Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1885-12-23
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.


Full Text Of Gov. Menette's Mes
sAge to the Dakota State
Legislature.
History II Tho Statehood Movement,
and Facts and Figures Of Inter.
eat to Dakotians.
Gentlemen OF the SENATE and house Of repre-
sentatives: You have assembled TO exercise for
the state OF Dakota her first governmental fsncs
tions. You assemh;cl at the ed;ct OF more than
a quarter million of free American citizens to
ordaih for them a state government. Yon come
amounted to your work by their ballots. libcrty's
simple badge Of power. Your warrant Of gnar-
antce 10 the constitution OF tho United States
and the legislative enactments of the American
congress-, written in the blood OF pa riot shed
from Bunker Hill to Appomattoz.
PECULIAR RELATION or oUR STATE TO THE
UNION.
1 deem It pertinent to call your attention to
Dakota to the federal union. Whitehall portion
81 the territory Of Dakota south OF tie 10th
parallel nnquee'ionably constitutes ., state. de
tons by her Legislative and executive officers be-
comes essentially n state de facto. she has not ms
vet pbtsined the recognition by congress- to which
she IL clearly entitled BY statute. precedent, JUS
tice and reason.
KiGHro or ADMISSION BIT PRECEDENT.
Michigan was for almost two years a state in
the full exercise OF her functions, legislative, adj
ministrative and judicial. before admission into
the union, and her official acts during that
by the Law Of the land Arkansas WINS recog-
nized and admitted upon like procedure, as
zero also tho states, ot VERMONT, ,kentucky.
California and Oregon. some. OF them at the end
Of long apd bitter controversies, accompanied by
violence and blocdshed. These victories Of the
exalted courage of American citizenship, supple
mented by the most thrilling elogueLce OF the
American forum; they have been fully confirmed
By the official Judgment ut the state and national
Judiciary, and are grounded forever in that safer
final depository of all American liberty, the
minds and hearts Of the people.
LEGAL RIGHT TO ADMISSION.
Both the compact contained in tho ordinance
OF i7s7. upon which the state OF Michigan rested
in tho treaty OF the Louisiana purchase, which
was specially evoked in behalf Of Arkansas, ap-
ply In direct terms and with positive force to
sustain the. constitution and government Of the
state Of Dakota.
HER NATURAL RIGHTS OF ADMISSION.
The citizens Of Dakota inherit the right to
self-government from the Pilgrim fathers and
the Huguenot exiles. The blood of their ances-
tors shed in the revolution cries ont against taxa
ton without representation, while their own
blood and 1imbs left on freedoms battlefields
entities them freemon.
BENEFITS TO DE DERIVED RON STATEHOOD.
How great soever Dakota's faith In the guides
who hold her leading strings, she would walk
needs no guardian. She certainly possesses the
best knowledge of and the deepest interest in
her own welfare, and comedies to no state a
more ardent zeal for the common union.
SHOULD HAVE A VOICE IN LAND-LAws.
Her sturdy toilers on the public domain which
as the pomegranite, insist that they have some
rights and interests which deserve to be con-
served by. a common voice to give true knowl-
in the decisions Of questions affecSng the title
To their homes, AZ well as those who model their
ideas OF the Interior" after that building and
its grounds in Washington.
ENTITLED TO VOICE IN INDIAN AFFAIRS.
Statehood would also result in a speedy reduc-
ton OF the Great Sioux. Crow Creek and Sisseton
Indian reservations. which would 30 greatly con-
duce alike to the welfare OF both citizens and In
dians. To the former by opening to settlement
vast tracts OF fertile lands. and to the indiana by
bringing them in closer contact with civiliza-
tion and afforting them ut the same time means
and announcement to industry and advance
ment. Forty-four per cent. OF tho area of the en-
tire state is devoted to the o~ccupancyof lees than
2a,OOO Indians, who can use at most but a small
fraction OF their lands, and would gladly dis
pose OF the remainder. l am rejoiced to observe
mat the president of che United States recon-
mends to congress the reduction Of these reserva-
tions by 80 per centnm, an act which would re-
suit in speedily doubling the wealth and popula-
ton Of the state and conduce greatly to the COM
fort OF the Indians.
NEW BENEFIT OF sCHooL LANDS.
The state of Dakota demands the possession of
the lands set apart for her citizens by congress
TOR the support ct their schools, for which they
the lands lie idle and begging for the pillow await
ing to unfold their riches to the state and ma
ton.
But why pursue a question that is not debata-
bley An American congress- does not need to be
told why $4,000 American citizens, who have
been guilty OF no crime. fully equipped and
organized as a state and bringing all the possible
prerequisites to meet every test of statehood,
should be admitted into the union. IL refused it
will be an unwarranted and shamefu act of
blind partisan lust for power, to remain for
ever a burning disgrace to the annals Of the
nation and the memory of those who perpetrnte
II STATE BOUNDARIES.
But greatly as the state desires and deserves
admission her people win never accept it with
boundaries more extended than at present de-
fined, whose area OF 87 square miles Is more
combined with New Jersey and Delaware, and IN
the near future, by the hid of self-govorning
power, to be the abode Of millions of prosperous
P Pss|PPsS 4 st shss are ssna told they Gb; SsnnS ;sa have s,t two
mentioned containing a less area shall have six
teen. they prefer to have none. II her people are
to be dependents in fact, they will remain so in
name likewise, We adjure the people of north
Dakota, in behalf OF our common interest, to re-
main firm in this their often-expressed avowal.
II under the proinptings OF personal ambition
we were mean enough to accept such injustice
ourselves, we cannot be 80 base as to sacrifice
the untold future of generations Of freemen to
whom we muet soon transmit our magnificent
heritage.
IMPORTANCE OF AGRICULTURAL %souRo
While / fully appreciate the Importance to the
state of her boundlesa mineral resources con-
tanned in the Black Hills region, which, though
still in tho infancy of their development, now
yield annually moro than FIVE millions of gold
and silver and possess untold wealth Of coal, pc
troleum, salt, mica. tin, copper and building ma-
terial, and commend To you n subject of their
fact remains that tho state must ever rely upon
her agricultural resources for the support of the
dense population. which ia to constitute her
chief greatness and Importance as a common
wealth through all time.
u REASONS o DEMANDING ADMISSION.
inent between various interests of producing and
transporting the nations products, bet cap
ital and labor, and which from necessity most
ever be an issue of vital importance in the arena
Of national politics until a happy means is DIS
covered and established which shall do even and
exact justice TO all and Cypress none, is still I'M
settled, demonstrates the necessity that the peo-
pie Of this state and Of the territorial domain re-
naming to- the Unit d States should insist upon
admission into the union in states OF araal ex-
tent which will afford them at least a respacta-
BILE representation in the senate Of the United
States. one Of the coordinate departments of ma
ti0nal legislation.
will remain forever with the east is rather an
argument in support OF than Sgainst my position,