Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-10-20
~ST4TEAOOI FOR QAKQIA

tlota has been adopted by the first con-
stitutional convention, and is ready to
go before the people in November
next. Che State of Dakota" covers
an area Of eightythousand square miles
and is said to possess fully 100000 peo-
pie. Themajor part of the state is well
settled. much of it as thickly populated
and almosl as well improved as The ~
terror of Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska,
Colorado and other western states.
The people outrank those l have ever
met so far west in the matter Of intel
ligence, honesty, energy and patriotism.
They are all men, and not, as the strlk-
ing telegrapher would put it, "scahs."
They have come here to improve a fine
new country, andhaving complied with
all the requirements for the attain
4nent of state government, and earnest
iy desiring it, they have framed and
adopted constitution based upon econ
pmy, utility and general good sense,
guaranteeing freedom and protection,
and they will lay it before congress
through twenty-five Of their represen-
tative men early in the next session
and ask for its ratification and the adj
mission Of south Dakota into the Unit
ed States. They will ask admission re-
specially, hut urgently, and if refused
will demand it. If they are still refus-
ed, p,h,.t then? you ask. They will
simply say that liberty and iustice-the
rights which the stars and stripes have
sworn to protect-have been disregard
ed, trampled under feet all covered
with bunions of corruption and ghouty
by fraud. These men are neither
knaves nor fools, and they do not pro-
pose to rise up in arms nor establish an
empire, if they are not given the rights
that are due them and which they ask.
No; they will merely say nothing but.
saw wood" awaiting, under the veil Of
the old saw, "'Tis a long lane that has
no turn" until the wheel turns around
and they are given an opportunity to
shove in q spoke and cause il 10 slip a
cog.
/ have been here during all of this
convention, and claim the pleasure Of
knowing personally every one of the
1875 or $40 delegates who We're in at
tendance, and for good, hard, everyday
common sense, congress o the distin-
guished senators Of the third house"
do not shine one scintilla brighter.
They meal to have statehood and to
have it this Winter-not smother Win
ter nor smother time-and if a demo-
CRATIC house ora cranky republican sen
ator defeats their purposes | hereafter
shall cease posing as the philosopher
and statesmen of the Critic staff.
When the constitution is presented
to congress it will be backed by a large
vote of the electors Oh the to-be-state;
also, a true census, showing that there
is an abundance Of the required popu-
la%tion-laore than enough for two con-
gressmen under the figures Of the APP
portionment-and any amount of sta
tistjcs and proofs Of unanimity OF the
people On the subject. The matter has
been studied in all its phases by sol
amn, deep thinkers, men OF experience
in both houses Of congress, On the su-
preme bench and i'll constitution MAX
ing and state-making, and | mast say.
with a degree Of candor that is bred OF
third thought. that if a democratic
house or a senator in need of q liver
pad refuses these people statehood this
very Winter-even in the face OF a
presidential campaign-it won't becon-
ducive to the freedom from a bad cough
of that party or the future ambition Of
that sordid individual loaded with bile.
The fact is, so far as statehood is con-
cerned, Dakota has it's opposers down,
fiat on their backs and pinioned by rea-
son, right and circumstances. They
tlre prepared to meet successfully every
objection that can be raised.
All talk Of this move being political
Is rot, the worst sort Of rot, and no one
but a sour and disappointed Office seek
er has a brain SO consti pated as to breed
such an accusation. Rev. MI. Ward OF
Iankton. n of the most leyel~ileaded
and patriotic men in the territory, and
q prime mover III statehood, stated a
good reason why state government is
needed the ether day when he said:
I've have no school fund now. and
our schools are only kept up by dint Of
great enterprise and ambition and
pride, We have an enormous mount
Of school lands, yet we cannot sell them
until we have state government. One
eighteenth Of all the land in the terri
tory is school land, and there are also
twenty-five sections for a state univer-
sity. This alone is enough to cause us
50 work for statehood p. $. Heath.
OF the Editorial staff Of the Washing
ton Critic.
Miss CYNTHIA r cleveland IN fbc HIN