Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1885-10-10

ADDRESS
TO THE
People of Dakota
issued 10y the Constitutional Conven.
ton Held at Sioux Falls.
Sept. 8-25, 1885.


We the undersigned, were appointed by
the Constitutions Convention, to issue an
address to the people OF Dakota, to ac-
company the Constitution prepared by that
Convention, setting forth to you In a
brief manner the reasons which, In their
Judgment, should commend this instru-
ment to your hearty support and the way
in which its adoption would advance your
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 the
Constitution which we submit to you for
adoption or rejection.
In order to accomplish this work in
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, were
composed in a large degree of the farming
and industrial element of the people,
while the mercantile ard professional
classes were also represented by many OF
their ablest and most respected members.
Your delegates haye had the advantage
Of having before them in their formation
OF this Constitution, the Constitutions Of
all the Sfatas of the Union.
Among these especially do We call your
attention 10 the last reform Constitutions
Of Pennsylvania and Illinois, in which are
to be 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 ~eytravagant mourning of munich
pal, county and state indebtedness, and
Of the school funds and interests OF the
people.
With the aid of these former Constitu-
lions, 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 3, Sections 4, s, %, 26 and %.
By these Sections your Constitution, If
adopted, Will restrict the power of the
Legislature to enact special laws, and
viii thereby prevent, as far as can be lone
by a Constitution, log-rolIing, iobbing,
bribery and corruption. It viii make it
dangerous, for q legislator to be bribed,
and dangerous, for any enc to bride him.
1t 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 atten-
ton to Section II IF Article 4, with re-
gard to the bribery OF the Governor.
APPROPRIATIONS.
We call your especial attention, to the
provisions upon appropriations, contained
In Section 10 of Article /. and Section 2 Of
Article II. BY these provisions, SO think
the Constitution will effectually prevent
such disgraceful appropriation g. haze
characterized many OF your Leo
By the jobbery, always incident . . yea-
eral appropriation bill, over $4,000 ssnrN
expended by the last legislature aaninat
the protests of many of rs best are =-@-
members.
TAXATION.
We also call your especial attention 70
the limit placed by the Constitution unon
taxation. That limit for the Stat, is Two
mills on a dollar, OF tie assessed valuation.
o: all taxable property, IL the State. as
ascertained by the latest assessment made
for State and county purposes.
The maximum tax provided for by your
last Territorial Legisltiur is three mills on
a dollar, larger than the taxation of twelve
States in the Union; and the prospect is
that III every successive Territorial Leg
i~slature, especially if it shall continue to
meet IN North Dakota, under the inhu-
ence of the immense Railroad corpora
tions Of that section, the rate OF your tax
alton, and the amount of annual expendi-
lures, viii increase in an almost geomet-
rical ratio. until tie burdens of taxation
Of the people of this Territory, viii be
larger than Chat of the people of any
State in the Union.
This one feature, answers completely
and forever, the argument of the enemies
of Statehood, that a State government,
will cost you more THAI a Territorial
government.
The fact is that under the present
Territorial government not only
do you pay all the expenses, Territorial,
county, and municipal, which you
would pay under a State government,