Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-03-14

The proposed action of the present
Congress to admit the southern half OF
Dakota into the Union as State, 50 IS
to secure two more Republican Senators
and one more Republican Representa-
tive, l. meeting with opposition In an
unexpected quarter. It seems that q
number Of banks of Brunswick, Maine,
and a number Of citizens Of other North
ern States, holders of bonds issued by
the county Of Ysnkton, Dakota, have
entered an earnest protest against the
admission of the Territory into the Union
on the ground that "the people Of Da-
kOta have not yet shown themselves Ca
pable Of self government unrestrained
by Federal supervision, and the protest
ants therefore appeal 10 Congress not to
admit them into the sisterhoOd until they
shall have learned one of the qualifca-
tons of self government-the duty OF
paying honest debts.
These remonstrances have been called
forth on account of the action of the
authorities and people Of Yankton
county, in refusing to meet certain obi
cations which they had sOlemnly con-
tracted. but which they subsequently,,
without any solemnity at all, disavowed.
Some time ago the County Court under
an act Of the Territorial Legislature and
an act Of Congress, issued $500. 600 in
bonds in aid Of the Dakota Southern
Railroad, the proposition having been
first submitted to the people and ap-
proved by an overwhelming majority.
The railroad was built about year after
wards and has been in operation ever
since. being the only railroad entering
the Territory. The interest on the bonds
was faithfully paid for several years,
but the people and the authorities
finally made up their minds to repudiate
them-not because they had been de-
frauded nor because they had not au-
thorized and approved the issue, nor be-
cause they had failed to receive full con-
sideratiOn, but because as they allege the
acts of their Legislature providing for
the issue were unconstitutional and void.
The case has been carried through the
courts up to the supreme tribunal and
decided in favor OF the validity of the
bonds, and now the Legislature of the
Territory has come forward to help on
the work of reputation by depriving the
county of authority to levy tax to pay
the judgments against it, and allowing
the County Commissioners to avoid pro
cess by resigning in q moment The
bondholders believe that people who
have thus distinguished the beginning of
their public career by reputation are
not worthy of the honors and dignities
of Statehood.
That these Eastern banks aud their CO
remonstrants present a good case there
can be no doubt, for the action Of the
Yankton county authorities and the Ter
ritOrial Legislature in the matter Of
these bonds was certainly illegal, unjust
and dlshonOrable. Nevertheless, their
remonstrance will have no effect what
ever upon our Republican Congress. 1t
Characteristic of the Republican party to
permit nothing to interfere with its
schemes for securing and maintaining,
at any cost, political supremacy, and
since the party sadly needs the three
votes of Dakota, it is not to be presumed
that it will permit so trifing a matter
as faint of dishOnOr upon that Terri
tory to disturb their plans. But, besides
this, it is reasonable to imagine that
the Republicans, so far from regarding re-
pudiation of Just debts as any serious stig-
ma upon the reputation of any State, will
look upon 1t rather as a recommendation
In Virginia, for instance, during the last
campaign, the reputation issue was clear
and distinct. Yet the Republican party,
not only as a party sympathized with
the reputation faction, but our Repub-
lican Federal administration actually lent
its aid directly to bring about the defeat
of the debt paying Democracy and the
triumph of the reputation cause. These
Maine banks and Northern holders of
repudiated Yankton county bonds will
therefore have to present more forcible
argument against the admission of Da-
kota than that its people are laboring
under a cloud of dishonor if they expect
to make any impression upon a Republi-
can Congress.