Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-04-07
DAKOT4,S CAPITAL.
Return of Portion of the Capital Com
mission-The Organization at Yankton.

Return of Portion of the Capital Com
mission-The Organization at YanIzton.
Alex. Mckenzie, of Bismarck, BE. SpaId-
ing, of Fargo, and III. w. Scott, Grand
Forks, members from the northern portion
OF the territory of the Dakota capital
commission, were in st. Paul yesterday on
their return home from the first meeting
and organization of the commission.
These gentlemen left st. Paul for Yankton
the 26th ult. to meet the other members
and organize the commission as REQUIRED
by the legislative act. Arriving at Yank-
ton, the commission found such a hostile
teehDg, not only going to the extent CT
instituting legal proceedings to prevent a
meeting, but actually threatening personal
violence, that the commission felt com
PEELED to resort to stratagem to circumvent
the Yanktonites and execute the trust re-
posed in them by the legislature.
The telegraph has from time to time told
how the commission disappeared from
Yankton for several days, of their night
ride back to that city and of the meeting
and organization of the commission at 6
o'clock in the morning of Monday last, and
OF the immediate departure of the com
mission for Canton, Union County.
AT the early morning meeting in
Yankton all the members of the
commission were present, with certificates
properly vouched, showing that they had
qualified as prescribed in the enabling act,
and an organization was perfected as fol-
lows: Alex Hughes, Yankton, president;
M. W. Scott, Grand Forks, treasurer, and a
Mr.. Wheelock mot member of the com
mlssion), secretary.
At the meeting held at Canton an execu-
tive committee of five was appointed, as
follows; Alex Mckenzie, of Bismarck.
chairman; John P. Bedding, Sphinx
county; Alex Hughes, Yankton; B. f.
Spaldlng, Fargo, and James Mat
thews, Bookings. This committee adopt
ed a resolution that it would receive until
May 1, proposals, IS provided in the act,
for the capital location, such proposals to
be addressed to or deposited with Hon.
Alex. Mckenzie the chairman, and ad-
Journed to meet at Canton, May l.
In explanation of the avoidance of Yank-
ton by the commission, as it did, Mr.. Nc
henzle desired it should be stated that it
was not on account of any doubt or suspi-
clon. that Judge Edgerton, formerly of
Mantorville this state,) would use his official
position to hamper the commission. On
the contrary, he said, every member of the
commission had the utmost confidence that
he would do nothing beyond the plain re-
quirements of his Office, but they felt that
in the high state of excitement which
prevailed, and the vauntingly expressed
determination that the commission should
be prevented at all hazards from comply
ing with the provisions of the legislative act.
that to attempt to hold the sittings of the
commission would be not only to invite OBJ
structive litigation, but a personal conflict.
Mr.. Mckenzie would say nothing as to
the probable action of the commission.
The members had, he said, accepted the
trust reposed in them by the Legislature,
and they would proceed to perform that
duty within the stipulations of the act
creating the commission, and to advance
what they considered the best interests of
the territory, without reference to any out
side pressure, either antagonistic or favor
able.