Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-09-18

lOlS SlS " OoA ~
would go there more largely backed by
the people if we elect officers. Then,
if we present only the constitution at
the polls, the vote will be weaker than
if we elect officers.
c. l.. Wood OF Pennington-My dem
ocratic friend from Lawrence county
mfr. Caulfieldl reasons from false prem
Uses. He assumes that our congress
sional officers will go to congress and
demand their seats at once. He is mis-
taken. \ section OF the report pro-
vides that the officers shall act only
after we have been admitted. \ man
who opposes Il plan ought to suggest Il
better one. We don't propose to send a
man down to Washington to demand u
seat. We should not he afraid of being
laughed at. We must elect these Of
ticers to complete the organization OF a
full state government.
r. f. Pettigrew of Minnehaha-f we
elect our state officers it seems to me we
come in conflict with the territorial Of
ticers at once. 1t is suggested that we
elect senator's. Who will sign their
certificates of election? The governor,
OF course, and then W. come into con-
tlict at once with the territorial officers.
The great papers will not indorse us if
we do this. They will say it is revolu-
tionary. as they have already said,
and our whole movement will be
laughed to scorn. If we propose to
elect our officers us has been suggested,
We must abandon III claims OF right.
| had some experience as a member OF
the congressional committee on terri
tories in matters Of this kind. Alaska
presented Il delegate elected in this UNI
authorized way and he was laughed at.
| was the only member OF the commit
tee who supported his admission. I
am in favor OF inserting in this section
that this election shall occur in the
first year after we have been admitted
by congress. n committee can assert
our rights and not be impugned by the
assertion that they have selfish inter-
ests. The officers elected could not.
My friend from Lawrence Mr.. Carl-
tieldL, being an eN-member of congress.
would be admitted to the floor a. a
member OF the committee to help
through our effort to statehood. But
il. he went us an elected officer he
would be excluded, as having Il person
al interest in the issue, the rules OF the
house excluding any eN-member who
is working for an issue pending in
which he has an interest personally.
Now. | think he should he sent there
as II OF u committee.
Mr.. Caultield-No: that is not the ar
rangement. You proposed that We
both go as a committee, and go to-
gether.
There was a roar of laughter.
G. 9. Moody Of Lawrence moved t.
amend the section. so that the officers
shall he elected on the first Monday at.
ter the first Tuesday following admis.
sion into the union. In presenting the
amendment he ridiculed the idea OF
electing officers before Dakota is made
state. He recalled the rascality that
has gone rampant over the. territory
and deprecated the fact that the PEG
pie OF the territory We're placed in thu
unfortunate situation they were in
He thought a body of men who hat
shown so much good SENSE as had beer
shown by the delegates assembled
should not make the mistake of taking
the step proposed.
On motion OF III. \. Day Of Edmunls
Mr.. G. II. Winsor. secretary OF the con
vention, was called upon to expires
his views. Mr.. Winsor said it would
in his opinion, be mere child's play t.
present the constitution to congress
without the full machinery of state be
ing placed in motion. He favored tn
election OF II full complement of officers
1t would excite the ridicule OF the pres
J as we'll IL congress to go to congress
without state officers elected. Vet h
did not fear ridicule as much as tn
evasion of right and duty. IT the com
mittee to congress will not meet wit
ridicule the officers elected and tn
members and legislators to congress
will escape ridicule as well. TIL
charge of selfishness will come up a
readily and strongly without as wit
officers. 1t will be Il Just criticism tina
will be passed upon II failure to selec
officers. TO fail to choose officers is t
acknowledge weakness. Ii we have NJ
right to elect officers. and it is not con
sistent and right, it is not right to NEE
here. Applause.
Eli johnson Of Hyde asked that til
president be called upon to speak hi
views upon the subject. Presiden
Trip was called for, and asking Nj
johnson to occupy the chair he ad
} dressed the convention, saying he ha,
no doubt that every delegate presen
desired to adopt the best methods. Th
only question he discussed was pre-
priety Of electing officers. He woul
go on in the work whether officers wer
elected Oh no, but he feared no sheer {;
Washington il officers We're elected an,
sent there, There could he no charg
made and sustained of IL desire to St
cede because officers are elected befor
statehood is secured. The senators an
representatives elected could knock il
the door Of congress for admission
with the committee sent there. II
feared no criticism because the full IN;
chlnery of statehood WAS placed in nj
ton by the selecting of officers. III
gave the lie to all those aspersion
which had been cast by men outsid
the convention and by the press upol
the patriotism and good intentions 0
the gentleman from Yankton mi
Campbell] in advocating so ~Zealousl
the election Of officers, and was en-
Enthusiastically a%pplauded at the close 0
his eloquent remarks.
\. c. Mellette OF Codington-lt ha
been said we have no law for sitting
here and proceeding as is proposed t
proceed. fail to see any distinctio,
under law between the proceedings Q
this convention as they have bpen an,