Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1885-11-21

81 USAAsAl6SOAA AVW ."VVno,
and the prospect for a lively session
grows brighter every day. We back
woods Dakotans are anxious to know if
Mr.. Sparks is a bigger man than COIL
gress.
THE CAPITAL AFFAIR.
Effect of Division and Admission
Bismarck and Huron.
Col. Lounsberry in Bismarck Journal.
Huron was chosen at the recent cleo
ton to be the capital Of Dakota in case Of
division. The location is central and is
in every respect II proper to be made.
Should Dakota not be divided the CAPT
tai location for all of Dakota will come
up aga n, and the plan of submitting the
location to a vote of the people is one
very likely to be adopted. In that case
Huron will be chosen to be the capital
Of the whole territory by q vote Of two
to one, for central and Northern Dakota
will come to the front in solid ranks for
their favorite location. IfDakota is not
divided an attempt will be made to hold
Bismarck responsible for the defeat of
division, and the course ofthe Bismarck
Tribune, of Gov. Ordway and of others,
who have been active and are still active
in opposition to division, will be cited
TO prove that Bismarck has opposed the
interests and wishes Of other portions Of
the territory, and she therefore deserves
no consideration at the hands of the ter
ritory. The theory of vested rights
gained through the capital bonus is good
enough perhaps to base a veto message
on, but it will not answer for practical
results, and unless we are reasonable
and just in our treatment of other por-
tons ofthe territory the capitol half Sec
ton, the capitol lots, and the magnifcen,
building, the munifcent gift Of the peo-
pie of Bismarck to the territory, will re-
vert, under the deed, TO the original
donors. The people of Dakota have a
right to expect the fullest sympathy and
the heartiest assistance from the people
of Bismarck in their efforts to secure the
division Of Dakota, and they have the
sympathy of IL very large majority; but
there are those opposing who are recog.
nized as our sposesmen and for their
conduct all Bismarck will he held re-
sponsible. The Journal will be de-
nounced for referring to the subject,
while the organ Of the anti-divisionists
will go on with its slurs upon the honest
efforts Of an honest people to secure the
division of the territory and the admis-
sion Of the south half rs Il state. Gov.
Pierce has been consistent and has raised
himself immensely in the estimation Of
the people of the south by his earnest
words for division embraced in his an
nual report. He has disarmed ut one
blow the unjust criticism that the south
was so wont to indulge and has proven
that his sympathies are not confined to
one spot in Dakota, but that he has a
mind comprehensive enough to embrace
the whole and t. labor to promote the
interests Of the whole. The people Of
the south m~isjudge another important
interest-the Northern Pacific railroad
company -and falsely assume that that
interest is opposed to the division of Da-
kota. This is not. true. The railroad
company cannot with prnpriety~ interfere
in any manner, for if they do they will
be misreprcsented and misunderstood.
Any one who will think can see that
their interests cannot be served by ad-
mission without division, because a large
majority of the legislature will come
from that potion of the territory hostile
to the Northern Pacific. They will con-
stantly seek to impose new burdens upon
it with a view to gaining some share of
the advantages resulting from the taxa
ton of its lands and its gross earnings.
The interests Of the people and the rail
road, if the territory is divided, will be
to a greater extent mutual, and doubt
less u provision similar to that in the
Minnesota constitution for the taxation
of railroads would be gladly adopted by
the north, while the south will demand
q more flexible system-one that will
serve as a constant menace to the rail-
roads. The old argument Of a lack If
communication between the two sec
tions cannot now be raised, while that of
a natural barrier between the two in the
shape Of all unsettled region, not adapt
ed to cultivation like the great Ameri-
can desert), has proven to be a myth.
and we are forced to fall back upon the
solid facts that the people of this terri
tory want division, and the territory is
large enough and its interests are varied
enough to justify it. Besides the inter-
ests Of the northwest and of the south
will be served by increasing the repre-
%sentation of the northwest in congress.
-
More of Sparks.
BUTTE, M. T., Nov. l4.-Commissioner