Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1883-03-27
SIZING THEM up.
The Legislature, The Commission
and their Master.
A Few More Expressions against
the lniq,lity and the
lniquitous.
Deadwood Times.

| Inc last legislature bore lew lmmOr-
tai names, in the house especially, which
were not born to die it hard cheek would
keep them alive. There is difference
and immensely great distinction, be-
tween reputation and notoriety. Wash
ington aud other like WORTHLESS enjoy
fame. Gniteau, Jack Sheppard, and the
Dakota Legislature are, or will be, as
widely known the world over, but their
regulations only gives them notoriety.
The majority of the last legislature was
most remarkable body of remarkable
men. Itwould be worth the while of
sect the peculiarities of these remarkable
creatures. This legislature will live in
song and story not on account of what it
had, but for what it had not. With ig-
norance disgraceful to American intelli.
gence and plentiful lack OF sense, it COM
bined the effrontery Of the tramp with
the rapacious insolence OF the road agent.
If this legislature can be accepted as
specimen representatives of the people,
as in fact the abstract and brief
chronicle of them and the time,
then the political morality of this
people is in a most leprous condition. A
more disgusting harpy crew never tore
and clawed the treasury for spoils than
this deliberative mob in legislature as
sembled. But for the cohesive attraction
of public plunder, these vampires must
have turned on each other, whereby the
treasury might in small way have been
protected. All things needful for de-
Lucrative body were conspicuously alb.
sent.
Legislation degenerated into dema-
goguery, and that naturally gravitated
into jobbery and semi:grand larceny.
Conspicuously absent in this delibera-
tive corral was shame and sense of the
eternal fitness of things. In reviewing
| the work of this deliberative body, the
only deliberative act we can discover
wherein they acted harmoniously was
the deliberate looting of the treasury
It W ould be meet and proper that these
legislative imbeciles now that their term
of office has expired, should themselves
expire. or at least sink in the great see
of public contempt which now sur
rounds them, never more to be heard of
The public has had too much of them
and never desires to hear of their names
again. But case-hardened against dis.
grace, insensible to shame, lmpervious
to ridicule these solons are determined
to perpetuate their dishonor, by naming
new counties after themselves. That
the world may know what kind of cattle
can vote themselves Immortality here in
the great territory of Dakota, the bio.
graphy of each and every legislator
should be published, who he is, and what
last state he suddenly immigrated from
his enforced, and voluntary, public ser
vices in the various manual labor insti
tutions OF the United States, all this
should be written, and possibly will be
1t is absolutely true that
the members of the last terri
torial house voted to name new countie!
after themselves. No higher compli
; ment could be paid the best and worth
lest of modern or ancient heroes. Fo
the information of the future historian
of Dakota and for the benefit of til
; descendants of those who had countie
. named after them, that these unhappy
heirs may have their own names change
. : when they know the disgraceful trutl
the world should know that these legis
lators' names were bestowed by then
!. selves Oh counties not because of thei
J, public services, or their private worth, c
. because the people 80 desired, but bt
y cause and in spite of public opinion, wit
: brazen impudence they wished to sho'
J their contempt of public contemp
. These men have. crowned then
:. selves immortal-and such immortality
! A dozen men have been hanged in thi
y territory and score more deserve it VIII
- . have juster claims to having conntie
!, named after them. Why are "Billy til
- Kid" Lame Johnnie" "Sixtoed Peter
. . "Tapeworm Sam" and other worthie
- - who have been cut off in the midst {
- their usefulness, why, we ask, are the
% forgotten? Why ore not counties name
!" after them? Their names are as eupho
= ious, their services have been as valu,
BILE to the territory as those who ha,
.. voted themselves immortality. Br
d what's in name? "a rose by any 9th,
# name would smell as sweet" and thos
" counties call them what we will, coul
not be named any thing, which will |
Is so comp lete stencil in the Ipublic no
"a trils as the names they will bear.