Bismarck tribune., 1884-02-15
AN UNREPRESENTAT REPRE-
SENTATIVE.

introduce the bill providing for consti-
tutional convention for Dakota, the Pho
neer Press headed the dispatch "Why Re-
fuse?" and the Sioux City Journal used
as a head to the item of news the words:
'What's the Matter with Raymond?'
Both interrogations were appropriate and
timely and voiced the unspoken sent1-
ment of every intelligent voter of Dakota.
In an attempt, however, to answer the
above pertinent questions of the two
named influential newspapers, the Yank-
ton Press and Dakotaian says:
1t is because large majority of his constitu'
ents at home are opposed to any action favoring
the admission of Dakota as one state, and as the
representative of the people of Dakota he is in
duty bound to reflect their sentiments. 1t is
also because he is consistent in all things. He
had already introduced a bill providing for the
division of the territory, and those who expected
him to contradict himself by fathering q meas
ure in opposition thereto have discovered their
mistake.
Certainly the Yankton postoffice COM
mission delivered by Delegate Raymond,
cannot have made the Press and Dakota
ian editor so suddenly obtuse. It cannot
be possible that the Press and Dakotaian
is blind to the fallacy of the statements
above made, or that the editor really ex-
poets an intelligent public to accept such
sophistical argument. In the first place
the bill in question does not in itself re-
fleet public sentiment upon the division
and kindred questions, but justly and
very properly leaves those questions to
be decided by vote of the people of the
whole territory. Secondly, Delegate
RAYMOND would not have been acting in
consistently in introducing the bill,
neither would the fact of
his having introduced the bill
been accepted as evidence that he "fath-
cred it," or was in sympathy with any of
it's provisions, or would do anything to
secure it's passage. The inconsistency,
or rather inexcusable stupidity consisted
in the refusal to introduce the bill. It is
plainly and undeniably the duty of del
egate to congress to introduce any rea-
sonable measure that may be presented
in the form of bill by any of his con-
stituents. In fact, to introduce bills is
the only effective or real power that a
delegate has. If members of congress
were only to introduce such bills as
suited their own Individual fancy or am
bitions, it would be trayesty upon JUS
tice and ridiculous in the extreme. The
Press and Dakotaian we'll knows that in
municipal, state, or national legislatures
a representative often introduces meas
ure that he. at once sets about to do all
he can to defeat and the fact that he in
troduces it does not make him champion
or advocate of it. Delegate Raymond,
by refusing to introduce bills that do not
coincide with his personal views, or even
the views of majority or minority of his
constituents, as the case may be, fails to
fulfill the duties of his Office and makes
the title of representative misnomer.
Such policy on the part of Delegate
Raymond robs portion of his constitu-
ency of the representation in congress to
which the statutes and the law of COM
mon sense entities them. Unless Mr..
Raymond recognizes the error into which
he has ia len and refrains from future
errors North Dakota will stand unrepre-
sented and voiceless in the halls of con-
gress.