The Bad Lands cow boy. [volume] (Little Missouri, Dakota [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-1886, 1885-09-03
DAKOTA TERRITORIAL NEWS
Dakota's Coming Statehood.

-
'.Whatio the Staten Oak tota? asked
'.reporter a few days ago Of Lauren
Dunlap, commissioner ofssimnnigra-
tionrforssthe Territory Of Dakota.
Mf Dunlap replied: In spite
efs.hope deferred We are conscious
that every day brings it nearer.
The census, Just taken, shows a popu-
lation al about 415 900, of which the
counties; holdlng;a constitutional con-
veption next month have 100000.
4 md n orth Dakota enough more for a
second State. The duties of the Sioux
Falls convention, called to meet Sept.
8,sas defined by, law, are plain. The
law says that the convention shall.
draft q constitution and provide for
On. ection; by the people Of South
Dakota, at which election the consti-
tuition shall be submitted to the peo.
pie for ratification, and at which cleo
ton the state officers, member Of con.
gress, members OF the legislature, and
all other officers provided for in the
constitution shall be elected. The con-:
ventions is given the further power to
provide for the assembling Of tie leg.
islature when elected. South Dakota
does not propose to set up an inde-
pendent government of her own. / It is
simply intended to erect a provisional
government, whose officers NAV be
recognized as the accredited represen-
tatiYes OF the proposed state On
presenting the constitution adopted
by the people to congress.4s'A good
constitution, such as there: is every
reason to believe edSfoux Falls con-
vention will frame, will Be accepted by
the people hey ond q question. There
will sbe some opposition. The advo-
Gates of the admissio of Dakota as q
whole and of division on the Missouri
river, who are very active, will throw
all their strength againstit. The peo-
pie Of south Dakota generally want
division on the forty-sixth parallel,
using that term as q familiar geograph-
ical definition. The line. OF division
east of the Miss uririver should CORE
spond with the county boundary line
between the lower tier, Of, North Da-
&kota counties and the upper. tier of
\ South Dakota, counties, so Jas not to
disturb existing county boundaries.
This distinction should be made, in
the constitution as antact of Justice
to the people Of the counties inter-
ested . ds Il, Is VI +
HOW IT is REGARDEDi1N THE NORTH.
In North Dakota there is very lit
tie said about&the, convention, which
would imply acquiescence and not hos
tility. Thinking men in that section
!, realize that division is as much in
their interest as it is in that of South
Dakota. Indeed, the strength! the
character backbone you might
say-of the separate statehood prin-
ciple is found in the fact that there is
nothing sectional about division as q
proposition. The developmentofbot
sections is last multiplying the differ
emit local interests of each, which will
demand more and more the fostering
cnre of wise and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
Goodgovernment for South and North
4 Dakota is the guarantee that division
may be said to offer, and believe
this view of the, question--which has
not always beenproperly put, or right
ly understo bod, either-is the one to
i COiiiAlACAl1 ittciiIUO' a C1GiLcll4 OlOukOOtty
4 irrespective Of section, upon little
reflection. b s.i "; !: s.ll. si4 q.
HThere ought not o,be any objec-
ton to :electing state officers before the
state is admitted - e ;s s':.is X
The situation of Dakota demands
4 something more than q feeble protest
against being kept out of the Union.
4 It does not Justify her people in over
stepping the bounds. of law. or.of an
stagonizing in any way the federal au-
4 thority. Nor is there any danger of
her people doing that But it does
call for decisive action, in taking the
steps preliminary to the formation of
+ theistate. The time has come for Da,-
kotans to insist rs far as they can
within the law upon what are the ma
turala rights of Dakota in5respect of
division and admission. The provis-
{ ional state government is as much in
s order at this time as the constitution.
Neither do the officers so elected have
any powers to act, nor does the writ
i ten instrument possess the vitality Of
aSstatescharter. , ,a. s3s ,s5 \,
II #ssHOuLD ACCEPT THE.GoNsTTTU1
.5 t'Itssis of equalsimp ortance, however,
that the people Of the proposed state
shouldS adopt a constitution Of their
own, leaving congress to set tile ma
chinery sof the state sin mo tion, if it
i pleases. Whether tile admission Of
Dakota would legalize the Sioux Falls
constitution md election of officers
would depend on oi,gress. The prob
I abilities IRE That congress would pre-
Il fer to. have the, work done oyer again,
as provide lin the enabling act passed.
Z In that event, however, the constitu-
ton framed at Sioux Falls and the
q provisional state Ulcers safterward
elected would have served an excellent
purpose without the former having
become law or the provisional
officers having been permitted
1 to y exercise any Of the func-
& tions Of Offices and there is q chance
for admission. ! It would be strange if
n there were MOTH the case OF Dakota
! THERE'S 60 better chanc however, for
& Occurring division into two territories.
8 Ifthis could be effected as "a compro-
mise, the Dem ocrats stipulating chat
4 no state shall be admit tied iout9of the
! present Territory Of Oak tanntil after
4 thenexbpreside ntial electio except
i In the renlote coming ncy OF their los
ing; control OF the hons ethe Sioux
y Falls convent ion would have accom-
r,lished enough to satisfy a majority
Il Of the people of both sections. The
I division; 81 Oak ota into two terrific
ties, with an increaseaof the Judiciary
now inperatiyely dem ed rWould be
H NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. might please
ioi,