National Republican., 1882-12-13
WAITING DAKOTA.
Claims for Her Admission ms n State as Set
Forth by Delegate Pettiurev.

Forth by Delegate Pettigrow.
Quite q considerable delegation from the
territory of Dakota is now in the city pressing
for the division of that territory and the ad-
mission of the southern half into the sister
hood of states. The grounds upon which this
action is asked, as stated by Delegate Petit
grew to REPUBLICAN reporter, are as follows: :
think the people of Dakota are agreed to
q man that they want the territory divided on
the torty-sxth parallel and the southern half
admitted as state and new territory created
out OF the northern half. Both the democratic
and republican conventions last summer
adopted resolution to that effect, and all the
members of the democratic territorial COM
mittee favor this action. Such division
would cut the territory about the center and
leave the portion of which we desire to make
state an area of 10000 square miles, having
at present population of over 10000. IL
contains 1000 miles of railway, twelve ma
tional banks, and forty-two private banking
institutions. The proposed state has very
extensive and valuable mining interests,
from which was produced S5,000,000 in
gold last year, making it rank MS the second
gold-producing subdivision of the country.
There are no poor lands in the proposed
state; every acre of it is susceptible of a high
state of cultivation, or will furnish the finest
grazing farms in the country. There is nb
doubt that it is capable Of comfortably sus-
tanning population of five or six millions of
| people. The Missouri river crosses the pro-
posed state from north to south, passing nearly
through the center and affords perfect water
way for transportation. At the last election
this portion of the territory polled 81 800
votes. There is and has been for several years
past wonderful increase in its population
going on as is shown by the increase
in the postal revenues, and the number
of homestead and preemptions fled.
For the last fiscal year the postal revenue
amounted to upward of $4,000, which was
$4,000 uore than the state of Delaware, $50,
600 more than Florida, and $4,000 more than
Nevada. The census of 1880 shows there
were 450 post offices in this half of the terri
tory, and since that date 1874 more have been
established. Since the census 10000 home
steads and pre-emptions have been fled and
experience has shown that each one of these
entries cover three persons, or an increase of
10000 since that date. As an evidence of
this rapid growth last January the county of
Hand had not single settlement within its
borders. At the last election this county
polled 666 votes every one of which were
republican. The municipal and county in
debtedness of Dakota is less than any state in
the union, and in only two states is there less
illiteracy.
"Bills for the admission of the new territory,
or the southern half of it rather are on the
calendar of both houses, and Senator Saund-
ers has given notice that he will call up tn Q
measure in the senate on Wednesday next,
the only hinderance to its passage in the
senats will be the factions opposition of Sen
ator Hale, of Maine. This gentleman claims
that some of his constituents hold few of the
bonds of Yankton county which he alleges
there is disposition to repudiate, and he de-
clares that unless the bill authorizing this
county to fund its debt in Al per cents. is first
passed. he will antagonize any proposition to
admit the territory as state. l have
sounded the democrats Of both the senate and
the house, and find them bitterly opposed
to the admission of Dakota, but on
purely partisan grounds. They declare
that they will use every possible means to de-
feat the project, as it means for them the
virtual surrender of the senate to the republic
cans. Were it not for the narrow-minded
view that Senator Hale takes of this question,
and his persistency in Juggling into the sem
ate an issue that is now pending in the courts,
the filibustering programme OF the demo-
Gratis of the two houses could be utilized to
enlighten the people as to the methods by
which they seek to choke off q possible re-
publican majority in the senate. The dele
cations who are now in Washington are work.
ing hard to secure the passage of 4ankton
county funding bill, and should they suc-
ceed it may help us greatly. No, am not
very sanguine that we will be able to carry
out the. project for having half of the terri-
tory admitted as state; but we will continue
the struggle. nevertheless, and pile up vast
array of sound arguments why we should be
taken into the sisterhood of the states"