Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-10-09

ADDRESS
TO THE
People Of Dakota
Issued by the Constitutional conxe,.
ton Held at Sioux Falls,
Sept. 1926. 1885.

0 He'o at Sioux Falls,
Sept. 1926. 1885.
HALL OF H CONSTITUTIONAL Cox,,,.
TON OF DAKOTA,
Sioux FALLS, D. 7. September 25. 1888
We the undersigned, were appointed h,
the Constitutional Convention, to iss,,o a,
address to the people of Dakota, to ~
company the Constitution prepared by thai
Convention, setting forth to you in /,
brief manner the reasons which, in tbe;,
Judgment, should commend this instu,.
nent to your hearty support and tho wav
in which its adoption would advance Won,
interests, and secure a speedy admission
Of this State into the Union.
Your representatives in that Conven.
ton, have spent but fifteen days, of the
thirty days allotted to them, and but little
over half the appropriation set apart for
them by the Legislature, in preparing tha
Constitution which we submit to YOU for
adoption or rejection.
In order to accomplish this work j.,
this short time, and to effect this SAVING
Of the public money, we have labored
night and day, working from early morn.
ing until late at night.
The delegates to that Convention. ware
Composed in a large degree of the FARMING
and industrial element Of the people,
while the mercantile and professional
classes were also represented by many of
their ablest and most respected members.
Your delegates have had the advantage
Of having before them in their formation
Of this Constitution, the Constitutions of
all the States Of the Union.
Among these especially do we call your
attention to the last reform Constitutions
Of Pennsylvania and Illinois, in which are
obs found the latest, best and most strin.
gent guards, against. the abuses of the
power Of corporations, special legislation,
bribery and corruption, excessive taxation,
and the e%xtravagant mourning of munich
pal, county and state indebtedness, and
the most careful and guarded protection
Of the school funds and interests of the
people.
With tho aid Of these former Constitu-
tons, and especially of the two last
named, the Convention has been able, we
think, to combine in the Constitution we
present to you, all the best. provisions of
these Constitutions, together with such
others, as we could frame ourselves upon
the subjects referred to.
GUARDS OF THE CONSTITUTION AGAINST
SPECIAL LEGISLATION, ETC.
We call your attention, especially, to
the provisions of this Constitution in Ar.
ticle 8, Sections 4, 8, %, 26 and %.
By these Sections your Constitution, if
adopted, will restrict the power Of the
legislature to enact special laws, and
will thereby prevent, as far US can be done
by a Constitution, log-rolling, jobbing,
bribery and corruption. It will make it
dangerous, for a legislator to be bribed
and dangerous, for any one to bride him.
It will make Capital Commissions, and
other like measures of colossal bribery
which have disgraced and injured this
Territory impossible under the State. In
this same connection, we ask your stten'
tioa to Section IL IF Article 4, with Re
gard to the bribery of the Governor.
APPROPRIATIONS.
We call your especial attention, to the
provisions upon appropriations, contained
inSsction 10 of Article q, and Section 2 O
Article -. By these provisions, we thinh
the Constitution will effectually proven
such disgraceful appropriations as have
characterized many Of your Legislatures
By the jobbery, always incident to gen
eral appropriation bill, over $4,000 were
expended by the last legislature agains
the protests of many of its best and ablss
members.
TAXATION.
We also call your especial attention, te
the limit placed by the Constitution upol
taxation. That limit for the State, is TIVE
mills on a dollar, Of the assessed valuation
Of all taxable property, in the State, a
ascertained by the latest assessment mad
for State and county purposes.
The maximum tax provided for by YOU
last Territorial legislature is three mills OF
adollar, larger than the taxation Of twelv'
States in the Union; and the prospect /
that in every successive Territorial Leg
stature, especially if it shall continue t
meet in North Dakota, under the inHu
enee Of the immense Railroad corpora
tons Of that section, the rate of your tax
alton, and the amount of annual expendl
lures, will increase in an almost geomet
rlcal ratio, until the burdens OF taxation
Of the people of this Territory, will b
larger than that of the people OF an
State in the Union.
This one feature, answers completed.
aud forevor r., argument OF the enemle
ofre~arthasaAs ssltatee government
Y 1913 eqa. 81 than q lsrratorla
1t.
t is that under the pr'ssn
government. not oni;
all the expenses Territorial 'a'
md municipal, WHOM yo
under a State government
, salaries of q few officers an
Legislators, but You pay q
l the sun annually hat ".
under the limitations OF th'
I.
absolutely no limitation t
prial Legislature. AS long 9
under the Territorial govern
-. o,, tovoo IN in