The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-03-21
DAKOTA NEWS NOTES.


Senator harrison has ssat5iTaiitssseeda hisi;SS re
sort on the bill TO admit Southern Dakota,
and provide for the organization Of the Ter
ritory of Lincoln. The report says:
n Dakota is divided on the Forty-sixth paral-
lei, as proposed by the bill, the State Of Dakota
would contain about 1900 square miles. The
proposed state would be the eight state in area,
California, Colorado, Kansas; Minnesota, Ne
urea. The proposed state would be twice
as large as Indiana, 10000 square miles larger
than Illinois, $4,000 square miles larger than
Arkansas, 5000 square miles larger than the six
New England states combined. IL the present
Territory of Dakota is not divided, but admitted
IS one state, only the states Of California and
Texas would exceed 1t in area Indeed, IL the
area Of cultivatable lands only Is considered, the
state Of Texas alone would rank before 1t. 1t
would seem, then, that we have within TIE limits
Of the proposed State of Dakota q remarkable
urea for q populous and prosperous state.
The report discusses the remarkable adap-
tation of Dakota to sustain a large agTicul-
tural population, and Its excellent railroad
facilities for travel and The
committee assert their belief that the gem
eral sentiment of the people of Dakota is in
favor Of division.
Large delegations Of leading men from both
sections appeared before the committee, and,
without any dissenting voice, urged division.
The representatives from the northern part Of
territory said they did not care whether this di-
vision was brought about by the admission Of
the southern portion as q state, or by constitute
ing two territories, but division they insisted
upon as essential to the best interests Of ell the
people.
The resolutions of both political parties in
favor of division were given IN the reports
Reference was made to the fact hat certain
people from Bismark wanted the matter left
to the people or to a vote OF constitutional
convention of the whole territory, but the
committee do not believe that congress
should surrender its control over this ques-
ton, and express the belief that the legisla-
ton proposed is In the line of the wishes of
the people OF the territory. 1t is their opin-
ion that a proposition to caD a constitutional
convention, with the view of admitting the
whole territory as a state, would be over
whelmingly defeated by the people. The re-
port says:
1t would be unfair to judge the present popu-
lation of the territory by the census OF 1880.
The influx of population since that time has been
unprecedented. By that census the vince ter
ritory had a population of 135. III. The total
number of homesteads up to that time was
80, 704. On the 31st day Of December II was
1880, an increase of 4S,096. There were,
ritory, an increase since Jan, 1, 1880,
of 452. There are over thirty national
banks In the territory, and q large number Of
private banks, and there are 100 newspapers. 1t
has outgrcwn it's present form OF government.
It's judicial system is inadequate, Two-thirds
of the population are located south Of the
forty-sixth parallel. The present population Of
the territory numbers fully $4,000.
The bill Is so framed that no political con-
siderations affecting the next presidential
election are involved, as the state ann be
admitted until after the election.