Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1883-03-28

huOWu aS OEuWayS TtecOIO, issued ID
September, 1881. Subsequent events
have proven that the charges of the
Record are entitled to consideration
THE ISSUE STATED.
The people of any commonwealth are
usually warranted in looking upon their
chief executive as champion of their
integrity and protector of their good
name. Dakota has within year stood
as an exception to this general rule. In
stead of her people having found in
their governor man disposed to stand
guard over their regulations, they have
been insulted by his charging them with
"a general spirit of irresponsibility" and
accusing their chosen representatives
with corruption, intrigue and jobbery,
The instances of these charges and &C
cusations are too we'll known to need q
specification of them here. Every Dako-
taian posted in regard to the course of
the governor since he commenced his
scheming here for his own agrandlze-
ment, has smarted under the indignities
of which the citizens of the territory and
their legislators have been made the
object. The character of man who
makes such charges as Gov. Ordway has
made, will be considered as in some
| measure indicating the reliance which
may be placed upon them. If he be q
person of known integrity and honor,
the interference is warranted that there
must be some room for belief that the
damaging accusations are true. But
on the other hand, the charges
are at once sent toward their grave
if it be demonstrated that the man
who makes them is actually a king
among corruptionists. and that his re-
proaches were stimulated solely by a
failure to use the people for the further
ance of his own personal and selfish
schemes. For the purpose of demon.
strating the retaliatory spirit which has
prompted Gov. Ordway in the charges
| made by HIM against Dakotaians and
their legislators, let US examine the
course which events took when he at
tempted to secure action that he hoped
would permantly fasten his clutches up.
on such territorial patronage and emol
uments as might be wheedled, bribed OF
extorted from the Representative o1
the people.
THE LEGISLATIVE CONFLICT.
Governor Ordway's condust toward
the present legislature of Dakota ha.
been q continuous attempt on his par
to insult, villify and abuse them as
body. Ever since their adjournment
he has been continually indulging il
silly gloriticatlon of himself as governor
and ignorant detraction :of the member
of coordinate branch of our territoria
government. Such conduct on the par
, of an executive is not only unheard ol
but would clearly render him impeach
able before the body he uses his ofiicia
3 position to abuse, II we were blesse,
t with the right of statehood.
2 He seeks to acquire popularity by rep
resenting himself as having been engae
ed in a ''heroic" struggle for the right,
of the dear people against jobbery an
{ personal schemes of the designing me-
I whom the people elected as their legis
latule, and that he is still unmindful O
himself, and is yet yearning for thei
welfare and safety. While he is thu
engaged he strangely forgets to tel
abouthis own jobbery and attempts
I secure patronage aud personal legisls
ton. That chapter of Ordway's histor
not having been heretofore fully writer
: it may be we'll to place part Of it a
: least before the people.
Immediately upon the assembling G
the legislature, he strongly urged th
. kcreation OF a new officer, denomlnated a
: commissioner of finance and banking, t,
: be appointed by and subject to remova
J. by the governor. His plausible argu
/ ments for the bill led many of the mem
: : bers to look at it favorably at first. Blu
5 while the bill was pending in the legis
!, lature it became apparent that he want
: ed q special agent for Ordway to travc
/ over the territory at the expense of tn
. taxpayers to work III his interests il
c stead OF the interest of the people. Orc
. way aiterward discovered that his pc
h measure was inedanger OF being defeate
:, in the house, and he thereupon threat
q ened the chairman of the committee.t
|, which it was referred that if the bill wa
$ not at once reported favorably by th
: committee he (Ordway) would vet
: another bill which he knew the chairma
's strongly favored. The chairman refuse
v to make the desired report, and til
5. threatened veto was Immediately hande
!. into the council. The gubcrnatoria
;. y threat became known. and the result We
/ the chairman's bill was immediatel
h passed over the veto, eleven to one i
the council and unanimously in til
house, and the governors special fnal
e oial agent measure was on the followin
ii day indefinitely postponed. The gove
l. nor's wrath at this defeat only eQuale
:, n his disappointment.
r. Ordway strongly urged upon the lei
Is islature the creation of n board Of INN
IA grafton, thereby enabling him 10 Al
point three new officers as commission
y ers, increasing his patronage to that e
Is tent. The legislature disagreed wi,
le him as to the advisability OF such a la
a. aud the bill was therefore lost. The
deemed that the heavy expenditure al
- - consequent burden upon the tax.paye
1t necessarily occasioned by such boar
Of we're not justified; and that the gre