Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1884-03-10

5000 = ths satanA - y ~ . ~
gFoond. The rink will b on Capitol
stsest betvsso "a and lsh, on tbs prop.
sFty of L. II Purdy. J. WAfs1s 4 %.
Isasisg ~ sclsssl Laola,
/ A bill hss been prepared at Fargo, and
petitions for its enactment viii be sent "a
congress to allow the school sections "a
be formed under cash lease. Tho com.
missioner Of education being addressed
on the subject By . citizen Of this town,
he replied BY asking statement Of the
case. Tho following il the substance Of
the Ysnkton writer's reply:
The following objections arise at frat
view:
l. II bsstows on an irresponsible set
OF county commissioners the whole die.
possl Of the renting Of thess lands; q
power which should be reserved, ~ in
Nebraska, for state Officers.
2. It places in the hanis Of the county
treasurer the duty Of collecting certain
sums OF money which are indefinite, and
tor which he cannot be held to strict &C.
count.
3. 1t creates school land fund, avow.
sdly for the benefit Of schools, districts
and taxpayen; but experience has shown
that such funds have often been subject
to peculation. and ars peculiarly opt to
be corruptly squandered.
4. Under the proposed Law, the rents
may all be consumed and divided among
. corrupt county board, under the pre.
tense OF expenses for carrying out The
Law.
8. There is no penalty or safeguard
against open thieving by the county
board, who are made collectors Of part Of
the cash rent.
6. It confers great and unusual power
upon the commissioners. - they can
favor their friends and punish their op.
ponents in the leasing.
2. II provides for leasing on credit,
without pay in advance.
8. Tho bill 10 presented. Just whom q
division Of Dakota is sgitated and very
much desired by the people Of the
southern half. The latter do NOT desire
their school lands to be impoverished
and worn out, il the northern people do
ask for it. We do not want such Q
measure forced upon us. We have come
here to stay, and We have country that
We intend to live in, while We live at all.
It our part Of the territory was undersira-
BILE as permanent home, We might then
be anxious to plow up all the school sec.
tions, get rich fast and leave them ex.
hausted and abandoned TO the weeds
after few years, to retire to some more
pleasant climate to enjoy the proceeds.
But We have lived in hopes that when
Dakota becomes state, there will be An
immense school fund. derived from tho
sale or lease, under state officers, of the
eighteenth part of our whole ares, which
is now held IN reserve for us by the gov.
eminent. We are willing to forego the
present advantage Of the use OF the 70
lands, that the coming generations may
have schools, institutes. libraries, and
normal schools, without taxation, a. .
result Of our present self.denial.
9. The department OF justice ha,
ordered the prosecution Of all trespassera
on school lands. North Dakota has many
OF these lavlsss people, and large mum.
Der OF its citizens are now under com.
plaint and indictment for persistently
farming the school lands. The bill seem,
desperate attempt at legislating them
selves out Of the position Of defendanta
in criminal suits.
10. The amount Of school land j.
already greatly diminished By their be-
ing settled on after township lines are
run, but before section lines are surveyed
Large areas have thus already, by tn.
negligence of the government, beer
stripped of their school sections. Thi,
also is chiefly the case in north Dakota
IL. We earnestly desire the admission
OF the southern part as state, with its
school lands intact; and then We shal
not object to people Of the remainder
appropriating the school property and
funds situated therein. with or without ,
color of legality. until their only re.
source for school revenues is direct taxa
tion.
| Money! to Loan.