Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1883-10-12
THE STATE OF DAKOTA.
An Address by General
Hugh j. Campbell.
Delivered Before Phil Kearney Post,
Grand Army Of the Republic.

| "N SWpy W ku0 uoPOUuC
At camp FIRE at Grand Army hall
given by Phil Kearney post. Wednesday
night, General Hugh }. Campbell res
ponded to the toast, "The State of Da
kota." The following is his address
geographically reported by Cal. G. Val
entine:
Commander, Comrades, Ladies ant
! Gentlemen: 1t is al honor which
prize very highly to have received thit
invitation to speak before an andiesc,
like this tonight. 1t is ap inspiring
thought that an audience like this, ,wherl
the beauty aud worth, and the purity o.
the womnnhood of Yankton, and tn.
crown and queen OF its manhood have
gathered for the purpose of honorinf
the reunion Of few scattered survivor
of that band Of young men and boys
who twenty years ago shouldered theiI
muskets to fight for the flag and the pre-
servation of the union. Those boys arr
no longer yonng. Gray hairs, and var
lous marks of infrmity indicate that the,
are growing old; and the smallness O
their number shows too plainly that the
thinning Of their ranks whioh has oc
Cured since the war is greater than that
which occurred during it. As have lis
tened to the sweet strains OF the song.
and the inspiring music Of the band i,
has taken me back to the days when the
guns had fired on Sumpter and aroused
our people. / hope that among othel
lessons, this gathering and the honol
you have done us and the flag of oul
country, will make such impressions up
on these boys before me that when after
fifteen or twenty years have been added
to their heads, if the union or the state
should be in danger that they will rally
to their defense as freely, and as gallant
ly as did their fathers.
] have been asked to respond to this
toast, 1.-The state of Dakota" 1t seems
to me peculiarly fitting, that at thus
juncture, when the brave men and noble
| women OF Dakota, animated by the same
spirit which actuated the men of '76, and
the men of '6l, are rallyinl together in 8
struggle for the liberty and lndepeu
dence of the people, this sentiment, "rhe
state of Dakots," should be presented
for toast at the reunion OF the Grand
Army. am glad to have an opportuni
ty to speak to you in behalf of this sen.
timent, because, here in Yapkton, l un.
derstand that some men from whom we
would expect better things, have recent
ly not distinguished themselves by eli.
listing under the banner of the friends
and the people of;Dakota, but of their en-.
emles, as opponents Of statehood and the
best interests of Dakota. l don't wish
to be understood as charging that all
who are opposed to statehood are know.
Ipgly antagonizing the interests and
wishes Of the people OF Dakota, but l
freely admit, that there are two classes
of people, who up to this time. are op.
ponents of statehood. The first class art
| honest, but they are honest because they
do not understand either the perlls which
beset Dakota, nor the necessities which
led to the movement for statehood
When these people get their eyes open
and come to true understanding of the
situation as it is, they will be among
the warmest friends of statehood. But
there is another class of the, enemies OF
Dakota, and of statehood, whose sole
motive is to thrive and further thell
own fortunes; to fawn and lick the hand
| of power, and who are willing for these
| Enobe euls to prostitute themselve:
| in aid OF the schemes of the most cor.
rupt, upprincipled and prohigate band
| Of men who have plundered state ol
tobbeaits people. They are men who ar.
| following the beck of that unprlnciplec
and corrupt man who 6lsgraces the sea
| once filled by the sanity Howard. Gap
piause)
To understand the position of Dakots
and realize the periIs that confront her
and to meet which. the statehood move
ment was inaugurnted, let me refer for
moment to the history OF the. pas
few months. At the close of til,
Inst Legislature, when that bod,
had corruptly, and in defiance of th
wishes of the people bound the terrific
ry of Dakota hand and foot, and tied u
III bundle all the liberties and power,
of the people and placed them at th
feet of tue governor, and of that power
full combination, headed by the Northern
Pacific railroad, these people, grown Dol,
| by their success, contrived q scheme We
bolder aud more audaclous than an,
before it. Ordway and his gang con
ceived the project; and while the peopl
of Dakota were sleeping this summer
were preparing and getting ready to pu
through congress an enabling act for til
admission of Dakota as whole. Nov
do you know what this means? An
while this may be dry talk to the ladies
perhaps, l desire to ask their attentio
to this as particularly as that Of the mer
for tell you, ladies, that if the scheme
OF these robbers succeed, it will be you
husbands and your brothers, and YOU
sous who will have to pay the conseauer
ces.
j Now, let me see if can not make
plain to you what these consequence
kota is? Right through the heart of
extends a belt of country forty mile
and in some places eighty miles Wild
consisting of that great grant OF Ian
given by the government to the Norther
Pacific railroad. That land has been sol
in large blocks to speculators and lare
! holders, constituting what is now know
. as the Bonanza Farms OF North Dak,
ta.'' What are these? They are nj
farms like the homesteads and pre.em]
tions of south Dakota. Their people al
not people like south Dakota, consis
ing OF small farmers, small merchan
and mechanics and ali that class of il
dustries which grow up IN countr
consisting OF homesteaders, pre-. empto
and actual resident farmers.
. These "bonapza farms" are five tho,
. sand, ten Thousand and twenty thousan
acre farms. Their owners live in 8
: Paul. Chicago. Milwaukee aud Ne
York. They come to them in the sun
, mer and import their hands from I'll
large cities; these hands have no inte
est aud no stake in the country. The
are wanderers, and in many instanc,
from the slums Of the lowest dsscriptio
of these citics. Now this collection
large land owneis are entirely depende,