Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, D.T. [N.D.]) 1878-1884, 1884-02-29
Summary of the Work and Quarrels
of the North and South d.
kOta Delegations.
Gov. Ordway Has Hosts of Friends in
Washington and the Confidence
of the Administration.
Had Not Moody Proven q Traitor
Harmony Between the Delega-
tions Might ::N0w Prevail.
An Effort To Defeat Palmer's COntir.
mation-The Division and Admis-
sion Question-Other Matters.

sion Question-Other Matters.
Special Tribune Correspondence.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. 22.-I have
been silent during the three weeks I have
been in Washington, first, because 1 was
sick the first two weeks and could see or
hear but little that would be of interest
to the readers of the TRIBUNE.
The weather has been very unpleasant.
It has rained almost every day since the
first of February. There has not been
two bright days in succession. There
has been no snow, however, and no frosty
mornings. Twice I have noticed ice
where little pools of water stood in the
streets. The grass is green and L no.
ticed some of the shrubbery about the
capitol grounds in blossom. It has a
tendency under these circumstances to
make one shiver as the daily weather re-
ports from the north are scanned. After
all I prefer our northern winters and l
fail to meet any one familiar with them
who does not agree with me. Every Da-
kotian in the city seems to think it a
duty he owes to himself and to the
country to
BOOM FOR DAKOTA.
The city is full of Dakota people,
Those from the south are principally In
terested in opening the Sioux reserva-
ton, while three or four leading spirits
confine their attention to Governor Ord
way, They meet with about the same
encouragement, however, that Fargo
man would meet with in Bismarck, who
came there for the purpose of abusing
Alex. Mckenzie. In Washington the
Governor is on familiar ground if not on
his native heath. He knows everybody
and is known by everybody, and there
are few indeed who do not respect him.
Those who go to the President or mem
bers of his cabinet, or to such men as
Dawes, Bayard and Cameron with abuse
of Governor Ordway at once commence
digging pit into which they are very
certain to fall. Governor Ordway is
here recognized as a man Of immense
energy and unquestioned integrity,
sometimes indiscreet in controversy but
almost invariably in the right. No one
believes the stories duplicating him IN
county seat speculations. He is known
to be poorer man to-day than when he
went to Dakota, having spent more than
double his salary every year since he has
been in the territory in a faithful attempt
to serve the people of Dakota. am sat-
isfied the Governor does not wish to con-
tinue in his present position and
WILL NOT BE CANDIDATE
for denomination unless put
on the defensive by those who
are ready to make charges of any sort
with view to his injury. He cannot af-
ford to retire under fire, however, and
there are not liars enough in Dakota to
shake the confidence of the administra-
ton in his integrity. The injustice with
which Governor Howard was treated by
the interest which inaugurated the war
fare upon Governor Ordway has not
been forgotten, nor has the murder of
General McCook or the abuse of Cover
nor Pennington been entirely obliterated
from the memory of those in public life
who knew these gentlemen well. The
trouble is that praise from the fellows
who have been at the bottom of most OF
the controversies in Dakota or in rela-
ton to Dakota, the fame of which have
reached Washington gives reasonable
ground for suspicion.
Nothing is likely to be done at this
session of congress in relation to the di-
vision or admission of Dakota. The new
members when they hear the case for di-
vision stated almost without exception,
concede that Dakota ought to be divided.
They are free to admit that it is large
enough for two territories and has almost
population enough for two states. THERE'S
the rub, however. It is the fact that we
have population enough for two states
that spikes the division gun. It is demo-
cratic policy just now to encourage di-
vision because that delays admission.
They know our people want division and
if they are encouraged in the belief that
it can be obtained, it will be two to
four years yet before congress will be