Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1884-04-03
DAKOTAs' RIGHTS.

any rights which congress is bound to re-
spect 10 becoming a grave one. If the
e. experience OF the people OF Dakota is to
Oe taken as a criterion, it is, perhaps, for
tunate that the area of recognized states
Will soon comprise all of our territory
that is likely to be thickly settled or rap
idly developed within the Immediate
future. For, if there were many others
Of these great divisions growing sudden
ly IA the full yigor of strength and de-
handing the right Of s~elf-goveinment
upon. which the independence of this
people is founded, and ii their simplest
requests We're as persistently denied and
insulted as have been those of Dakota.
we might expect a troublous future. 1t
IS more than strange that our people,
with such a history. as they have behind
them, and With the constant boasts of the
right o. Amlerican citizens to freedom and
selfgoverninent upon their lips, should
yet delight to treat their fellow citizens
not yet delivered from the leading strings
OF the territorial condition as much as the
emanclpated serf, when promoted TO the
place OF o~vtr-seer, treats those who were
formerly Ills companions ia slavery. Yet
the TACT remains that a portion of the
people OF the Northwest, exceeding in
htihDts inOIc llldu OiiG III OQF ANiliLLctl
states, petition In vain for the slightest
recognition of what are commonly called
the inalienable rights OF citizenship. 50
far from receiving assent to their rnoders
ate, Just, AMI reasonable demands, they
are not even piacated with a promise
that the right viii be executed at any
date reasonably neal at hand. Tie liar-
rison bill is impatiently showed aside to
mQEa room MAPl IAhnfn rIf.np Gntsanff4tse<2 80
which poll icat capital can be made; the
people are told that the interests 81 party
and the equal division of states at tlle
next election must be conserved before
anything else can be thought Of; and
when all this has been submitted TO.
still they are not soiaced By any definite
prospect of receiving their due even ii.
the future, while the ligl,test relief that
they mey ask from tile endorsements
sentailed by the reffisal OF congress to act
IN their behalfls ready ana alilaDst con-
tcmptously denied. There are few chap
ters Ia recent congressional History more
discrcdititbtte thsSis tuat which relates 10
the treatment OF the people of Dukota at
tile hands 81 the nation representatives.
What tire people Of the territory ask
can be summed up inAtbe familiar phrase
division and admission, They desire
tliasthe unwieidy territory, Which would
laake stlilgmore ppWieldy state, With
s1ts{S SndA nSlgatsiss asseady Wel
ally eEsabiisheS Should b6ssormalty sep
aratcd into the ortlerii and southern
divisions which now exist and need only
10 be recognized by national authority.
To talk of any considerable sentiment
opposed to division IN the territory is to
quibble. The platforms Of parties have
called for it again and again. The peo-
pie of South lpakota have given hearty
assent To ii. Within recent days the only
s.gn OF discomfort with the prospect of
division apparent anywhere has been
shown in Bismarck, and ever this APP
pears to give away before a wise second
thought. For it is apparent on very
Slight consideration that it is not for the
interest OF that city 10 oppose the meas
ure. Ii another territorial Legislature
shall meet before division is fairly con-
coded, and if it should appear that this
result WAS in any way due to the position
OF the newly chosen capital, IT'S honors
would trefnble in the balance, and could
be retained only by a species of i
ilent from which good citizens must re-
coil. South Dakota is numerically tine.
ruler OF the territory. BY internal d.
vision, the people of that section lost the
capita, and that result has been acgui-
eseed Ia; but Only with the understand
in that division would soon settle the
whole matter satisfactorily and pernla-
nently. Ii division, now, should be de-
MED, u newer and more bitter contest
than ever would be precipitated, and it
is easy to sec what means would be re-
CNrfnff IN IN nrfiar fa tr,Ha TIM 1af,sf &c
the past. As much rs division is desir-
able on geographical and OF, .er grounds,
it is absolutely imperative as tending to
prevent the internal discussions which
are quiet only for he time being on the
~snppositlon that it will finally be granted.
Admission OF the southern half fellows
naturally as the consequence of argu-
ilents which We have so often urged,
and which 1t is little to the credit OF some
OF the leading papers OF the West. not
ably those OF Chicago, ia have antago-
nized for no reason ON earth except the
mean and sordid satisfaction of prevent
ing other people from receiving what
they ask n deserve, simply because d
are on the side Of might. South Dakota
has population amply sufficient to Justify
its elevation to the rank of a state, wlIetII-
er the requirement be the number fixed
uJon in tile snyient ordinance applying
10 this territory, the number considered
adequate ia the case OF other states now
integral parts of tne Union, or the num-
Der necessary To entitle q division 10 esse
representative in congress according to
the present superintendent. The people
are anxious for tile right OF s~elf-goyerny
ment as only those can who have suffered
from its denial. Thew have proved their