping ground for Indians. The
war departent had control OF
Indian affairs until l84o. He also ex-
planned that the Atlantic states were
jealous of any further territorial
expansion.
A few brief illustrations of the
irrational opposition to western ex-
pansion are apropos. Discussing 4in
the house of representatives, on Dc
cenlber5 20, 1923. the bill for the oc-
cupation of Oregon by the United
States, Mr.. Bates of Mossouri said:
There was then the rugged and
almost impossible belt of the Rocky
mountains, and nineteen-twentieth
OF the space between the Missouri
and the Pacific ocean. beyond the
culturable prairies, which were not
above 200 or 800 miles. was a waste
and steril tract, no better than the
desert of .Zahara, the traversing of
which, even during the best seasons.
was attended with the extreme Of
difficulty and danger"
Ignorant Orators.
For the southwest, Mr.. Mitchell
os Tennessee said:
But let gentlemen look at the
vast. wide-spreading fertile valley of
the Mississippi; let them reflect upon
the thousands of acres yet untouched
by the axe Of the settler. No, sir, !
will never encourage native born
Americans 10 leave their country, till
I see the boundary of our twenty
four states and territories FIRST filled
up.
But ti" promoters of the organiza-
ton OF the plains into territory
had visions of the commercial i'm
portance of traffic over the Oregon
Trail, now fairly established. St.
Louis was at first the direct benefic-
iary of this traffic. but the all-power-
full Douglas represented the soon-to-
be all-conquering Chicago interests.
The rush to California from all
parts of the country east of the Mis-
souri,, from lS49 on, brought those
interests into direct touch with that
promising artery of trade. At this
time St. Louis newspapers were con-
fidently and complacently claiming
commercial supremacy over the new
northwest. in perpetuity. But Chi
cago first, then the great twin cities
Of the north, and then Kansas City
at her very back door, arose to
convince the southern metropolis of
the vanity of human hopes. especial
ly those fathered by the wish.
The Price Douglas Paid.
In the final accomplishment Of the
political organization Of Nebraska,
Douglas yielded the repeal of the
Missouri compromise-prohibition OF
slavery from all territory north Of
Latitude Sc degrees and 80 minutes