Cooperstown courier., 1883-09-21

low upon which TO work. The articles adopted
refer to elections, right oe suffrage and military
affairs There was a great deal of spirited dis
cussion over the report Of the committee OIL
elections and right of suffrage, several amand-
ments made and :wo sections stricken ont b.
fore it was adopted Dakota has il greater
number of, aud is receiving more. foreisn-bosn
citizens than any other locality. aud great carr
was taken to deal fairly with them. The frs,
section, as reported from tho committee, re-
quircd three years residence in the Territory t.
make one eligible to holl Office or exercise the
right of suffrage. 1t was amended and as
adopted the section reads:
Every male person of tine age of twenty-one years
ana upward, belonging to either Of the following
one year, in this State six months, in the county
thirty days. and in the election precinct ten days
next next preceding any election. and all persons who
Territory at the date of the ratification of this
stitution at the polls. shall be euitled to vote at
such elections for all offices that are, or here
after may be elective by the people: first, citizens
Of the United States; second, persons of foreign
birth who shall have declared their intention 10 be-
come citizens conformably to the laws Of the United
States upon the subject Of naturalization.
The sections forbidding the election or ap-
who has not resided in the State six months,
and giving women the right of suffrage at all
elections held to choose officers Of schools OF
upon any measure relating to schools, and
making women eligible to hold any oflce per-
tanning to the management Of schools, were
stricken out. A motion to strike the word
''male" in the first section received three
affirmative votes, showing conclusively the
afr onty{h ~ ar i'm ho
ton.
The article on military affairs was adopted
without material amendment. An effort was
made to take up for adoption the report on Cd
ucaton, but it was ordered printed first. There
is little now matter in the report. The feature
covering the disposition OF school lands Is
interesting if not new, because it affects large
bodies Of land in the proposed State
No school land eau be sold for less than $40 on
acre and that sold within ten years shall not exceed
one-third of all land set apart for the use Of
Schools no scnool omcers snall De alowea TO oe
Interested in the sale. rental or other disposition Of
public school lands
PREAMBLE TO THE CONSTITUTION.
The following is the preamble to the consti-
tuition as reported from the committee:
We. the people Of the Territory of Dakota, hav-
ing the right of admission into the Union as one Of
the United States of America by virtue of the Or
the United States of the Province of LOUISIANA aud
py virtue of the guarantees of the constitution OF
the United States "all necessary conditions
having haan fmillad a. the nart IT
the people Of Dakota Territory, and We of right
being entitled to change from our T erritorial
condition to tine enjoyment of all the rights of
State government as free and independent State
of the union, do now, in convention assembled, in
order to s establish ST the welfare ar, and
our posterity, ordain and establish the following
constitution, and form ourselves into free and in
dependent State, by the name of the State of Da-
xota-
There was considerable enthusiasm among
the delegates when tho preamble was read
1t looked and read like the beginning of the
end, and it was moved to suspend the rules
and put it upon its passage. but the president
ruled the motion out of order, and it must first
be printed. Delegate Westover, OF Sully and
Potter counties, arraigned Gov. Ordway by ill.,
PRODUCING q series of pleambles concluding
with resolution, the whole setting forth that
There are number Of unorganized countie:
lying within the boundaries Of the proposed State
Of Dakota. containing more than the requirement
number of resident voters to enttle them to county
organization under the territorial laws, and some
Of them greater population than counties which
have been organized by the favor of the terrific.
rial executive that the qualified voters of sucE
unorganized counties have petitioned in vain TO,
such an organization. and are. by reason of such
want Of organization. practically dsfranchised, and
the inhabitants are unjustly deprived OF the many
recognition such in the proposed State Of Dako-
ia at the first election of State or county officers Of
Hyde. Gerauid. Buffalo. Potter, Faulk and Camp
between the north line thereof and the
forty sixth meridian. and the county Of Mcpherson
with the territory lying between the north line and
be authorized to participate in the election of State
officers, and to proceed to the election Of county
officers in every respect as such elections may bt
held in other counties in the State. and that suct
counties NAV be considered organized as fully anc
completely as though By favor OF the Territorial
executive.
Another resolution was referred to the com
J mittee on corporations other than banking and
municipal, requesting that committee to take
into consideration the expedency of providing
that tho legislature shall pass laws establish
ing reasonable maximum rates of charges
for the transportation Of passengers and
freight on the railways and for the election o
three railway commissioners TO see that the
railroad laws were complied with. At severa
stages Of the session of two and half hours
the subject of prohibition came up in different
forms. There seems to be determination
much against the wishes of majority
Of the convention, to bring the sub
ject OF prohibition before the voter
at the same time the constitution is taken t.
the polls for ratification. The longer ant
cooler heads seem to think it not wise, il the
question must be urged the people at the
same time as the constitution, to have
it connected by codicil or any
| other form with the constitution. The subject
Of taxation Of railroad property upon the
gross earnings or cost value is becoming more
and more complicated 1t is likely to end as
the more Jealous friends Of statehood favor in
leaving it to future legislative laws
where it rightfully belongs. Hon r. F..
Pcttisrew, of the committee on legislation, says
the committee will report q section making it a
crime, with impeachment as punishment, for
any State senator or representative to trade
votes on measures or o governor to use his