The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-09-18
SIOUX FALLS CONVENTION
The South Dakots Constitutional Convention
Opens and Emphatically Votes Down
Resolution to Adjourn.
yldge Rdgerton President-The Work Of Or.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Of All the
Isms ON Hand.
D.ko,. Consultation Makers

O1AOt0 NUUbsbtuktUu Na0Nosus
Sioux FALLS, Oak, Special Telegram, Sept
5.-The South Dakota constitutional con-
vention assembled IN Germania hall III this
sity today Mt 1920 p m. 1t was called to
order by Territorial Secretary J. H. Teller.
Prayer was offered by Rev. J. Jamison Of
Sioux Falls The roll was then called by
Secretary Teller. 90 delegates out of the
Ill provided for by the original bill an
swcring to their names The oath of Office
was administered by Mr.. Teller, the dele.
gates all standing. Judge Edgerton, mcni-
Der of the Yankton county delegation, was
slected president by reclamation. After
taking the oath OF Office he was escorted to
the cllair and delivered the following sd-
Dress
Gentlemen: return toyou my sincere theMks
for this expression OF yOur confidence. This
aud might add undesired To be member OF
convention called to form the organic Law Of
great commonwealth y a distinRuishod honor
Of such q convention requires peculiar train.
Ing aud experience which do not claim and l
an constrained to accept the place only tn con-
bestowed and the further fact that the
personnel Of this ,ody assures mo that in the
receive your Kind Indulgence. We have met
here under peculiar circumstances. Congress
has passed no enabl ing act The lsgislaturc OF
elected from Southern Dakota to meet for the
purpose of forming q ox,nstitution. republican IN
FORM and performing al other thtnea essential
to the preparation Of the territory for making
application to tho general government for the
admission Of such part OF Dakota into the union lion
s.se The s.s .So
line each portion will have 20: 800 sou are miles,
or thereabouts. Our growth ha. been phenonl-
The number Of inhabltants Of tho territory is
sas of Shici, North Dskota has i53. 100 and
has to-day a greater population than any terri
Tory ever admitted in the Union. 1t has greater
wealth and pays annually more .,.as,a taxes
public institutions than any other territory
ever had since the formation OF the government.
Under such - II noS nr
duty here under the circumstances may be
tell;ate one, but it is nevertheless a plain one.
ism in ita performances. Our deliberations
| should. AZ have doubt they will, be charac-
terizei by the utmost prudence and discretion.
from the fact that our enemies will never
consent TO- division and admission. The
men who thu. lrophesy must cruelty Judge.
hnye that confidence IN the nstrtottsm: the
Justice and the sound judgement which have
generally characterized the public acts of these
! leaders which induces me to believe TINT they
| will act Wisely when this question is fully pre-
sented: But, whatever may bc the determine
L GlOu OI tue pEcBlucuG huu Uuc COHkIOSS VI LILO
United States. whether in accord with the
wishes Of our people and tho best interests Of
tho nation or otherwise, We shall ,,su;g aSgni,
he against us. reluctantly. Let us bring
to the discharge Of our duties here all the lieht
| which experience can furnish us and all the
| judgment and wisdom which nature and cduca-
| tfon have endowed us with. Possibly In tho
| future. when this commonwealth has grown to
S great and to be one 1 the Leading 9 I states Of
| states on the east and south. 1t may not be said
Of us ~ 1t frequently is Of the trainers Of tho
constitutions that they buildcd better than they
knew, but 1t IN sufficient to till the measure Of
| good mans ambition to feel assured that those
who come after should be able to say "They
! buildcd as we'll as they knew"
The speaker was frequently interrupted
with applause, especially when he referred to
the increased population Of South Dakota
and her right to admission to the sisterhood
of states. The organization was then COM
pleted by the election Of the following
| officers:
Secretary. John Cain, Huron; assistant secre-
tary. II ~ Avery, Sioux Falls; sergeant-at-
arms, NJ B. Kent, Elk Point.
In the election of these officers the conven-
ton merely ratified the action of caucus of
q majority Of the members. held at o'clock
this morning. As to the question Of prayers,
the president was authorized to invite the
different clergymen of the city to officlate In
turn ns chaplain.
PROPOSED ADJOURNMENT
At this point a bombshell was thrown into
tho convention In the form of the following
resolution, introduced by Henry Neill of
Grant county:
Whereas. fi.c sixteenth legislative assembly
| Of The Territory Of Dakota, assumed the right
to authorize the calling Of constitutional con-
venti0n tor that portion Of the territory south
| Of the forty-sixth parallel. movement which
ought to have its origin from the people them.
thereby; and. whereas. It is not the desire Of the
people Of this territory that the same should be
divided end said southern portion admitted sep
| arately to statehood but that they desire ad-
mission "a whole; therefore. be 1t
Resolved, That this convention do now ad
| journ sine die.
No sooner had the resolution been read
than Kanouse Of Sanborn county jumped to
his feet and moved to lay on the table. The
motion was seconded in the twlnkling of an
eye. A roll call was demanded. and the vote
vote stood SO to II. Judge Moody of Dend-
wood then arose and moved to reconsider
| and to lay the motion to reconsider ON the
table. in order. as he stoted to dispose of
the question once for alL His motion was
carried unanimously amid great applause.
The delegates who voted against the motion
to lay NeilIs resolution ON the table were:
.Anlrewa Hamlin, Cramncr. Edmunds. Dow.
Mason. Mcleod and LcybOurne. Brown; Gault,
:.l; Mcpherson; Lowthner and Ncili, Grant Potter.
| inRtOn.
Westfall explained his vote by stating that
he thought the supporters Of tho resolution
ought to have been given All opportunity to
state their reasons for their action. The mo-
tion to adjourn sine die was not wholly un-
expected by the opposition, but up to late
/ hour last night it appeared as though it
would not be made. This morning, however.
the friends Of the movement, headed by the
Brown and Grant county delegates. got to-
gether and decided to push 1t for oil it was
worth. They estimated their strength ut
about twenty votes in the convention, but
the result showed that they reckoned with
out their host The reason assigned
by the delegates from the counties
supporting the movement Is that in
the event OF the formation Of a
state in South Dakota they would be too
near the boundary to suit them. The Brown
and Grant county delegates claim that their
constituents desire admission Us whole or
division north and south, with the Missouri
as the dividing line. Either mcasurs they
say would be perfectly acceptable to
their people The MCPHERSON, Ed
ington counties delegates assign
twelve recalcisrant delegates claim to have
scored victory to-day, but others fail to see
it in that light They state. however, that
they will turn in and work heartily for the
constitution leaving the question of its
adoption to the people. The general opin-
lon among the other delegates is that the
twelve took the action they did TODAY
merely to place themselves on record az car
rying out the instructions of their constitu.
ent&
THE PERSONNEL OF THE CONVENTION
Is considerably above the average of the last
legislature, the delegations from Yankton
county and tn. Black Hills district being
particularly strong. All evinoe deslre u
get at tho work before them and ad-
journ at an early date. The princi-
pal questions that are liable to pro-
duce spirited discussion are prohibition
woman suffrage and Dakota's chronic all
ment, the location of the capital The pro-
hibitiontsts are represented in force In the
| convention and will fnaist unon the insartiou