Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1885-01-28
DEBATING THE BILL.
Details of the Council Action by which
Ordway was Substituted for Pierre.

this morning with q will. Every mem
ber had evidently entered the chamber
with determination to perform his dis.
agreeable task as soon as possible, in
order that the work of law making
might proceed uninterruptedly. Most
of the members of the house, as well as
q large number of citizens, were present
to listen to the debate. Immediately
after the reading of the journal the
council resolved itself into committee
Of the whole, with Mr.. Jones, of Hutch.
inson in the char, for the consideration |
of the amendment offered yesterday by
Mr.. Westover. A motion was made and |
seconded for the adoption Of the amend
ment, when Mr.. Jones was attacked with |
hemorrhage of the lungs and obliged to |
rellnquish the chair, and leave the cham.
Der. His position was filed by Mr.. |
Smedley, of Grant. The amendment, |
upon being put to the house, was carried |
unanimously. The southern members
smiled blandly at the result, and were evi.
IDENTIFY congraulating themselves on
smooth sailing when bombshell was
thrown into their midts by an amend
ment offered by MIR. Kennedy of Brown
providing for the insertion of the words
"the city of Ordway, in the county of !
Brown" in place of the words "the city |
of Pierre. in the county of Hughes"
wherever they occurred in the bill. The
amendment was promptly seconded, and
before the Pierre men could recover
themselves, Mr.. Kennedy had secured
the floor for the purpose of explaining
the reasons for Offering the amendment.
He said:
1t was done as compromise. In his
opinion the north and south Dakotaians
must live together for some time to
come. As this was the case, it would be
better to select some place near the
center of population and easy of access
to all parts of the territory. For him.
self. he did not believe that either sec.
tion could afford to quarrel with the
other. By the citizens of Bismarck be
had been treated right royalty, and he
thought it wrong to hold them RESPONSE
BILE fer the location of the capital. They
had simply done what other towns would
have done under like circumstances
taken what they had offered them. He
declared that he was opposed to Pierre
on the ground that it was doomed by an
unscrupulous lot of real estate schemers.
At this luncture Mr.. Gamble stated that
Mr.. Jones was seriously ill, and asked
that the delegation from his district be
allowed to escort that gentleman to his
hotel, and moved that the discussion of
the bill be postponed till tomorrow. The
motion was evidently intended to
stave off action to gain time, and gave
rise to considerable discussion. Upon
being put it was lost by vote of eleven
to twelve. Mr.. Gamble took the floor and
objected to locating the capital at q
place named Ordway.
II He would vote for any town away out
on the prairie, but could not endure the
thought that the capital of the territory
should be cursed by name so obnoxious
to all Dakotaians: the name of q man
who was responsible for the capital com.
/ mission, q scheme conceived in sin and
born in iniquity, and the source of more
corruption, tits and bad government
than any other man in the territory.
Mr.. Bowdle suggested that the town
be christened with the good old Irish
name Of Gamble. A running debate fol.
lowed, in which widely differing opinions
were expressed, but all agreeing on one
point-the denunciation of Ordway and
: Ordwayism. Mr.. Huetson stated that he
thought the present scheme for locating
the capital at Pierre was as great FRAUD
as the location at Bismarck; that hi
{: could net vote for any such scheme, ant
+ that the legislature could not afford Il
: tritter away the time which should b,
+ devoted to the interests of their con
3 stituents. When asked by MIR. Washa
q baugh to name special frauds, Mr.. Huet
0 son said:
J, It was generally understood before th,
0f tho oky,ro kLoS
K of the members who kicked against th
Q would be ostracized during the session
o He accused Pettigrew of having use,
d the party whip to keep the southerl
q members in line. He had been informe,
q that Pettigrew was in scheme will
II Prentice to boom lots in Pierre, and tha
l. it had been common talk before tn
y assembling of the legislature that Petit
=, grew would come as the Representative
: of the Chicago & Northwestern railway
o Mr.. Kennedy also added fuel to th
fame by stating that he understood tina
n Pettigrew was in scheme with Ordwa
to boom Pierre, where they both ov
! property.
l. These personal remarks aroused Petit
o grew, who took the floor and spoke wit
Il vehemence for nearly half an hour.
He was exceedingly surprised an
% grieved that any such aspersions shoul
70 have been cast upon his character, an,
j. hurled back in the teeth of his defamer
t the imputation that any other than pur
= motives had influenced his vote on tn
~ bill. He believed that southern Dakot
% was entitled to the capital, either wit
Il or without division and favored Pierr
% because Of the central location. He hs
not spoken to Ordway for two years, nc
- would he speak to him for two years t
q come. When he finds man who
~ devoid of honor, who has degraded ever
It position he has ever held, who is th
!. most unmitigated scoundrel in the terr
tory, he will not be contaminated b
y associating with him. This was h
in opinion of Ordway. What Dakota no
Ia wants is to give to the world its emphst
= disapproval of the jobbery and acts
" the capital commission.
10 Mr.. Pettigrew spoke at length in ii
h. same strain, appearing to good ad.al
tage throughout. Huetson replied, den,
ing any malicious intent, and tried
explain his position, but made yer, scr,
N work of it. he closed by ezcln;,un.
"God forbid that ever est lni. nr!,
10 place again" After SON. mora . ,,...,
o, sion. the amendment we> rn, a,,:i ca.r ri,
rs by vote of twelve l.. ~. NJ. ss,
d. Bowdle, Huetson, Kenn. u, s.t. Wsgn
10. voting with the eight northern membe
er in the affirmative. Mr.. Smediey did n
ts, vote and Mr.. Jones was absent. II
ea cnmmittaA then roao and raNoynn,ond