Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1883-09-19
tors are not admitted. Our constitution

TORS are not duIloltteu. OuT COtlslltutiOA
would 20 there more largely backed by
the people ii we elect officers. Then,
If We present only the constitution at
the polls, the vote will be weaker than
II we elect officers.
C.L. Wood of Pennington My DEM
ocratic friend from Lawrence county
[Mr. Cailfield reasons from false prem
Uses. lie assumes that our congress
sional officers will 60 to congress and
demand their seats at once. He is mis-
taken. A section Of the report pro-
vides that the officers shall act only
after we have been admitted. j man
who opposes a plan ought to suggest Il
better one. We don't propose to send a
man down to Washington to demand "a
seat. We should not he afraid Of being
laughed at. We must elect these of
ticers to complete the organization of II
full state government.
II. F. Pettigrew OF Afinnehaha-l Ii we
elect our state officers it seems to me we
come in conflict with the territorial Of
ficers ut once. 1t is suggested that we
elect senators. Who will sign their
certificates of election? The governor,
of course, and then we come into con-
fiict at once with the territorial officers.
The great papers will not indorse us if
we do this. They will say it is reyOlu-
tionary, rs they have already said,
and our whole movement will be
laughed to scorn. If We propose to
elect our officers us has been suggested,
we must abandon our claims of right.
had some experience rs u member of
the congressional committee on terri
tories in matters of this kind. Alaska
presented a delegate elected in this un-
authorized way and he was laughed at.
was the only member Of the commit
tee who supported his admission. I
am in favor OF inserting in this section
that this election shall occur in the
first year after we have been admitted
by congress. \ committee can assert
our rights and not he impugned by the
assertion that they have selfish inter-
ests. The officers elected could not
My friend from Lawrence Mr.. Caul-
field being an eX-member of congress,
would be admitted to the floor as Il
member OF the committee to help
through our effort to statehood. But
ii he went as IN elected officer he
would be excluded. as having a person.
al interest in the issue, the rules of the
house excluding any ex-member who
is working for an issue pending in
which he has an interest personally.
Now, think he should be sent there
as one Of Il committee.
| Mr.. Caulfield- No; that is not the ar
rangement. You proposed that we
both go as committee, and go to-
gether
There was u roar of laughter.
| Il. {. Moody of Lawrence moved to
amend the section. so that the officers
shall he elected on the first Monday at
ter the first Tuesday following admis-
sion into the union. In presenting the
amendment he ridiculed the idea of
electing officers before Dakota is made
state. He recalled the rascality that
has gone rampant over the territory,
and deprecated the fact that the peo-
pie OF the territory were placed in the
unfortunate situation they were in.
He thought a body of men who had
shown so much good sense rs had been
shown by the delegates assembled
should not make the mistake Of taking
the step proposed.
On motion OF II. A. bay of Edmunds.
Mr.. G. Ii. Winsor. secretary of the con-
vention. was called upon to expires:
his views. Mr.. Winsor said it would.
in his opinion, be mere child's play to
present the constitution to congress
without the full machinery of state be-
ing placed in motion. He favored the
election of u full complement of officers.
1t would excite the ridicule of the press
rs well as congress to 20 to congress
without state officers elected. Yet he
did not fear ridicule rs much as the
evasion of right and duty. II the COM
mittee to congress will not meet with
ridicule the officers elected and the
members and legislators to congress
will escape rilicule as well. The
charge of seliishness will come up as
readily and strongly without as with
! officers. 1t will be a just criticism that
| will he passed upon Il failure to select
| officers. To fail to choose officers is to
acknowledge weakness. Ii we have no
right to elect officers, and it is not con-
sistent and right. it is not right to meet
here. lApplause.l
Eli Johnson of Hyde asked that the
president he called upon to speak his
views upon the subject. President
Trip was called for, and asking Mr..
johnson to occupy the chair he ad-
dressed the convention, saying he had
no doubt that every delegate present
desired to adopt the best methods. The
only question he discussed was pro-
priety of electing officers. He would
go on in the work whether officers were
elected or no, but he feared no sneer at
Washington if officers were elected and
sent there. There could be no charge
made and sustained Of desire to Sc
cede because officers are elected before
statehood is secured The senators and
representatives elected could knock ut
the door Of congress for admission
with the committee sent there. He
feared no criticism because the full ma
chinery of statehood was placed in mo-
ton by the selecting OF officers. He
gave the lie to all those aspersions
which had been cast by men outside
the convention and by the press upon
the patriotism and good intentions of
the gentleman from Yankton MIR.
Campbell in advocating so zealously
the election of officers, and was en-
Enthusiastically applauded at the close Of
his eloquent remarks.
A. &. Mellette of Codington 1t has
been said we have no law for sitting
here and proceeding IN is proposed to
proceed. fail to see any distinction
under law between the proceedings OF
this convention as they have been and
as they will be If we declare to elect
officers. We have II legal right to as