New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-03-21
THE NEXT NEW STATE.
THE PRESENT AND FUTURE OF DAKOTA

CARE WHICH DE E4EhOto-N -
GREss IN GRANTING AN ENABLING Acr-FhoS-
PECTs OF THE FUTURE STATE.
IBY TELKoRAPH TO THE TRIBusRl
WAsHINGToN. March 20.--A correspondent OF HE
TRIBUNE spent an evening recently with Governor
Ordway, oonversinR among other suolects,
about the affairs of the Territory, OF
which the Governor was au enthusiastic observer
and student during the two years OF his incum
bency Of the Guberoatorial office. As 1t is among
the probabilities that at least one State, comprising
portion of the present Territory Of Dakota, Will
seek admission to the Union during the present.
Congress, the substance Of the conversation Is
worthy of record;
Dakota is o big subject" said Governor ordway'
+" It broadens as one talks about It, When you
think Of journsying as far az from Washington 10
my old home in the White Mountains OF New
Hampshire without getting beyond the territorial
limits, you will appreciate the magnitude OF tne
subject of your inquiry"
"My experience as Governor, and especially thai
in connection with the Legislature OF the Territory
IS directly and intimately connected with the form
alton of one or States from the present Terri
tory and it has led to the formation of some pretty
well defined ideas in my mind of the action which
should be preliminary TO the passage Of any enabling
act by Congress. The Legislative Assembly con-
yened at Yankton on the 18th of January. 1t was
composed of twenty-four members in one house
and twelve in the other In my annual message
recommended that all our laws be reviewed, ana
that legislation be enacted looking to the division Oh
the Territory and the admission Of States. l also
made Recommendations that appropriations De mace
for penitentiary, an insane asylum and for some
other local matters. The appropriations were made
with great degree Of unanimity.
wAsTRFUL LEGISLATION.
1.-THE Legislature then went of on tangent and
INDUCED in some harum-scarnm legislation which
would have been amusing If 1t had not been 30 serl-
Gus. The Assembly of 1879 had funded the ipdebt-
ednsSs Of Lawrence County, under which about
1915 900 Of ten per cent bonds were issued upon
certificates and county warrants which had been
issued by the County Commissioners in the most
reckless manner In many instances goingat the rate
of 81 for 81 of value received. This enterprise
placed load Of about half million dollars upon
the Black Hills region. moro than half OF which
was fraudulent With this experience before me, 1
determined 10 make stand against any such legis-
lation during my torn of office, and to require that
all measures for incurrinR county debts should be
submit ID TO the people before becoming laws, and
that In any event bonds should not be issued ex-
ceeding per cent OF the assessed valuation OF
county property for public buildings and 2lc per
cent for bridges, etc.
About thirty Of the thirty-six members of the
Legislature were interested in the location OF coun-
ty sites In some instances in remote corners OF the
yariou. counties and Ia issuing bonds for building
county buildings, normal schools and agricultural
colleges, thus giving moro than two-thirds OF both
branches direct interest In overriding my restric-
tive policy in regard to county Indebtedness, Dur
ing the first halt Of the session vetoed aarse num-
Der of bills for the erection of public buildings and
A. L.. 4kArr Nl0k
contain any provision for allowing the people 70
vote upon them. Many Of these bills, however,
were passed over my veto. =. s9,.ts,r .,s iss,
asobsoansntly the people began 70 send in their
protests g anst the course Of the Legislature and
sustanlna the position had taken. and during the
last half of the session different state OF affairs
prevaled Supplementary bills, submitting the
question of Issuing bonds for public improvements
"a the people Of the various counties, were passed.
and many of the wild schemes brought forward
earlier were abandoned, thus probably preventing
the issuance Of q million dollars In bonds which
would otherwise have been laid upon thepeope OF the
new counties without their consent, and which
would practically have destroyed the credit OF the
Teri itOry.
Another very remarkable measure was brought
forward and passed, which will serve to illustrate
the extent TO which n small legislative body, not
SNaHNN
only from experience, will go in framing mischiev'
ous legislation This bill provided for paying one Of
the Federal Judges 10 the Back Hills District
80. 400 year in addition TO his regular salary as
Federal Judge the amount to be assessed arbitrarily
on the people of his district sent copy OF this
hill TO Attorney General Dcvens and asked his nd
vice about it, He replied that 1t was highly obec-
tiouable and certainly ought to be vetoed OF
course vetoed the bill, and ! embodied General
Deyenss message In my veto messages but TO my
surprise the Legislature passed the measure over the
veto. Later however, the bill became 30 unpopu.
lar that supplementary bill, amending the original
measure by striking out the word hundred" was
uassed so the Federal Judge gets only $24 year
from the people Of his district More than three
hundred bills were introduced and about one-half OF
them were passed. Some Of the court-housos which
members wanted to provide for were In new coun-
ties where court had never been held. At the
close of the session better feeling prevailed and
the Legislature passed unanimously resolution re-
ferring in very complimentary terms TO the Execu'
tive. -
"This experience shows that IL will be necessary
for Congress before passing an enabling act for the
admission If Dakota, TO take steps TO prevent the
early Legislatures Of the new State from puuginR
h head and ears in debt. The mania for issuing
eounty bonds seems to have subsided, but spirit oil
responsibility prevails TO such extent that great
mischief may be done in other ways. We have, for
example 100000 acres Of school land, worth
to-day between ten and twelve million dollars
and constantly increasing IN valuc. IL properly
guarded, they will found ss complete system Of
public schools for Dakota as can be found anywhere
At the recent session they established eight normal
schools and two agricultural colleges. in counties
which had hardly anybody in them. There is an
opportunity for an enormous amount Of traud, ano
schemers have already shown their plan Of opera
tions 10 get hold Of this land They want to esta6
ish schools in al parts of the State, put mp build
ngs appoint at high salaries school ofcArs, sell the
lands and expend the proceeds for those purposes 10
advance Of any possible necessity tor the senool
When the lands and the money are gone. the schools
4 rrill be found To have zone alao.O