Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1885-01-29

9n aa.' % E, R fs5f;s s; e,
month, s5 cents; per year, Sle.O0.
Office On Third st., Press and Dakotaisn
BOWEN . K1NGsBURY, Prop'ts.
Objection is made by the Sioux Falls
Press to the method proposed by the
Yankton memorialists for securing the
admission into the union of the south
half Of Dakota. The Yankton memori-
alists ask the Legislature to authorize Q
convention for framing a constitution
and organizing state government, upon
which We can 60 before congress and in
dignitied manner say, I'VE are here,
ready and equipped-under the ordi.
nance of 1887 and the constitution Of the
United States you must give to us state.
hood" The Press does not consent to
this way of getting into the United
States. 1t wants congress to first pass
an enabling act, which would be an act
authorizing the people of south Dakota
to adopt q constitution. This desire
upon the part of the Press is natural
and legitimate one. We have all Of us
been wanting congress to do that very
thing these many years, but congress
has thus far scarcely deigned to think
twice of our proposition. We have me-
morialized congress upon the subject
until the hair on the heads of the original
memorialists has grown gray and
thin and it is only now that
congress begins to suspect the existence
of such country as Dakota. Mr.. Vest
has done us the kindness to assert that
We are people-a bad lot. in his esti-
nation, still we are acknowledged to be
here in large numbers and full of the
wickedness which distresses all good men
like MIR. Vest.
There are two ways to construct o
state. One is through the process favored
by the Sioux Falls Press, namely: By
first securing permission from congress-
in the shaps of an enabling act. Another
method is through the adoption and
ratification of a constitution and the
Organization of state government with
out previous permission from congress
Either method is lawful
and constitutional. It woult
seem. therefore, that as We have repeat
ealy failed by following the cours
j. favored by the Press. and stand now up
on the verge of another failure. 1t woul
, be the part of wisdom to try the othe
course.
Thirteen states have been admitte,
into the union without first securing al
enabling act from congress. namely
a Vermont, Kentucky, Tennessee. Nam,
J. Michigan, Arkansas. Florida, Iowa, VII
consin. California, Kansas, Oregon an
Nevada. With these precedents as
guide and with the continued refusal Q
congress to grant an enabling act, VIII,
should south Dakota waste furthe
time in impotent entreaties when tn
door to statehood is wide open and tn
invitation to enter stands as part c
the written law of the nation?
Under the provisions of the ordinanc
of 1887, five states, Michigan, low,
Florida, California and Wisconsin hav
admitted themselves and congress hs
. duly recognized their respective act
This ordinance covers all the territor
. acquired by the Louisiana purchase,
J which Dakota is part. The ordinane
referred to provided that "whenev,
any Of the states into which the san
should be divided should have sixt
Thousand free Inhabitants, such stat,
should be admitted by their delegate
= into the congress of the United State
'on an equal footing with the origin
states in all respects whatever, ,and sha
: 'bo at liberty to form q permanent col
'stitution and state government, provide
. the constitution and government SO {
be formed shall be republican" And
this language is not strong enough, or
it should be supposed to lose any of i
+ force through the lapse of time, ii
q q remedy has been supplied by congre
itself, which has four times since III
l. extended the provisions thereof over Il
territory now known as Dakota.
The democratic party, which
: about to assume control of the n
tion, stands committed, throue
it's leading statesmen, to the doctri,
enunciated in the ordinance of l7e
Its party platform which was adopted
the national convention of 1856 declare
A majority of the actual residents
. territory. whenever their number
sufficient to entitle them to admissit
as Q state, possess the power to form
constitution, to be admitted into ii
union upon terms of equality with Il
other states.
Michigan entered the union under
{ constitution formed without congre
sional permission, and in discussion
: the United States senate over congre
!. sional recognition Of its rights to stat
hood, President then Senator] Buchan,
said:
I think their course is clearly iusti
able, but if there is anything wrong
! unusual in it, it is to be attributed
the neglect of congress-. ..
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