Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1883-06-12
Huron Huronite
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huIOu ouIOuItG.
The capital is located.
The commission may now be fairly i
judged.
"By their acts shall ye know them"
From the most selfish point of view,
no place but Huron was at all fit for the |
capital.
In little less selfish light. Bismarck
is the best place, because it deprives our
rivals of the benefit of the prize and re-
moves it to the greatest possible dis.
tance.
In the broad light of equal justice to
every inhabitant of the territory, the
location is failure.
The single and sole reason for remov.
ing the seat of government from Yank.
ton was on account of its inaccessibility.
There may be few other unimportant
minor points, but this objection removed
and no serious cause for removal remain.
ed. The language of the bill is that "the
commissioners, or majority of them,
shall select suitable cite for the seat of
government of the territory of Dakota,
due regard being had to its accessibility
from all parts of the territory"
A site is chosen on the western boun.
Diary of civilization, in by far the least
populous division of the territory, and
place where there is but . single line
of railway. Twenty-six out of the thirty.
six legislators would be obliged to 20 to
st. Paul to reach Bismarck by rail.
No candid person will for . moment
scquiesce in the idea that the proper site
for the capital has been chosen. Why
was it then chosen?
At the time that the commission bill
passed, the popular understanding was,
that the capital was to be relocated in
south Dakota. That this was still the
understanding when the commission
first met to receive bids was plain from
the direction from which the offers came
That any change in the programme was
kept quiet, even in north Dakota, is very
evident from the fact that jamestown,
the most prominent capital candidate in
that section, failed to put in bid at the
supposed last opportunity on May 18th.
Why was the opinion 30 unanimously
prevalent that the capital would be
located in south Dakota? Simply
because it was sunquestlonably the proper
place for it.
| North Dakota, with representation
supposed to be fairly based, of ten to
thirty-six. captured the delegate to con.
gress. She has now captured the cspi.
tai; and, judging from past events, if she
does not capture the constitutional con
vention it will probably be because she
don't want it. There is something wrong
people were finding out what it is.
Is it because our leaders have les.
brains or less Influence? How is i,
that northern Dakota, an unpopular locs
. ton with only three commissioners anC
r one of them in opposition captured th,
capital? 1t is easy to understand WIZ
Mckenzie voted for Bismarck and no
strange Scott should do the same. Witt
, Spaldlng tied to Redheld, north Dakot
had two votes aud south Dakota siz
T Leaving Belding to do as he chose
south Dakota still had five or
majority. That Myers would star,
, by her to the last was we'll understood
) Matthews remained unshaken for Hurol
I and Thompson faithful to Mitchell. Wh
0 then played the traitor and gave the vic
. tory to the nolth? Alexander Hughe
1 and Henry A. DeLong. The procelur
/ of DeLong is not worth discussion, as
b has never been considered that he coul
:. be depended upon. The action of Hughe
is worthy of discussion more for what b
g has been than for what he will be in th
!. future. As soldier in the late war,
e commanded great respect. The recip
ent OF important federal positions adde
to: his prestige. The apparently gallar
fight he nade in last tall's canvass, wo
d for him the admiration of his friend
Y and the respect of his enemies. Ala,
We fear his moral is not as strong as b
It physical courage. In the light of presel
;, events, even his graceful 'bowing' to IL
, combination at Grand Forks, last fall
e shorn OF much of its glory. Captai
Y Hughes the hero of many battles, tt
Q man of ability and gallantry. the chairma
& of the commission, the accredited lead.
d of south Dakota's forces Where y,
@ he when the battle began! Did
n choose position and strive for it ma
rs fully? Did he fearlessly attack the p
Is sition Of his opponents. While he brave
in maintained his own. All, No! Fiut
70 meaningless tiirt with Mitchell, then {