The Case for Washington Statehood

The Legislature of Washington Territory met at Olympia, the capital, on the 8th instant. As the sessions are biennial, it probably is, and surely ought to be, the last meeting of a Territorial Legislature in Washington. That Territory is better qualified by reason of population, property and immediate future prospects for the condition of statehood than several States now in the Union, and much better than Oregon, Nevada, Florida, Colorado and Nebraska were when they came into the Union.

The message of Governor Newell to this Legislature is at hand. A more interesting executive document is seldom seen. It fairly opens with the not idle boast that, "For manifest reasons we are about to assume a foremost position in the affairs of the world." This is true beyond a doubt. In extent Washington Territory is just about 1,000,000 acres more than twice the area of the State of Indiana. Of this area perhaps two-fifths, or 26,000,000 acres, are mountain, lake, water and cultivated land. The remainder, 27,000,000 acres, or 1,500,000 more than Ohio contains, is land of the very best quality found on this continent for wheat, barley, rye, oats and most of the vegetables.

We learn from this official document that the total assessed value of property in the Territory in 1882 was $12,518,961; the taxes collected thereon, $108,075. The assessments for 1883 are wanting from four counties to be complete. As far as returned they foot up $13,674,029. The four lagging counties were assessed last year at $5,983,350. Add to this and we have a total for the current year of $19,659,379. This compares with several States now in the Union (on the property valuation of 1880), as follows: Colorado $43,072,000; Florida $31,181,000; Nevada $56,173,000; Oregon $85,000,000; Washington Territory $19,659,379.

The representative population of Washington Territory in 1880 was returned at 75,120. That it has nearly if not quite doubled since that time there is every reason to believe. It has enough of representative population now to entitle it to one Representative in Congress. It has all the natural resources to insure a steady and rapid increase in wealth. Even its mountains are not wanting in such resources. They are covered with the most valuable timber forests on the continent and seamed with veins of coal, iron and gold-bearing quartz. All along the great inland sea of Puget Sound it is strung with flourishing towns, which are soon to take the rank of great commercial cities; while far eastward, beyond the mountains, on the line of the railway, which will presently connect the mouth of Snake River with Tacoma and Seattle, are millions of acres of the best wheat in the world, rapidly filling up with a thrifty, industrious and enterprising population from the old States. It will be the next thing to a miracle, with all these advantages of soil, climate and vigorous blood, if Washington does not within the next five years reach a representative population of 300,000, or a total property valuation of $100,000,000. Such a Territory should be admitted into the Union as a State upon application.

The Governor's message urges admission, but on application, without presenting a constitution. This will not and should not be granted. The people of Washington made a constitution several years ago and applied for admission, but failed because the population was then too small. They might this winter re-present that constitution with largely improved chances of success. Every Pacific coast member should and probably would favor the movement. It is objected that this constitution is cumbersome. Then let it be remodeled by Congress and adopted by the new State after admission.

The Territory now contains all the civil and political paraphernalia of an enlightened State. Its asylum for the insane supports 125 inmates, at a cost of $28,000 a year. For the support of convicts it requires $25,000 a year. It has a university and an excellent system of schools, 700 schoolhouses, 630 regularly employed teachers, 24,000 pupils enrolled, and all at a cost of $77,000 for the year ended August 1, 1883. In this connection the Governor suggests that an Act of Congress may be needed to secure to the State the sixteenth and thirty-sixth sections of public lands, which, by existing law, are only secured to the Territory. If such an act is necessary there will be no difficulty in passing it. All other Territories, upon admission as States, have received this donation of the sixteenth and thirty-sixth sections for school purposes, and there is no reason to think that Washington will not be as well treated by Congress.

A recommendation of more importance than this relates to Indians and Indian reservations in the Territory. The number of reservation Indians is stated by Governor Newell at 170,000, all ages and both sexes, and these occupy, as hunting and fishing grounds, 7,000,000 acres of the best land on the Pacific coast, if cultivated in wheat capable of yielding 160,000,000 bushels a year. The average to each Indian man, woman and child is 41 acres. As many whites (13,000) would represent no more than 8,250 families, and at 160 acres to each family no more than 1,320,000 acres. There is no reason why these 170,000 Indians should have more. They should have that much, and the remainder of the 7,000,000 acres should be restored to the public domain for the use of actual settlers and cultivators. The Governor recommends that Congress be memorialized to "negotiate with" the tribes for this end and to enact a law to give them lands in severalty, the same as lands are secured to white settlers. The success of such a scheme would throw open to settlement in the Territory 6,450,000 acres of first-class land and give homes to 40,600 families of the producing class.

We hope Congress will at the coming session admit Washington as a State into the Union. By every honest landmark which has been observed in the increase of the States it may claim admission. — San Francisco Chronicle.