Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1884-12-22
BOWEN 3 K1NasBURy, Prop'ts.

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BOWEN 3 K1NasBURY, Prop'ts.
It is stated that some Of the demo.
Gratis in congress, in searching for pre-.
text upon which to base their partisan
opposition to the passage of the Dakota
admission bill, are preparing to make
use of the recent riotous proceedings in
Sphinx county as On argument in favor
OF their assertion that the peog1le of Da-
kota are not capable Of self government.
The Sphinx county troubles originated
over desire upon the part of portion
of its people to change the location OF
the county seat from the place desig-
mated by commissioners appointed by
the governor to organize the county and
start the machinery of local government.
1t resulted in the clandestineremova of
the county records from the county seat
to another town, which claimed to have
received q majority of the votes at q
county seat election, but to have been
kept rom the enjoyment Of its privileges
by the action of the county commission
ers. who, it is alleged, did not announce
the result as was claimed it should have
been announced. There was gathering
of armed men to recover the
records, another gathering of armed
men to hold them, and
finally the territorial militia interposed
and dissolved the warlike assembiage
without collision or bloodshed and re-
turned the records to their original rest.
ing place.
Experiences similar to the experience
of Sphinx county are not unfamiliar in
Dakota, as past disturbances in Grant,
Sanborn, Roberts. Sully and other coun-
ties demonstrate, although there has
been but one other occasion which
threatened bloodshed. 1t may be argued
that such dem onstra,ions are the out.
come of tendency to lawlessness upon
the part of the people of Dakota, but
any such assumption would be entirely
erroneous. They are the legitimate out
come of a system of government from
which Dakota is now endeavoring to
escape through the adoption of statehood
"a system which breeds dlssensions and
the encouragement of physical force as
remedy for evils which the people. have
no power to abolish, 80 long 4they
operate under territorial dispensation.
!. In the beginning, the governor of q
territory appoints,from his own selection
the commissioners who organize ,
county, and the governor who performl
. this important function is mo-
one of the people, chosen by their suf
frages to occupy the high position Of
chief executive. He is appointed from
the political pastures of the states. and
sent out here clothed with powers which
when directed by corrupt instincts, are
almost despotic in their nature. The
people have no voice IN his selectior
aud 10 authority to remove or punish
him for misdemeanors in office. No on,
who has resided any length of time ir
Dakota wonli be SO rash as to assum,
that Ordway could have been made gov
ernor by the votes of the people
or that he would not hav,
been hurled from his position before hi
!, l. term was half over had the men OF Da
: kota possessed the power to thus dis
pose OF him.
Through the schemes of bad cover
j, nor, or through the mistakes Of an in
! competent or inefficient governor, th
foundations for future troubles of seriou
magnitude are laid. The formation of
county placed in the hands of designing
men entails upon that county years O
] vexatious experiences, of abortlve effort
to right numerous wrongs. Finall
comes the elimination, which ls a
a uprising against corruption an
declaration that it mus
cease and that the rights of law abidin
citizens and property owners must b
respected, even if blood is shed. Th
men who bring about conflicts of thi
nature compose the law abiding elemep
and their efforts are in the interest q
right and justice aud fair dealing for th
good of ull concerned. The system Q
territorial government under which v
exist is the fountain head from who
these evils spring. Under system c
self government they could not thrive
d When an official is accountable to th
people for his acts he governs himse
accordingly. and if he does not perforl
his duty acceptably his opportunitie
for misrule are summarily cut of.
II there has been reason to complai
y Of what may appear to be lawless e,
: hibitions upon the part OF the residen,
= Of Dakots, the remedy for the future
% within the reach Of congress. a. Remoy
the cause. Give us the opportunity I
i govern ourself and to make Laws sui
. able to our enlarged and advanced col
dition. "A half a million people ask onl
to be granted the privileges which Il
constitution guarantees to all America
e. citizens.
p ~
Sentencs Of Dying Man.
p.1e.r,o., r.. 10 ~