Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1885-09-05
THE EASTERN PRESS.
Comments Of Leading JOurnaIs on the
Proposition to Accord Statehood to
Dakota.
New York Tribune.

ArOpOsAtlOn 10 ACCORD StutehOOd to
Dakota.
New York Tribune
There is no reason to expect that the
next congress will consent to admit Da.
kota, or either portion of that territory
as state. There is no decent ground
for apposing tho admission, it is true.
Even the New York Herald says that
there is little doubt that nsrth and
south Dakota have population enough
to entitle each to admission as state.
There is no question as to the wishes
of the people. They are anxious to en-.
Joy the advantages and to exercise the
share of power in the government of the
country which state organization
would give. Nor is there any differ
ence between them as to the desire for
division of the territory. It is natur-
ally divided already, and communica-
tion between either part of the territory
and the other part would be more ditfi.
cult, and cost longer time, than be.
tween the capital of Minnesota and
either part of Dakota territory. What
then Is there to justify refusal of the
application which is to be made by the
people of the territory?
Ihey have taken a census in DSkota
this year which shows a population ex-
ceeding 100000 in the whole territory :;
about 10000. enough for one member
of congress, being IN that part of the
territory which desires admission as
north Dakota, and about 25O,OO0 in
south Dakota, nearly or quite enough to
entitle that party to two members of
congress. At first there was dispo.
sition to distrust the census. But the
recent enumeration of inhabitants in
Iowa and Minnesota. as the Herald
Justly states, shows such rapid increaee
IN that part of the country that it is un.
reasonable to suppose that the figures
given for Dakota are exaggerated. A
far stronger evidence of the rapid growth
OF the territory may be found in the rec
ords Of the land office, and IN the sales
| of land by railroad companies. Reck.
oning only the increase in farming
population, from the acreage of land
taken up for farming purposes, there is
little room to doubt that the population
is much more than enough to justify the
admission of two separate states. Nor
can 1t be said, as to Dakota, that the
population ls of shifting and uncertain
character, and likely to decrease in the
future. With or without admission as
state at this time, Dakota will before
long have more power in congress than
several of the states which formed the
union.
The opposition to admission will
spring from one motive, though it may
have several pretezts. The motive will
| be the desire of the democratic party
not to permit any increase of the probs-
| bie republican electoral vote until some
corresponding ipcrease OF the democratic
electoral vote car also be secured
Among the pretexts likely to be offered
may be enumerated the objection that
many OF the inhabitants are of foreign
birth and recent immigrants; that q
portion are miners, and that the increase
of political power in the far west is al
ready too rapid. But there is no sense
in either or all OF these objections. The
people who have moved to Dakota have
come in largo proportion from the
| older northern states. Most of them
have already exercised the right o
suffrage in other states, and have been
found good citizens, thrifty, industrious
and enterprising. It is not in accordance
with the national policy to punish then
for building up new commonwealth
on virgin soil. Neither will it prove E
profitable operation for the democratic
! party to refuse the admission which Da.
kota asks, and thereby to intensity the
hostility of the western settlers anC
farmers to the democratic party and al
! lts ways.