The Dickinson press., 1883-06-30

II collhlltlee OH adurcss' 10 inc people sub
mitted the following, which was adopted:
10 the People of Dakota: When the sentiment
becomes unanimous in tho minds of 100000 pa
triotic, libertY-loving, God-fearing people that
there are, certain rights to which they are entitled,
but of which they are deprived. common fairness
and common decency demand that respectful attcn-
ton and consideration should DO given to theil
claim for the exercise of those rights and privi-
ally promulrating the claims which the citizens of
the southern portion Of Dakota make in the matter
OF statehood . and in its rights and privileges, a
eral counties met at Huron, juno 10, 1888, there
being q full representation from every organized
county but three and from a number Of counties
not yet organized. These representative mon
issue of taking steps for securing statehood for that
portion OF the Territory designated, in convention
%t ssstiae'''' Of !D0S! 25 81 100 oq peo sstse'0 ans SURPASSED
for intelligence and patriotism, most
solemnly aud with one voice declared it
people, that they be vouchsafed tho exercise of
those rights promised them as citizens of these
United States whenever they should number 10000
souls. guaranteed to them by solemn treaty at the
tlme the region, a portion of which they occupy,
became a part of the domain of the United States;
asserted for such as they. by the fundamenta law
them by every precedent that can possibly be con-
sluered as bearing upon the issue.
IT IS BUT JUST AND RIGHT
ehu ~ aue difference 10 the sisterhood, of which
~ SSoA1 q puAts GLldb VIZ
said convention should state some of the grounds
upon which her claim is based. not only that those
who might oppose it may have knowledge Of their
error, bnt that tho people themselves may even
moro fully comprehend and realize what arc their
rights in the premises, and what is the necessity for
of these claims and the enforcement thereof by all
and every means which individual or organized
effort. can devise or execute. And
i, this Information 1f f5 .h hhs the eu s1%@issi of has su1G}p E. p
the preparation of this address. In the first place,
let it be understood and known of all men that not
d single feature Of anything that is Contemplated is
any departure from due and ordinary process, as
recognized by tho higher law of tho land, by the
repeated INTERPRETATIONS thereof by the most cmi-
customs which have prevailed from tho earliest
periods Of our federal history. The entire move
mont \ m,l which the tho southern half Of Dakota
s t alaains is s0-0l pure IN and aa'sm si1mpie to pa ssfoto
ism. Tho people of the southern portion
Of Dakota ask at the hands of tho congress of the
the forty-si3th parallel and the admission of that
half into the Union. and they ask it as All unques-
tionable right, They ask division because the do
main thus allotted to them even then would be
larger than thirty other states in tho Union, and its
boundaries would be sufficient to contain the whole
Of the six New England states. or half of tho four
Middle states, and with resources capable of main
tanning a population of 100000, and to-day con-
tains moro than
FOUR TIE NUMBER OF INHABITANTS
required by the federal ordinance of 1881. They
ask it because the interests, commercial and ether
wise, of the different sections of tile new North
west extend in an east and west direction, and that,
therefore,. there is nothing to join tho interests of
Southern Dakota with those Of the section from
which she wants to be dissolved. They ask it be-
cause tho CHARACTERISTICS Of tho two. people are as
Southern Dakota being {: people of home holders
and steady going citizens, comparatively con-
tent with tho days of small things and themselves
directly interested in the conduct of public affairs.
while the affairs i'll Northern Dakota arc more di-
rec'ly in the hands of large capitalists and extensive
operators and spectators who are able to dictate
the policy of the region by their influence upon tho
large bodies of farming people in their employ or
under their control. No commonwealth, could be
satisfactorily managed wherein two elements so
diverse might be Joined. They ask it because they
have the right to so organize their government that
tho expenses thereof shall be tho least burden
rate of taxation for State purposes Is much
less in small commonwealth than in larger
ones, statistics provin. that while the assessment for
this purroso in Delaware and Rhode Island is only
10 mills on the dollar, it is in New York 81 mills,
and Illinois "a. They ask it because the records
OF the legislative actment show that it is i'm
form operation throughout two sections of a COM
monwealth of such diverse interests aud business
tho proposed area of the new State is as large as
permits of economy Of government, and the full
and fair exercise Of the political privileges Of a
| good people: for to
RGAS1zE INTO ONE STATE
SO large an area as the present Territory of Dakot
practically prccludes the poor man from participant
| lpE ~ ~ ttlIA il1dltSellcul, tuuS louu-
ing to make it only a rich mans government, which
is contrary to the liberty and spirit Of our %institu-
tons: and. therefore, on behalf of the principles
enumerated in the declaration of independence aud
in behalf of law and precedent as established by
congress and recognized by our courts, we do de-
clare that the right indisputable rests with tho peo:
pie TO define their own boundaries and
adopt their own State constitution because
the compact contained in the ordinance
of 17S7, which has been extended over the people
Of Dakota by five successive acts of congress. guar
antees absolute to them the right TO form aperman-
emit constitution and a State government whenever
the said Territory shall contain GO, 900 FREQ inhabit-
ants; because tho treaty. by which the Louisiana
purchase was acquired. which is the supreme Law
of the land, guarantees to the people OF Dakota
Territory, as absolute as the ordinance of 1887.
that they shall be incorporated in the Union of the
States and admitted as soon as possible,
according to the principles of the
federal constitution; because the highest
judicial authority in tho land has solemnly declared
that congress has no power to hold and govern this
people Permanently in The character of 4 Territory;
because their rights aud privileges have heretofore
bsan recOQniZad and given In n large numher Of