Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1885-10-31
ITO be continued in our next. |


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| Admission and Division.
The court has been held, the case has
been tried, the witnesses have been
heard, the advocates have spoken, the
Judge has rendered his charge and the
jury have gone out they are deliberat.
ing on the question and will render their
verdict on the 3rd Of November DO
you ask us what the verdict will be
We don't know, and we won't make a
guess, because we don't care. And the
reason We don't care is because it won't
amount to anything either way. Ex-
cept IL may hinder us, as it always has
hindered US, from obtaining the only
boon we desire at the hands Of the gen.
eral government, to-wit: Statehood. 1t
is our belief that we could, and would
have been admitted as a state two years
ago, if the people Of the whole territory
had sent delegation to Washington
asking for admission as "A whole instead
Of springing and agitating this miserable
question Of dividing the territory.
What reason have we for wanting to
divide? Can anyone tell us why the
people should want division, and what
they could gain by it? Will it cost us
| less TO pay for two state houses than it
will to pay for one? will it cost us less
10 pay for two sets Of state officers than
it will for one set? Aud if we should
divide and were admitted as a half
would our senators and representatives
have more power and influence for our
good backed by constituency Of $50 600
p ople than thev would backed up bv a
constituency numbering 100000 people :?
L all of tn Sc interrogatories with peo-
pie who ar not entirely bereft Of their
ason, the answer must be, No. Where
is their argument? We have watched
this thing from its birth to its present
growth. 1t is a child of evil, selfishness
and sin. 1t was called into being by a
few self aggrandiSing ofiice-seekers and
is nursed 10y ambitious politicians, and
the people pay for its milk at the rate of
$4,000 per annum. 1t likewise keeps
rs out of the sisterhoo,i Of states and
rill continue to do SO until the ill-born
child is strangled. We do not ask the
people TO be influenced by us, but stop
and do little independent thinking
for yourselves. That is what we are
doing. This paper stands on an indie.
pendent footing, viewing the scene i'm
partially, and owes no allegiance to anv
party and does not run in response to
the beck and call Of any clique. But we
think, aside from any political consider
alton whatever, that of all the uli
b.cks, of party clashings and sectiona
strife, Of Indian depredations and OF
mismanagement and malfeasance in
office in the different counties, We say of
all the calamitIes with which this terri
tory has been afflicted, we do think this
division agitation is the worst So ex-
pensive, SO suicidal and damaging to
every vital interest that is necessary to
the welfare Of the people. We are
astonished that it has been permitted
to 60 on SO long. They may say what
they please, We know that the people of
the territory do not desire division,
they have not called il up and they have
not spoken. Instead being represented
in convention, they have been misrepre-
sented. And the leaders Of this move
ment in their address to the people
have produced no argument in favor Of
division, but it is all in favor Of admis-
sion and will apply much better to adj
mission as a whole than it will as "a half.
This remark will also apply to the con-
stitution they have drafted. 1t is good
enough with few exceptions. Its
principle fault, and that which aught
and we believe will defeat it, is the
boundary lines they have drawn and
set forth in that instrument. Had it
been framed for and in behalf of the
whole people, We believe they would
have accented it, adopted it, and would
60 sailing into the Union under it, the
big ship of the navy, the big girl of the
family, or to draw finer comparison in
that bright galaxy ofstars, Dakota would
be the Venus.