Kimball enterprise. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1883, 1883-05-04

more pers.s!ently mide if the public had the
most positive and conclusive evidence. The
assertion of q "big steal" is repeatedly made,
and people in and outside of the Territor.
might readily be led to believe that the meas
ute of wickedness is full to OVERLOOKING.
FORTUNATELY FOR PUBLIC MORALS,
and the good name of "powers that be- in Da-
kota. these charges are all vague, general and
parcel to point ont any particular corrupt or
dishonest act, or to droduce evidence to sup
port it, and there is where the weakness of
the hue and cry against fraud comes in. The
trouble, for the most part, has been that the
nrst information sent out from yankton,
was either untruthful, distorted, or, at the
least, misleading. The public were given to
understand that the capital removal bill was
the most corrupt measure ever enacted; and
me papers-tespecially,, as rule. those
therefore hostile to Gov. ordway,
naturally enough condemned the measure.
though the editors were not always sure they
understood just exactly what they were con-
demning.
For instance, the opposers Of the capital re-
moval claim that removal at this period is nm
timely. The Territory is on the eve of State
hood, and the boundaries of the future State
are uncertain. Then, again, they claim that
tue commission bill is an unconstitutional meas
ure-that while the governor and the iegisla-
soaS eoCuisSlNSS GdO tu6 power 10 remove the
capital, they had not the authority to delegate
this power to a commission.
On the other hand, the friends of removal as
sert that the measure is constitutional. That
removal, even at this time, was a public
necessity-that the rapidly-increaslng popula-
ton demands that the capital should be at a
point where 1t can be easily reached, since the
difficulty Of getting in or out Of Yankton has
become proqsrbiaL They claim that now that
me Whole Territory IS booming that different
places would be wiling to paw the Territory for
the honor and financial benefit derived from.
the location of the capital, and there is no as
surance that this will be the case two wears
from now. That the capital will, in all prob
ability, be centrally located for South Dakota,
or at any rate at a point where the four great
railway companies can easily reach. They be-
lieye. also, that the legislature. for some
reason the pertinencv of which may not fully
appear, had made up its mind to vote the
capital away from Yaukton, and that the COM
mission plan was the only one that positively
guaranteed the Territory any return.
Instead of carefully considering these points.
there has been published an enormous amount
of the most bare-faced and
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
Take for example tie cry OF ''big steal"
Scores of papers have reiterated the story
started in a Iauhton paper, that the commission
could rob the people by charging Sc per diem
for every day until the next legislature should
convene. But the bill distinctly declares that
the total amount paid the members of the com
mission for service should not exceed $40, 900.
Nevertheless, the cry still goes On that the COM
mission will rob the tax-paying farmer all to
pieces. This shows either that the editors
have not carefully read the bill or that they
are grossly unfair. The fact is, as the bill very
clearly states, that the commissioners cannot
draw a cent until a capital fund has been
created from the donation of the town selected
as the capital This will appear from the fol-
lowing closing extract from Sec. 8:
And the commissioners shall be paid for their
services the sum of six dollars $50 each, for each
and every day actually employed, By the warrant of
the auditor of the Territory upon the territorial
building fund; provided that in the aggregate they
shall aot receive as compensation more than SlO,-
More than this, not one cent of money can
be paid for any purpose whatever out OF the
general fund. In other words, under the terms
of the bill, the commissioners are to locate the
capital, and erect a $4,000 capitol building.
which, with the 100 acres OF land, that ought
to yield from $lOO,G 600 to 5000, 600 in cash,
is to become h Improperly of the Territory with,
out costing the people a cent. If this is a big
steal-the mole numerous the big steals the
better for the public.
But the public object to the method in which
connected Herewith. On these points the
writer hersof has but little to say. He knew a
good deal about the workings of the last legis-
lature, but he saw nothing 10 make him believe
that any members were bought or otherwise
whipped into support of the bill. Vague
charges to the contrary have been made; but
in a published paper Gov. Ordway has made
the following
POSITIVE DENIAL:
For myself, as the executive of the Territory, l
take this occasion to brand as false and UNANIMOUSLY
malicious zach and every accusation put forth by a
venal press that there has been any bargain, ar
rausement or improper understanding between
the executive ana any member of the legislative as
aomhlv in arv yyuv popoactaj uStl, tho &c
the bill for The removal or the seat or government,
or OF any other bill, or for the confirmation of any
nomination, during the late session, or any other
session. Of the legislative assembly since l assumed
Office.
Until somebody is able to produce conclusive
evidence to the contrary. fajr-mindad neorle
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