Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1882-04-12
PETT1eREW's DEFENSE.

i THE fAsssAiiN M t'4tA 4 SlaSsfsNA y set
Chicago 1sases special, 81 One
1T the arguments urged against the
j atstsaission Of Dakota into the union
us Il state il The faet that the people
sof A'ankton county lave repudiatesi
eeitain bonded Indebtedness coil-
tracted Oil account Of the construc-
/ ton Of the Dakota Southern rail-
| way. This question came up in the
senate committee on territories this
| morning, and was argued very fully
| by Hon. r. r. Pettigrcw, the dele
! gate in congress from that territory.
! He maintained that the controversy
between the bondholders and the
county Of Yankten was no reason
why the territory Of Dakota should
not be admitted into the union, or
why the people Of Dakota should
be charged with reputation. He
showed to the committee that
THE WHOLE DEBT OF THE TERRITORY
Of Dakota was $4,000 in bonds,
which had been paid within the past
year for the purpose Of building a
penitentiary and an insane asylum.
These bonds were eagerly sought for
| by New York capitalists and sold
for 81 per cent premium, being 6
per cent $40 bonds. He also show
| ed that aside from the counties OF
Yankton, and Lawrence in the
Black Hills, the people of Dakota
owed less than So per capita, includ-
ing all county, municipal and terri
torial debts, which is less rate per
capita than that of any state in the
union, and that the obligations Of
. these counties in every instance had
sold at a premium. lie gavea com
plete history Of the debt Of 1ank
ton county on account Of the Dako
Ia Southern railroad. In 1871 The
! county Of Yankton persuaded thu
, governor Of Dakota to call all extr,
session Of the legislature for the pur
; pose Of
AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY TO IssUl
q RoNDS
i'm aid of this railroad. The govern
or called the extra session of tn
. legislature, which met and passed
a law authorizing the county OF Yank
!, ton to vote 100000 Of bonds as
= donation to the company, which wa
to have the road completed on or be
fore the first day of January, 1873
After the legislature adjourned,
: was discovered that the govero
g had no authority to call the extr
y session, and that, therefore, tn
!, meeting of that body and all law
:. passed by it were void. Notwitll
j standing this, the people of Yant
e ton county, in September 1871. vol
d ed the issue Of 100000 Of bond
! for the benefit of this company, tn
: vote being 529 for to l26 against tn
i issue Of the londs. The bond
}, were issued and deposited, to be dt
! livered on the completion Of til
road.
In December 1871, the delegate i
congress introduced u bill to legaI
lie the action OF the legislature an
Of the people in this issue of thes
bonds, which congress passed. tn
road to be built from Sioux City
Iowa to the west boundary of Bo
Homme county; provided, that tn
bonds should be delivered upon III
company turning over to the count
Of Yankton, 100000 in stock
Yankton county had not vote,
bonds to become subscriber to tn
capital stock of the company, Meth
er had it voted bonds to this raj
road.
In order to induce the county
deliver the bonds, and induce til
citizens to vote the bonds, the off
GERS of the railroad entered into a
y agreement with the commissioner
of the county by which they boun
|. themselves to make Yankton th
|. terminus of their road, to establis
their offices and shops there at
is cost of not less than $50, 900, and I
build first-class road. They neve
$ fulfilled any part Of this agreemen
q They only built at that point fe'
sheds which could hardly be dign
IS fled by the name of shops. The
i, built road upon cottonwood tic
!, laid upon dirt, with forty-fvc poun
q iron, and
STOCKED IT WITH OLD coNDEMNE
~ ENGINES
10
! and cars. They charged such hig
20 freight that the farmers and me-
50 chants Of lankton and along til
road were forced to haul their pre-
!. duce and goods 10 and from Yanl
! ton. For several years after til
q bonds were issued the county pal
IN the interest on them. The compan
i, kept constantly promising to fulf
% their part of the agreement, bl
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