Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1881-04-08
oaowAy's VIEWS.
In Ke9ar.l tO DakOts Legislators n!,d IL,
Now State QnrHtins,.

SSvs NSAMayS MAbsS w tspAilu{s
gave his views Of Dakota affairs to q
correspondent Of the New York Tribune;
~ follows.
Dakota is Q big subject, said Gov. Ord
wpy. 1t bfoadensas one talks about it
When you think ot ionrneying as far as
from Washington to my old home in tho
White mountains OF New Hanpshire,
without getting beyond tho territorial
limits, you will appreciate tho magnitude
Of the subject OF your inquiry.
Ny experience as governor, and
especially that in connection with the
legislature of the territory, is directly
and intimately connected with the form
alton Of one or more states from the pre-.
sent territory, and it has led to the form.
alton of some pretty we'll defined ideas
in my mind Of the action which should
be preliminary to tho passage OF any en-
abling uct by congress. Tie Legislative
assembly convened at. Yankton on the
10Th Of January. 1t was composed OF
twenty-four members in one house aud
twelve in the other. In my annual mes
vagefl ] recommended that all our laws be
revised, and that Legislation be enacted
looking to the division of the territory
and the admission OF states I also made
recommendations that appropriations be-
made for u penitentiary, an insane asy
lum and for some other local matters.
/ The appropriations were mado with
great degree Of nnanimity.
The legislature then went off on a
tangent and indulgel in some harnm-
scarum legislation which would have
been amusing iii had not been so serl
ous. The assembly OF 1879 had funded the
indebtedness OF Lawrence county, unde,
which about 1876, ,O0O of 10 per cent bonds
we're issued upon certificates and county
warrants which had been issued by the
county commissioners III the most recl-
less manner, in many instances going ut
This enterprise placed load OF about
Hills region, more than half of which was
fraudulent. With this experience before
me, determined to make stand against
any such legislation during my term of
Office, and to require that all measures
for incurring county debts should be
submitted to the people before becoming
laws. aud that in any event bonds should
not be issued exceeding per cent of the
assessed valuation. of county property
for public buildings and 2l5 per cent for
bridges, etc. About thirty OF the thirty
six members OF the legislature were in.
terested in the location of county sites,
in some instances in remote corners OF
the various couties, and in. issuing bonds
for building county buildings, normal
schools and agricultural colleges. thus
giving more than two.thirds of both
branches direct interest in overriding
my restrictive policy in regard to. county
indebtedness. During the first half o,
the session l vetoed u large number oi
bills for the erection OF public buildings
and for other local improvements, be.
cause they did not contain any provision
for allowing the people to vote upon
them. Many of these bills however,
we're passed over my veto.
This experience shows that 1t will be
necessary for congress, before passing an
enabling act for the admission Of Dakota,
to tnke steps to prevent the carly legis-
ture OF the new State from plungin9 it
head and ears into debt. The munia for
issuing county bonds seems to have sub
sided, but spirit OF irresponsibility pre-.
walls to such an extent that great mis-
chief may he done in other way. We
have, for example, 5. .0O0, ,0OO acres OF school
land. worth to-day between ten aud
twelve million dollars, aud constantly
increasing in value. II properly guard
ed, they will found as complete system
of-public schools for Dakota US can be
found anywhere. At tho recent session
they established eight normal schools
and two agricultural colleges, in coun.
ties which had hardly anybody in them
There ID an opportunity for an enormous
amount OF fraud, and shemers have al
ready shown their plan of operations tc
get hold uf this land. They want to es,
tablish schools in oil parts Of the state
put up buildings, appoint at high sala
ries school officers, sell the lands and ex
pend the proceeds for these purposes ii
advance Of any possible necessity for Tho
schools. When the lands and tue money
are gone, the schools will be found Il
have gone also.
What steps should congress take in th'
matter? asked the correspondent.
Congress should provide early IN tn
next segsion for the election OF Il nes
legislature, to be composed of at leas
one hundred members in the lower hous.
and twenty Ave or thirty i'll the nppe
house. It should require that thes
should be chosen by the people OF singi
districts with well-aehned bonnda'it:
In the last Legislature the city of Dead
WOOu hcut MI OuG WV VI eAiSC VI XII
members from the tour counties con
prising the Black Hills district. and the
were oil residents Of Deadwood. wo;l
allow the people to determine how II,
territory is to be divided, and would anl
nit questions relating to local tinanci
matters, such rs Issuing bonds for jail
insane asylums, ETC., to the people. ~
school lands given by congress should
placed in the in,nds Of state board
education, and sales should be mn.
gradually at fixed prices, the proceeds
10 invested in permanent securities, Al
tho interest used to establish a comp,
sory system of education. The scho
lands. and the fund resulting from thu
sale, should be placed beyond the rea
of tho legislature. 1 lnve been exerti
myself to keep people of those lam
and the superintendent of education g
the courts are making efforts to reno
largo numbers OF sguatters who are {
rreciatinR the value of the lands.
Il is my opinion that in q twenty
thirty days session of an enlarged les
lature. elected at n special election. COZ
act intelligently upon the question OF
viding the territory, and could frame
enabling act with the proper restrictio
The plan Of division recently discusset
the Tribune was the one suggested
my annual message. The plan was.
brief, to make state of southeastern
kota, which will have before the enc
the present session of congress from ]
90 to 10000 inhabitants, and then
ate territory north OF the forty-sl
parallel, and another territory west