Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1885-09-21
THE CONSTITUTION.
The Reports Enrolled, and
Two Well Under Way.
The Boss Woman Suffragist Comes
to the Front with a
Patriotic Appeal.
The Ninth Day,
Sioux Falls Press

ton for night sessions was reconsidered,
and the hours for assembling fixed at 8
a. m. and p. NJ.
Ward, of Yankton, presented a petit
ton from forty-fye residents of Yank-
ton, praying for submission of woman
suffrage question by separate clause.
Referred.
The draft OF plan for submitting GER
tain legislation to vote of the people
was submitted by w. 81. Lyon, and re-
ferred to the committee on legislative.
The following communication was
read by the secretary:
Webster, Sept. Is, 1SS5-"Mr. Presi-
dent and delegates of the convention:
In your wise deliberations let me i'm.
plore you in behalf of your sister,
mother or wife, to place the women of
our glorious territory on an equality
before the law with yourselves. DO not
force this important question to vote
of the people, remembering that large
majority OF them are as ignorant Of the
advantages freedom wonld be to them,
as we're the salves in the south: who,
had they endorsed the action of John
Brown at Harper's Ferry in their in
terest. this country would have been
saved the horrors of terrible war.
Give us equality-not to make US man
iy-but more womanly; we do not as
pire to being the "nesd of the family"
but are honest and just enough to let
each individual possess "head" of
their own. industrial and property
rights are now wholly in the keeping
of men-the law makers; therefore how
necessary it is that we women have
practical equality to defend ourselves
against tins great odds. Some of your
honorable body may claim that this
matter is iuexpedient to act upon at the
present time-in our opinion the
opportune time-and lnexpedient
in you to at any time be any
thing less than just; and in the language
OF your pre.emlnent president of the
nventlor-"how necessary it is for us
to elect only good and honest men to
Office, and to do this woman must like
wise act her part IN the labor of arrest
ing the advance of crime and corruption.
Although through timidlty-(timidity,
mark you! also remember what the bible
say about cowards)-the politician is
slow to invest her with the higher duties
and obligations of American citizen
ship"
AS pecuniary interest to Dakota,
what can your convention do more than
to make this the grandest state in the
union for woman? Then will they emf
CRATE here by thousands, to land where
they are not taxed without a voice in
what their money Is to be used for, an.
other benefit of no small Importance
this would prove to our future aggran-
dizement-in giving to our mar
riageab!e men wives that are free in
stead OF slaves. Gentlemen OF
the convention. do yourselves honor in
5esto wing upon oppressed woman ali
the privileges IN law that you so much
enjoy, and thus .mmt rtallze your names
in the third volume of woman suffrage
history now being edited, as we'll as Sc.
curing the heartfelt gratitude of every
intelligent (for they only care to vote)
| women in this semi-republic; as this
country is not governed by the consent
of the people, and cannot be with one
| half of its citizens disfranchised-iti is in
no sense republican form of govern
ment, and is as aptly said by Matilda
Joslyn Gage: 1.-The ballot is consent"
Why not now do for US what you can to
secure this priceless boon? Very re
spectfully, MARIETTA NJ. Bones,
Vice President for the National Woman
Suffrage Association.
A communication was read from the
surveyor general at Huron stating that
the forty sixth parellel had not been sur
veyed through the territory. From
government surveys, which gives the
latitude of Huron as A degrees, 81 min.
| utes and SO seconds north, it is comput.
ed that the forty.sixth parallel is north
of the seventh standard parellel, which
is the southern boundary of the counties
of Emmons, Mcintosh, Dickey, Sargent,
and Richmond. From these compila.
tions it appears that if the forty sixth
parellel be taken for the northern
boundary, that the following amonnt of
territory will be cut off from these
counties as follows: Emmons, 103 653,
$50 acres; Mcintosh, 14l,326,4l acres;
Dickey. l60, 1884. II acres Richmond, LOG.
0'6, 696 acres.
Chairman Ksnouse of the committee
on legislative made report upon vari-
| GUS resolutions which had been submit
ted.
McCalIum, of Beadle, made minori-
ty report from the committee on seal of
state and coat of arms, that the motto
shall be, 1.-The People Rule"-instead of
"Under God the People Rule"
Chairman Frank reported from the
committee on name, boundary and seat
of government.
Section l. The name of the state
shall be Dakota.
Section fixes the northern boundary
in the forty-sixth parallel.
Section 3 submits the question of a
temporary seat of government to a vote
of the people.
Section requires that the legislature
shall at its first session after admission
provide for submitting to the voters the
question of a permanent capital.
Chairman Owen from the committee
on bill of rights made two additions to
the original report.
One provides that no person shall be
required to perform any service for the
public on any day set apart by his re-
llgion as day of rest.
| The other declares that the principles
of government of free people require
liberty OF personal action SO far as con.
sistent with the public welfare and
safety, and this liberty is forever guar.
anteed.
From the committee on exemptions
two reports were submitted The ma.
iority provides that the right of the
debtor to enjoy the comforts and neces.
saries of life shall be recognized BY
wholesome laws exempting from forced