Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1885-11-01
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COL. PLUMMEER SPEAKS,

"A North Dakota Man Addresses an
Iowa Audience.
Fort Madison, Iowa, Dot. 2S-Colonel
Plummer, the eloquent orator from Da-
kota, spoke here to crowded house. He
discussed the leading issues of the, day
with great eloquence and power. and
made special plea in behalf of the ad-
mission of his home territory into the
union. plainly showing why democrats
are so violently opposed to it.
The following is part of Col. Plum
nsr's address:
There is one thing which I, in COM
mon with all other citizess of Dakota,
have reason to complain of the demo-
cratic party, and that is the shabby
treatment our territory has received at
the hands OF o democratic house of rep
resentatiyes. We have for several years
been appealing for division of the ter
rtory on the 46th parallel and the ad-
mission of the southern portion as q
state. That part of the territory had
population enough to entitle it to ad-
mission as far back as 1881.
The people within it's bor-
ders have been for several years past APP
pealing for admission, but the demo-
cratic house has stood like stone wall
against it. The democrats in congress
have claimed that the population was
not sufficient. Their real objection is
that the republican majority ia too large.
Now ask your patience and attention
for a few moments while / give YOU
| some facts in regard to that wonderful
territory which lies to the northwest of
you. Ii has an area of land that would
make two states, each larger than your
own queenly commonwealth. The re-
| suit OF the last census, taken this year
gives a satisfactory reply to the pretend.
ed objection OF democratic congressman
| to admission into the union. The whole
territory has population of 416,000.- OF
| this population 100000 are embraced in
that portion lying south of the forty.
| sixth parallel, within the limits of the
proposed new state, and north Dakota
has a population of 10000. This won.
derful increase of population is revela-
| tion to the whole country. Democrats
| can no longer Gull that great territory q
bowling wilderness. They can no longer
say we have not sufficient population to
| entitle us to admission to the sisterhood
of states. The facts developed by the
census of 1885 are all against that. In
| no state or territory has the census heen
taken in more complete, fair and honest
manner. Governor Pierce, under author.
lty OF an act OF congress, paid special
| attention to this important work. He
| called to his aid the ablest man in the
territory as statistician and an or.
ganizer, Major Edwards, of the Fargo
| Argus. He had charge of the work and
special attention was paid to making il
complete and accurate. There Is nc
| reason why this great territory should
| not be divided and each section be ad.
mltted into the union. But now, to head
| off this comes Mr.. SamueI j. Randall
| one of the democratic leaders who, real.
| izing that the division and admission oi
| Dakota is bound to become an impot-
| taDt issue in the next presidential CAM
| paign, with proposition for the divi-
sion of the territory on the Missouri
river and the admission of that portion
east OF the river as a state. To us, in
the north part of the territory, this
might not be very Objectionable, bu,
| whatever the democrats can do TO pre-.
vent Dakota from having voice in the
election of the next president, they will
! attempt. In the south they have
eilenced the republican majority by ter.
! rorism, fraud and assassination, and they
will not hesitate to silence the republi.
can majority of Dakota by wrongfully
keeping us out of the union. In the
state as outlined by Mr.. Randall are
100000 of the 4l6,00O people enumerated
in Dakota. This would be
far better than to be kept
out of the nnion for an indefinite period
the victim of democratic hate. We
ought to be admitted as two states. But
we will be very glad if the democratic
majority in the lower house will come Of
| near to doing right as the proposed Ran
dali measure. This would give ue, be-
sides two United States senators, three
members of congress and five presiden-
tial electors. 1 want you republicans
| here in Iowa to remember that in this
campaign you are fighting battle fol
your wronged and outraged conntrymer
in that great territory. where 30 many o
the sons and daughters of Iowa have
settled. l stand here as republican
and as an old soldier who fought for the
preservation of the union, to say tha,
until Dakota is admitted as stete ant
has voice in the selection of the mex
president, an outrage is committed upor
as intelligent and loyal people as liy,
under the flag of our common country
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