Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1878-11-20
DAKOTA.
Wednesday Evening, Nov. 20, 1873
DAKOTA As STATE.
The wise Man OF 81. Paul Tries His Hand .,
Advising Us Regarding our
Wants.
st. Paul Pioneer Press, Nov. 10th.

would command the enthusiastic support Of
the people az such movements always do ID
new territories. As nearly al the expenses
ofthe territorial government are borne BY
the United States, while the cost Of support
ing . state government falls wholly on its
citizens, the material advantages Of such .
political promotion especially to a sparsely
settled territory, are not at first sight obvious;
but on the other hand it would gain largely
in political influence; the votes Of it, two
United States senators would weigh a. much
in the upper house of congress as those Of
the great state Of New York-and its now
voteless delegate in the house Of representa-
tives would, at least be clothed with the
power of his one vote. The new western
territories are alwayslargely in need Of gov.
ernmental assistance in the development of
their vast spaces of unsettled country-es.
pecially of land grants to build railroads
and appropriations to improve rivers and
things Of that sort--and hence they regard
it as of great importance to acquire the adj
ditional political influence in congress which
can be commanded by the representatives
of a sovereign state in that body. But
behind these utilitarian consid-
e~rations il the sentiment oil
local patriotism which takes pride in all
that enhances the dignity and importance
Of the commonwealth of which one is .
member. So that there is probably no di.
vision of sentiment in Dakota on this ques.
ton, and the politicians who want to be
senators and representatives and state Off
GERS and judges might safely count on the
unanimous support of the whole people if 1t
were not for the question Of q division Of
the territory, which would probably intrude
itself at the threshold of any discussion in
congress of the proposition to admit the ter.
ritory into the union. For, if We are cor
rectly informed, there are agood many peo-
pie in the northern and southern sections
of the territory, who urgently desire that it
be divided in two equal parts by a line run
ming east and west and in response to these
local demands several bills have been intro
duced in congress for a division of the ter
ritory. The proposition was defeated,
mainly on the ground that it was not desira-
BILE for the government to incur the expense
Of supporting two territorial governments
in a region SO sparsely settled as it was three
or four years ago. But since then the north
crn section-then almost destitute of settle
ments-has been rapidly filling up along
down the valley Of the Red river-and
VIZ HOOu NC " POpulOuS Slau TIC
southern parts of the territory, where
the bulk of the population has hereto.
fore been concentrated. As there are NO
railroad connections, and very little natural
utilization between northern and southern
Dakota-which have distinct systems of
commercial outlets-the natural tendency
of the two sections is to separate political or.
CARNATIONS. The territory is In fact too yaet
for y single state. 1t embraces an area Of
15O,932 square miles, avery acre of which,
which is not water, Is arabic land, and
much of 1t Is as fertile as any soil in the
world. Minnesota, one of the largest states
in the unio0, contains 80, 500 square miles, |
but about one quarter Of this area in the
northeastern part of the state lisa compare
lively barren region covered with pine for.
ests, swamps and rocks. Dakota is twice
and q half as large as all the areable areas of
Minnesota. Cut 10 two, each half would
make a state of $4,000 square miles -about
the size of Nebraska and Kansas, lying
south of lt-and equalling either in the gen.
eral fertility of Its soil. The northern part
of the territory is growing so rapidly
in population that it will not be
long before the latent tendency
to separation from the southern
section will acquire the force of q popular
the southern section will
probably be equally urgent for q separate
political organization. A movement for
the admission of the territory into the un-
ion will bring this question of q geograph.
ical division to the front-and general
reasons will give it prominence.
It is estimated that Dakota has q population
100000. This is probably an %exaggera-
ion at the present time. But the next
sono11o in 1854 n, III Io,Yls 1oeo st~- In.->.I
population than that. Though this is con-
'iderably less than the population usually
equired for q territorial candidate for the !
lonors and equal senatorial representation
t . sovereign state, it is not an ineuperable|
Nevada was admitted with
1uch less population than that. But all
territory is divided neither section will
0Dtain a population sufficient to support
burdens or to entitle it to the privileges
f q state for some years to come. But the
uestion Is not only complicated with =
,ese local questions, but if it comes be. 1
re the next congress will meet other en-.
of q general political character.
or it is safe to venture the prediction that A
le next congress, which will be democratic 9
both branches, will not favor'the erection u
q new state which would reinforce the :
publicans in the senate with two more and
Id strength to the elements which threaten
brief reign for the democratic a~scendency
that body. The republicans, for a SINH 4
r reason, would desire to divide the state '
as to add four senator's to the republican
lumn, and they are not likely to be in.
ferent to the political importance Of null
dying northern states in view Of the
ooted democratic project of dividing Tex =
Infn ENDn ototne = ia n /. a. ~.>.>.-> A. \
of the south in the senate. Sol
when all the elements of the question
e considered, it will be seer that the pro. 4
Of advancing Dakota at once to the rank
. state is BY no means SO simple a matter
it appears on the surface.