The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1883-02-15
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Later reports from Washington inform
us Of the fact that the vote in the house
against suspending the rules for the pur
pose of passing the Dakota division bill
was a strict party vote. The democrats
went straight against the proposition, and
the greenkackers voted with the rcpubli-
cans in favor of it. It is now probable
that Dakota will not be divided. The
leading republicans of the west and north
west are very bitter in their denunciation
Of the act, and speak right out their opin
ions in regard to the matter The Pio-
neer Press is particularly indignant, and
in the course Of leading editorial has
this to say: Accustomed as the halls of
congress are to displays of rank PARTISAN
ship, they have seldom witnessed more
unpariouahle exhibition of it than when
the bill for the division of Dakota was de
teatcd. The vice Of party feeling could go
no farther. Apparently there was no
effort Of concealment, not even the thin
gloss Of prctanso, By which the congress
man who gives a vote that he is ashamed
Of usually tries to save himself in the eyes
of the country. 1T means the Ultimate
admission of two republican states, was
all the argument that was used against
the Dakota bill, and that was enough.
This is the last extremity Of party rage
and fear. The bill contained nothing
looking toward the admission Of either
half Of the territory to statehood. If the
democrats were afraid of that result, they
would be amply able to take care of it in
the next congress, where they have a ma
jority. The only action asked was the
separation into two distinct parts Of a ter
ritory already naturally and commercially
so divided. and construction Of tro organ
ic bodies from a whole that is too uGlYicld-
ly to exist undivided 1t was no party
device sprung upon congress for political
effect, for the people Of the territory are
practically unanimous in their desire for
division. 1t involved no injustice to any
body, for while north Dakota is anxious,
south OAK ota is more than willing. 1t
was nothing less than an outrage upon
the people ef a community as extensive
and as intelligent as some of these now
represented in congress by senators and
representatives, and that too from u ter
ror SO paltry and contemplate as to dis
close more clearly than ever before the
mean hopes of the democratic party and
the methods to which it is ready to resort
for the most shadowy possibility of advar-
tage. On the same doctrine on which the
plea Of Dakota WAS rejected, every portion
of the national domain outside of the lin
its Of the thirteen original colonies would
still be serving its territorial apprentice
ship. For if the claims of a new territory
to admission are never to be taken up ex-
cept when the party with which it is ex-
potted to vote has a majority in congress,
and if the minority can then prevent ac-
ton. there is an end to federal growth by
accretion. The old struggles of the Kan
sas and Nebraska days were more dgni6ed
than this, for the opponents of admission
could at least give a plausible reason for
their course. 1t is idle to hope, however,
that the new northwest can be kept in
lending strings by such tactics or that the
north will consent to Il repetition of the
pro-slavery policy. The democracy is
making Il record