Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-07-07
THE STATE OF DAKOTA.
Bill of Observation-Disclosures of Del
egates to the Sioux Falls Convention.
THE ADDRESS TO TllE PEOPLE

minds OF 100000 patriotic. l~iberty-lov-
ing, God-fcaring people that there are
certain rights to which they are cnti-
tied. but OF which they are deprived.
common fairness and common decencN
demand that respectful attention and
consideration should be given to their
claim for the exercise of those rights
and privileges. ForthepIrpose OF EN-
phasizing and formally promulgating
the claims which the citizens OF the
southern portion OF Dakota make in
the matter of statehood and in its
rights and privileges, Il convention OF
$40 delegates chosen from her several
counties met at Huron, June -, 1883.
there being a full representation from
every organized county but three, and
from Il number of counties not yet or
ganized. These representative men
chosen by the several counties upon
the definite issGe of taking steps for
securing statehood Tor that portion OF
the territory designated. i'll convention
assembled, they, as the duly selected
representatives ct 100000 people. ln-
surpassed for intelligence and patriot
ism. most solemnly and With one voice
declared ii TO be the unalterahle and
absolute demand of that people that
thew be ~NouchSaled the exercise OF
those rights promised them as citizens
of these United States whenever they
should number 60,QOeSonlS. guaranteed
to them by solemn treaty at the time
the region. a portion OF which they oc-
cupv, became part OF. the domain OF
the United States, asserted for such as
they, by the fundamental law OF four
teen CONFERENCE.-The and guaranteed
to them by every precedent that can
possibly be considered as bearing upon
the issue.
IT Is EUT JUST AND RIGHT
and in due Difference to the %sisterhood.
of which southern Dakota desires to
become a part, that the said conNen-
ton should state some Of the grounds
upon which her claim is based, not on
y that those'whom might oppose it may
have knowledge Of their error, but
that the people themselves may even
more fully comprehend and realize
what are their rights in the premises,
and what IS the necessity for their
bcrtion OF. these claims and the enforce
which individual or organized effort
can devise or execute. Ard it is for
the purpose of supplying this informa-
ton that the commission has directed
the preparation of this address. In the
first place, let it be understood and
known Of all mel that not a single fea-
ture Of anything that is contemplated
is any departure from due and ordina-
ry process, as recognized by the higher
law of the land, by the repeated inter
pretations thereof by the most eminent
judicial authority, and by the practices
and customs which have prevailed
from the earliest periods Of Il feder-
i'll history. The entire movement
which the southern half OF Dakota is
making to-day iii attempting to secure
statehood>is pure and simple patriot
ism. The people Of the southern por-
ton of Dakota asa5sat the hands Of the
congress Of the United States the .diyi-
sion of the territory upon the forty
sixth parallel and the admission of that
half into the union, and they ask it as
nh unguestionable right. They ask
division because the domain thus al
lotted to them even then would be
larger than thirty other states in the
union, and its boundaries would be Sut-
ticient %tooontain the whole of the six
New England states, on half Of the
four middle States, and with resources
capable Of maintaininga population Of
100000, ard to-day CONTAINS more than
FOUR TIMES TIE NUMBER OF 1NHAnI-
TANTs
required by the federal ordinance Of
1857. They ask it because.the interests
commercial and Otherwise of the diff
terent sections of the northwest eX-
tend in IN east and west direction, and
that, therefore, there is nothing to Join
the interests of southern Dakota with
those of the section from which. she
wants to lie dissolved. They ask 1t be-
cause the characteristics Of the two
people are as different as could well be
Imagined; that of southern Dakota be-
ing a people of home holders and stea-
ty-going citizens, comparatively con-
tent with the days of small things and
themselves directly interested III the
conduct of public affairs, while the af-
fairs in northern Dakota are more di-
rectly iii the hands of large capitalists
and extensive operators and specula=
tors who are able TO dictate the policy
of the region by their influence upon
the large:bodies OF farming people in
their employ or under their control.
" SttIljl AotIo DC SttIlSlttJGC-
tily manaSedw wherein two elements SO
diverse mightbe joined. They ask it
because they have the right tdEso urga-
hiZe their government that the eXpeu-
bes thereof shall be the Least burden
so1r1e, and that eXperieIice demonstrates
that the rate of taxation fer state pur-
poses is much less in small COMMON
Wealths than in larger ones. statistics
proving that while the assessment for
this purpose in Delaware and Rhode
Island is only 10 mills on the dollar, it
IS in New York q mills. and Illinois
"A. They ask it because the records of
The legislative en;ictments show that
IT. is impracticable to establish laws
which shall be OF uniform operation
throughout two sections of q common
Wealth Of such diverse interests and
business us north and south Dakota.
They ask it because the proposed area
Of the new state is as large us permits
Of economy OF government. and the
full and fair exercise Of the political
privileges of a good peoples for to
ORGANIZE INTO ONE STATE
so large an area as the present territory
IT Dakota practically precludes the
poor man from participating in it's con-
yer1tions and management, thus tend