Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1885-10-08
APPEAL TO DAKOTIANS.
Address to the People of the Territory
nv n Committee of the Late Con-
stitutional Convention.
The Benefcant Provisions OF the Ne"
Constitution Pointed Ont anu the
People Urged to Adopt IL.

Constitution Pointed Ont ana the
People Urged to Adopt IL.
Address TO THE PEOPLE OF THE TERRITORY
Sioux FALLS, Special, Sept 2s.-The COM
mittee appointed by the constitutional con
yention TO prepare an address TO the peopie
has been at work constantly since the al
iournment, and have just completed tne
work in the following document, dated SIOUX
Falls, sept 20. After mentioning the lacs
that the convention consumed only nall Oh
the thirty DAYS allowed by the law for It's
labors and had worked night and day IN
order that the expenses might be as light as
possible, it calls attention to article ., sec
tons 4. s, %, 20 and %, saying;
nv these sections your constitution, II adopted
Will restrict the power of the legislature TO ensct
special laws, and will thereby pfeNent, as "A.
can be done by a CONSTITUTION i,I n,sks il
dangerous for a Legislator to be bribed ana Jan,
gerOus for any person to bride him ~ VIII
make capital commits slons, and otheT ne Ne, nieah
ures of colossal bribery, which have disgraceu
and injured this territory, impossible nhuef tne
state In this same connection we ASK YOU o..
tention to section IL Of article T. Win Iegaru W
the bribery of the governor. BY the provisions
upou appropriations, we think the constitution
Intellectually prevent such disgrseefui appto-
praticns as have characterized many OF your
legislatures. BY the jobbery always lncideht 70
a general appropriation bill over Sso,ooo were
expended unnecessarily by that BODY, Against
the protests Of its best and ablest members
We also cali your especial attention TO the limit
placed by the constitution upon taxation, Two
mills on the dollar. The maximum TAX pro-
yided for by your last territorial legislature Is
three mills on a dollar, larger than the taxation
of twelve states in the Union; and the prospect
il that in every Successive territorial Iegls'
lature especially II IL shall continue 70 meet III
North Dakota urder the influence OF we lhInense
railroad corporations OF that section, the rate
| of your taxation, aud the amount OF annual
! expenditures, will increase IN an almost geo.
me;rical ratio, until the burdens o. 's Ak Q,
! than that OF the people OF any state IN the
I Union. This one feature answers completely
\ aud forever the argument of the enemies OF
/ statehood. that q state government Will cost
| more than territorial government, The fact
| IL, that under the present territorial govern
! ment not oply 40 you pay all the expenses,
| territorial county and municipal, which you
| would pay under q state government, except the
! salaries Of 4 few officers and the pay OF leRis-
! lators, but You pay almost twice the sum
! annually that you would pay under the limita-
! tions of this constitution. There Is absolutely
no limitation TO the territorial legislature As
/ long a. YOU remain under the territorial gov.
! eminent you NAV expect your taxes TO increase
/ and the extravaganza OF your legislatures grow
CORPORATIONS AND RAILROADS.
I We say To You that IN no state IN the union
| have more wholesome restrictions been place
( upon abuses under the heads OF railroad dis
| crimiuayiCn, etc, than In this constitution. We
I say further TO you that should the enemies Of
! statehood succeed in compelling the people OF
| s nth Dakota TO he consolidated in state with
! North DakOta, IL will be next to impossible,
against the influence OF the powerful railroad
| CORPORATIONS which control that section, to
! $ecnre any guards similar TO those, In eonstir
| tgtiOn for ndkota a. whole, We call your
attention ESPECIALLY TO the very carefully drawn
and closely guarded provisions on these subjects.
! We know, that TO the general popular interests
( throughout the new state, there is no subject
upon which public interest Is so alive as upon
the subject OF preserving the school funds, and
the school lands, OF the new state from loss,
plunder and misrepresentation. We believe that
the provisions OF this constitution, many
this subject contained in any con-
stitution, of any state In the Union.
We speak adviscdly, when we say to you, that
In all directions, the sentiment In favor az the
admission Of this part Of Dakota, as d state.
into the Union, has grown stronger each year,
until the demand from the people Of the United
now almost universal Almost all the great
I newspapers OF the land, East well as West,
and even in California, are demanding III IT con-
gTess shall admit Dakota. We do not believe
( that the party now in power can afford TO an
taaoniza The sentiment OF Justice on the part ~
the American people which Is thus voiced by the
bs We 90 mot SssIi sa2t The The SS
ton 40 to do. One thing Is sure, IL the
100000 people OF Dakota by full vote
Of the polls this coming November ADOPT
this constitution and e;ect their state govern
ulent. aud elect such men as will represent their
wishes, aud II the people OF the new state, after
electing them, with the temper and tirmness Of
American citizens stand upon their rights under
the constitution OF the United States. and sup
port their state government, the people OF the
United States will respect their attitude, and
! viii join with them in demanding their immedi-
ate admissipn, And one ef two results viii
surely follow, either the immediate admission OF
the state of Dakota, by the next congress at its
FIRST session, or the hurting from power OF the
congress that thus abuses its power and defes
| the pgl,ie ssniiinent OF THE country We lie!
lieye that your admission into the Union is a
/ matter to be determined by you, by your votes
at this election. IL fnll vote is poiled and
Your constitution is adopted, and your state
I government elected. no congress and no admin.
( h, ration Will dare to so far defy public opinion
/ hs 10 deny yCu admission.
ORGANIZATION.
Having completed our work and discharged
our in;v 70 the b NJ OF our ability, the rest Of
the work Is nov committed 10 YOU. We recon-
mCnd that the county boards appointed In tn,
various counties, organize their townships b.
atIointtig similar boards IN them. The conyen
llun has Hiaao arrangements to send To yun
county bqafls sullteeft sgIppy VI Printed pnu
~iTU;lpGs ia the EAglirh, tscfinsn and Scandi
ya lsnssss,. Sc t1, these d,sSnSn,
lot prescribed by the convention Is printed In
these See that IL Is correctly printed In each Of
your COMMITTEES, and that abundance OF tickets ar,
furnished to all localities. For any furthei
information or instruction as TO the details o.
, the election, any one can apply to the state ex
eeutiye commit zee by addressing its president
Hugh j. CJnpbsli, at fankton, Oak A more
important election was never held in this terri
tory. You haFs Il SELECT legislature, your stat,
! officers, Representatives TO congress, anC
your temporary seat OF government Thii
vote cast at this election will probably deter
mine for all time to come the destines OF thu
people. You have now the opportunity to 10.
, cure for yourselves an economical government
and the just control Of corporations, by the poo
pie, and separation from the disastrous ant
tuinous influences OF government for the Who'll,
territory, and defeat Of the Ubiquitous scheme u
bind south Dakota forever in the chains OF tn,
Northern Pacific Railroad company, and commit
her people forever to the burdens OF taxation
which legislature sitting IN North Dakota
viii impose and TO the payment oil taxes for the
} completion of that monument of cxtrayaganc,
AMI corruption, the capitol building at Bismarck
we remind the people here OF Che fact latell
plsciosed IN the litigation at Bismarck IN
which the people OF Dakota were defended
by their attorney general against a monstrou
scheine 70 swindle the people on the part Of tn,
late capital eatnIaisson. II appears by the fact,
ELECTED during this litigation, that over $50 90,
OF warrants were issued upon orders OF the capi
tai commission, by the late auditor Of the terri
tory, Mr.. Ordway, and that the 1arrants are nov
! being presented to the territorial treasurer fo
Payment. Thus sum Of $40 600 which tn,
I legislature never voted and which the peopl,
never consented to- are being snu ght In he 6lches