Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, D.T. [N.D.]) 1878-1884, 1880-12-24

slider the inCongrulty, opposition and con-
tiict which has ever antagoaised the in:
terests Of mnnied capital, commerce and
manufacturing RS against the intetests OF
agricultural productlon. The advantage,
so far az legislation is concerned, has
ever beenin favor of the former and has
discrimlnatod oppressively against the
latter; so that II behoOves all applicants
for admission as states as we'll rs all fair
minded statesmen whose duty it is 10 ad.
nit, TO guard we'll against all possibility
Of unequal, dangerous and oppressive
legislation. 4.
But the local reasons for a division OF
this immense territory a,e of very nearly
as great Importance to its present inhabi
tants and its future welfare, as the ques-
tion of equality of senatorial power. 1t
is well-known and very inconvenient
and expensive fact that the territory IS
PRACTICALLY DIVIDED s.s
on the central line from cast to west by
population, internal improvement and in
tcrest and that Southern Dakota is to-day
and will remain so for a long time, sepa-
rated from Northern Dakota as complete
ly in Ill things but her government as
Montana is from Minnesota. Each Of
these distinct divisions has Its own sys-
tenn of railroads extending from cast to
west through very near the center for its
entire length the one crossing the Mis-
souri, river at Fort Pierre and the other ut
Bismarck with an average distance be-
tween them of more than two hundred
miles.
The settlements of the southern divis-
ion arc mainly in the southeastern por-
tion about Tankton. up and down the
Missouri, the Sioux and the James rivers !;
in the southwe.t at the Black Hills and
the rest along the railroads connecting
the Sioux river with the gold regions. In
this division there are oyer one hundred
thousand inhabitants with fair prospect
of doubling it in year or two. This part
should bc admitted as a state as soon rs
practicable.
The Northern Pacific runs through the
center Of the northern division Of Dakota
for its entire length and most Of its in
habitants arc along and north ofthis road.
They amount to over: fifty thousand now
and will soon have double that number.
NATURALLY DIVIDED.
These two sets of inhabitants are sepa-
ratcl, from each other by a wide belt of
country not penetrated by any kind of
roads. The streams, gulches and ravines
are not BRO gcd. There are no settlements
and there are hut few persons who have
had the hardihoId to attempt to cross it.
In the summer when a steamboat can be
found going down tile river, which Is a
rare thing except in the fall, the trip can
he made from Bismarck 10 Pierre, Il dis
tance of about 300 miles, or Yankton, u
distance of nearly 900 miles, by water;
but ordinarily all travel and Intercourse
between the two divisions have to be
made by rail via st. Paul and Sioux City
TO Yankton, the present capital, Or via St..
Paul and Sioux Falls to Pierre, the pros
pective capital.
FUTURE PROSPECTS.
This state of things will probably con
tinue for many years to come. The rail
roads leading east and west at convenient
distances will have to be completed, be-
fore those leading north and south are
commenced. This has ever been the or
der of construction and will continue to
be in the Dakotas as in the states east anu
south of them. Each division has its dis
tinctly different interests. The one is in
terested in the construction of her system
of railroads leading to Chicago. the other
system leading cast to Duluth and st.
Paul and west to the Pacific ocean. The
one uses all her influence and power tor
the settlement cultivation and aggran-
diZcment of the south and the other for
the north. The south, being the oldest,
has Il large majority Of inhabitants and
in the event OF our being admitted us
whole, would control the location of the
capital, state university, penitentiary,
asylum, and other state Institutions; thus
not only robbing the north of her just
rights but subjcctlng her to all the ex-
pensc and Inconvenience which has here
toforc characterized her lamentable stu
alton.
These arc but tlthing of the reasons
why the territory should he divided and
nothing can be plalner than that it is vi:
tai to Northern DAKOTA, to its system "f
railroads, to st. Paul, Duluth, and the Gu
tire north west that a division should he
made at the earliest day possible"