Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1883-03-10
OUR ABLE LEGISLATURE.

blance is so marked that he who runs
may read. Here We are strenuously
clamoring for admission 10 the Union
and vigorously kicking because certain
congressman say We are not capable OF
self-governmant In making that state
ment they refer to our existing laws,
and the acts of our legislature TO prove
their assertion, and every one knows
that they have made out a damaging
case against tie from review of the
past.
Our present legislature has stood in a
position to draw all eyes TO its attitude.
1t was to be expected from them ,hat
their course would be such as TO clear
our skirts of all taint and show that the
great powerful state now i'm Its infancy
had compentent sponsors, who would
prune off all damaging limbs and train
it into the perfect form that is desirable
when it takes it's place in the sisterhood
Of states. Has our Fifteenth legislative
assembly shown any desire or ability to
do SO? The general impression is bound
to be otherwise. They have, to be sure
passed an act comforting power upon
Yankton county to refund its railroad
bonds which for years they have been
repudi,ting, but that was SO gross a
thing that no legislative body could do
less when the whole United States was
demanding it to be done. This having
heen the centre ofattrdcton SO to speak
AMI they having satisfactorially despos.
they evidently thought that under cover
Of the smoke and general din the, might
indulge in rs many little minor jobber-
les as they could fad anything in that
would pay them. - some wiscncrc in
troduces a bill totakc from the governor
the lower of organizing new counties
and vest it in the Judge Of the Judicial
District in which such county might be,
evidently thinking that il would be
fine thing to mix up the arbiter Of our
legal affairs in every little dirty town
site scheme that might hereafter arise
They also franticly tackle bin for the
removal Of the capitol, which in itself
desire it, but no sooner does the bill
come to light than it looks to a man up
Il tree as though each one of them was
gesticulating violently with one hand,
either for or against the bin, while the
other was held cautiously behind for the
plum which numerous lobby is ready
TO drop into it, So pI,,ring has this be
come that the whole thing is treated AS
farce by most Of the towns that would
otherwise put forth every endeavor TO
secure the capitol for themselves. 1t
may be that there are some counties
entirely satisfied with their delegation,
but it does not look as f,.ny such county
was located in the Black Hills. Custer
county especially don't seem to be in
any immediate danger of issuing procla-
nation for day Of general thanksgiv-
ing. though one for humiliation might
bc in order. To be sure our honorable
representative has done us the inestima-
ble benefit of raising our assessors sal
arv, two hundred dollars, and created
out of his muniticence salary Of three
hundred dollars for the probate judge.
No one that We know of objects very
much to that or cares much either way
but when an additional expense Of five
hundred dollars per annum is laid upon
us il is not the most pleasant thing in the
world TO know that our revenue is to be
cut down little more than one e-half,
and that ut a time when the greatest
amount we could levy 10y law on the en-
tire county would only just allow US to
keep our heads above water.
At the time Of writing this Tuesday
We don't know whether the bill has be.
come a law, nor in fact can any one in
this part of the county find ont much
about it at all, but ~e at least know that
it has passed the lower house where sits
the only shadow of suspicion Of rep
tIibt NuStCi touHty hdS XIV,
and we know further that in a matter
affecting local interests only the local
member has more power to carry or pre-
vent measure than one-half of all the
rest put together. The only deduction
from these premises is that our represen-
tative either espousej the cause Of divi-
sion or perhaps prudently padlocked his
mouth and peacefully slumbered when
it was under discussion.
Now, it may be thought that Custer
county is alone the sufferer in case a
division bill has passed without leaving
il to a vote of the people. We have al
ready called attention to the fact that
the acts of this legislature were of vital
importance to the future Of the territory
yet what can be the opinion Of unpreju-
diced men, of law-ma king body, who
will with one hand endeavor to clear
away the stain Of reputation from
Yankton county and with the other blot
out Of financial existence county whose
faith is pledged to pay the interest and
principal oftwenty five thousand dollars
of bonded Indebtedness. But SAYS some