Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1883-06-27

mettOn tf16y tnc C0nf0ntlOn nus OIL
rected the preparation of this adj
dress. III Tie tirst place, let il be
understood and known Of all men
that not Z single feature Of anything
that IL contemplated is any depart
IRE from due and ordinary process,
a. recognized BY the higher law OF
1.-The land, BY the repeated interpre-
tations thereof by the most eminent
ljudicial authority, and by the prac-
tices aud customs which have pre-
vailed from the esrliest periods Of
our federal histcrJ. The entire
movement which the southern half
III Dakota is making to day in
attempting to secure statehood is
pure and simple patriotism. The
people Of the southern portion Of
Dakota ask at the hands Of the
congress Of the United States the
division Of the territory upon the
forty-sixth parallel aud the admis-
sion Of that half into the Union, and
they ask it as an nnquestionablc
right. They ask division because
the domain thus allotted to them
even then would be larger than
thirty other states in the Union, aud
Its boundrics would be sufficient to
contain the whole Of the six New
ENGLAND states, or half Ut the four
Middle states and with resources
capable Of maintaining population
of s. OOO, 900 aud to day contains
more than four times the nunloer
Of inhabitants required by the fcde-
raj ordinance Of 1857. They ask it
because the interests, commercial
and otherwise, of the different sec
tons Of the new Northwest extend
I ia an east and west direction, and
that, therefore, there is nothing to
Join the interests Of Southern Oak
ota with those Of the section from
which she wishes to be dissolved.
They ask it because the character
istics Of the two people are as differ
ent us could be imagined; that Of
Southern Dakota being people Of
home holders and steady going
lcitizens, comparatively content
with the days Of small things and
themselves directly interested in
the conduct Of public affairs, while
the affairs in Northern Dakota are
| more directly in the hands of large
capitalists and extensive operators
and spectators who are able to die
tate the policy Of the region by
| their influence upon the large bodies
of farming people in their employ
Tor under their control. No
commonwealth could be satisfac-
orily managed wherein the elements
so diverse might be joined. They
ask it because they have the right
to SO organize their government
that the expenses thereof shall be
| the least burdensome, and that
experience demonstrates that the
rate Of taxation for State purposes is
much less in small commonwealth
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 81
mills, and Illinois "a. They ask
it because the records Of the legisla.
tive enactments show that it is i'm.
4 practicable to establish laws which
shall lie in Uniform operation through
, out two sections of a commonwealth
Of such diverse interests and business
as North and South Dakota. They
ask it because the proposed area OF
the new State is as large as permits
Of economy Of government, and the
full and fair exercise Of the political
privileges OF u good people; for to
organize into one State SO large AZ
J area as the present Territory Of Oak
ota practically preeludes the poor
man from participating i'll its con
ventions and management, thus ten
ding to make it only rich mans
! government, which is contrary t,
the liberty and spirit Of our institu
tons; and, therefore, Oh behalf of tllt
principles enumerated in the decla
ration Of independencc and in behal
Of law and precedent as established
by congress and recognized by oul
! courts, we do declare that the RICH,
i indisputable rests with the people t
/ define theirown boundaries anG
adopt their own State constitution
because the compact contained il
the ordinance Of 1887, which has
been exterded over the people o
!, Dakota by FIVE successive acts OF
congress, guarantees absolute to
them the right to form II permancn
constitution and a State government
whenever it shall contain 60,
coo free inhabitants; because tn
: treaty by which the Louisiana pur
! chase was acquired, which is SUI
preme law Of the land, guaranteed Il
! the people Of Dakota Territory, a
absolute as the ordinance OF 17S7
that they shall be Incorporated il
the Union OF the states and admitte,
as soon as possible, according to tn
principles Of the federal constitution
: because tho highest judicial author
ity III the land has solemnly dc
/ clarcd that congress has no power i
hold and govern this people per
manently in the character ola Ter
ritory;; because their rights and
privileges have heretofore beer
recognized and given to large mum
I Der the existing States, among then
. being Tennessee, Arkansas, Michigan
: Florida, and Iowa; because we ar,
now deprived Of the most sacre,
J, rights and privileges of American
citizenship, on account Of the wild
2 expanse Of our domain and the lin,
I tied and inadequate judicial system
consequent upon the Territoria