Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1882-01-07
DAKOTA'S CLAIMS.
A Minnesota View Of the Proposition for
Admission.
From the 81. Paul Pioneer.Press.

| that the admission Of Oak ota TO the sis
terhood of states is one of the questions
which will engage the early attention o
congress. A bill to that effect was pro
posed last year; but the democrats being
then in majority In the house, and
feeling secure Of their apparent ascen
dancy in the next senate, refused tC
even listen TO the merits of measure
which would have destroyed their nsr'
row margin of power in the latter body
Now, however, that the aspect of things
has changed, there is chance for
reason and justice to be heard. The
ambition of those living under terrific
rial form of government to exchange il
for the dignity Of statehood is common
enough. 1t Is often n mere surface Senti-
ment, created Wy the activity of those
who hope to succeed to a good share OF
;he new offices whrh will necessarily
he created 1t i, well, therefore, that
the basis Of slich proposition should
always be carefully examined. In the
ease Of Dakota it will not be found that
the wish is father to the thought. AS
far us her actual claims from the statis-
tics of population, production, and prog
ress are concerned, they are valid. 10
deny her admission would be To make
an unjust and invidious distinction be-
tu,n h1r hnc tnr
joying the right Of states, The popula-
ton Of Dakota according to the last
census. was l35,l Those who live
upon the line of march Of the great
army Of northwestern emigrants know
how these figures must be modified af-
ter the lapse of eighteen months. The
faircrt estimates now give the territory
a population Of from 100000 10 10000.
The ardent advocates of cdmission are
in the habit Of comparing these figures
n they stand with the population of
other territories wheh they became
states, forgetting that any bill which
provides for Dakota's admission must
also provide for di-memberment. 1t is
not necessary ~ employ ;,:.y s,lrEi H,ibtrr-
fuge. The parallel of forty six degrees
is accepted by all parties as the probable
line of division. South of this lies
about three fourths of the entire popula-
tioA; or say, for the sake of caution,
from llo,000 TO l20,000 people. The
smaller of these figures is one-fourth
gre er than the population of Arkansas,
Florida or California at tile date of add
mission; greater than that Of Kansas,
and twice rs large as tina. Of Oregon !;
while Nebraska at that time contained
but ID, ,993 souls. Nevada was admiite /
under some"hat pc,.2Iar circumstances
ana has had somewhat uH"I;.u '1rt1lt s;
bu, her population was then o- ,49l, and
in lSS" was &a).
The productive r"s2nr"cs of Dakota
are even yet but impartially comprc-
hcndei Her magnificent farms have
di>sipated the old impression that be
yond the western boundary of Mnncso-
Ia all was sterile waste and ''badanis y
but few people, perhaps. know that, in
1870, her probation of cereals was over
100000 bushels, and that the entries of
homestead settlers for 1880 and 1881
cover more than 100000 acres. 1t is
here that the keynote of fDakota's future
prospects is struck. The standing and
the claims Of territory must be meas
ured quite as much by its ratio Of pro-
gress as by its reported condition. The
rapid extension Of agricultural, mining
and railroad industries In Dakota Is a
surcr guarantee for the future than
would be an existing population of 800,
600, without these stable bondsmen for
the fuifllment Of her promises. Every
year thousands of business men transfer
their capital to her industrial centres,
and tens of thousands of farmers and
workingmen seek prosperity within her
borders.
She is now nearing, if she has not al
ready reached the point which every
territory some time attains where her
rapidly expanding interests will suffer
detriment, if they be not seriously Grip
Piled, unless they shall receive the pro-
lection and the care extended by the
general government TO the states, as
well as the encouragement and regula-
tions which only the settled constitution
of a state can afford. In the territories
educational interests suffer, because no
effectual measures can be taken to draw
| revenue for this purpose from the pub
| lie lands; the administration of justice
is defective and irregular protection
from domestic violence is incomplete
1t would be grave injustice, should
Dakota, with her great and growing
cities, her thriving centres Of industry
and her enterprising, progressive and
peaceful farmer class, lie longer under
the weight Of these restrictions. Were
congress to pass the incorporating &c,
at once, the territory would have made
Lsuclf great strides forward as alone
would justify it, before all the steps
| conld h., tn on to transform her into 3