Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1885-10-16
HISTORY OF A CASE,
Together with some Potent Facts and
unanswerablc Arguments - Every
south DakOtaian should Read II.

Together with some Potent Facts and
unanswerable Arguments - Every
south DakOtafan should Read II.
Ralph w. Wheelock in the Sioux City journal
Mitchell, ID. T., Oct. 13, 18S5-The
question of paramount interest before
the people Of south Dakota to-day is
the adoption of the constitution. The
only real issue involved in that question
is division. 1t Is conceded even by the
original of the plan for a constitutional
convention that the recent gathering Of
representative men at Sioux Falls did
an excellent work. The charge that the
act of the legislature authorizing the
convention was an unfair measure, in
that it did not give north Dakota q
voice, is refuted by the history of the
passage of the same. 1t went through
both houses without opposition, the
members from the north supporting it
almost as one man, and the governor
who cannot be accused of leaning more
toward the south than to the north
signed it without hesitation. It was
unanimously agreed that south Dakota
was entitled to admission and statehood
and the only thing north Dakota asked
was, IN the event of division, that she
be reimbursed for her share of the ex.
penses of the convention from the spec.
ial tax which the law provides shall be
assessed on the south Dakota counties
(see section nine of the act). It matters
not whether the acquiescense on the
part OF the north was sincere or wheth-
er 1t was born of the desire to protect
her local interests by concessions to the
ma1orlty-sha gave 1t, and it now ill be.
comes her newspapers, and politicians to
attempt to create factious opposition
to the movement.
1t Is no argument against the state.
hood movement to say that it Is in the
Interest of few politicians and is not
backed by the people. ALI but four OF
the torty-nine organized counties in
south Dakota sent delegates, and of the
unrepresented counties two have since
seen their mistake and are manly
enough to ackno Wedge it. While the
vote III the several counties was not a
full one by any means, no one will deny
that representative men were sent in
every instance, and that the personnel
OF the convention was above the average
scheme of aggrandiZement raised its
head in the convention, but every ele
ment was willing TO modify Its radica
views to secure the best general results
There was not a man in the convention
that made any attempt to start little
boom OF his own for any position. Ant
mad this been the case, be was very
short sighted in his am bition who shoulL
hope to get anything the people did no,
want him to have, Yet were every promi
nent man out of 1t who favors the
movement, candidate for office, the
state OF Dakota would have reason
to congratulate herself Cd the excellen,
timber she had to select from. AS one
who Is IN south Dakota to say, and who
expects to bear his share of the burdens
of the future, am not at all alarmed a,
the prospects of having an Edgerton, {
Moody, a Hand, Ward or Campbell
represent us in the senate, or Goody
koontz, King, q kanouse, q Barnes, 6
Brooklngs, Gamble, Washabaugb, 6
hellam, Martin, Westover, Picker
Yea, verify, or Pettigrew, fight oul
battles IN the house of representatives
nor would feel at all restive under the
governorship Of any one of these men, O,
dozen others whom might mention
Mellette, a Williams or an Ednunds
for instance. So much for that point.
1t were waste of time to more than
notice IN passing the absurd charge that
the members OF the convention were in.
tent only on drawing their per diem and
squandering the $4,000 appropriated
The result of their labors and the fact
that but half the sum appropriated has
been expended, give the lie to this ale.
cation.
The real issue. then, is division, which,
from the earliest history of the territory
until within the past three months, has
been . foregone conclusion. The
change OF sentiment is ostensibly Iocat-
ed IN what is known as central Dakota,
but have reason to believe 1t has its
origin farther north; not among the peo
pie generally of that section, for theil
opinions have not undergone change
but among q certain element, whose mo-
tlves l will not at this time question
but whose sudden change of base gives
rise to suspicion. These men, through
their newspapers, say that south Dakota
is taking too much for granted in sup
posing that the north will quietly
acquiesce in dIvisIon-that she must be
allowed to express herself.
Let us See what expressions she has
ever given on the subject. l have De.
fore me memorial to congress from the
legislature of 1871 praying for division
and the erection of new territory
out of the north half. The records show
that this was passed virtually without
opposition. l have before me another
memorial passed in 1872 renewing this
prayer; still another to the same effect
IN 1874, and yet another in 1877, which
uses the language: .The people of the
northern portion of Dakota who are
principally interested" etc.
But it may be urged that this was
before the territory was settled up, and
that the conditions are now changed.
The legislature of 1883 evidently did not
take this view of it, for it passed mem.
orial reiteratirg these views, and the
following quotations from a very elo.
quent memorial introduced in the gen.
eral assembly by Hon. E. A. Williams,
OF Burleleh county, and passed unani.
mously, would seem to indicate that
north Dakota had not shifted her posi-
tion:
The desire for division is go uni.
versal and the reasons for it so apparent thai
the people of this territory have believed, and
still believe, that this measure of Justice canno1
be refused them. The probable division of the
territory has been considered in the territorial
conventions Of both political parties at every
meeting for the last thirteen years, and these
conventions in almost every instance without q
dissenting voice, have invariably declared in
favor of division. The legislative assembly
of the territory has repeatedly memoralized
your honorable body for division
This memorial further cites geograph.
ical and political reasons for division
and all in all makes one of the strongest