Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1885-01-31
SATURDAY. JANUARY 81. 1855.
A State

Chicago Tribune: The lord helps
those who help themselves, and it is
time for the people Of Dakota to take
some practical steps towards the organ
ization Of q state government in order
to knock at the door of congress with
the authority Of the people. This was
the course taken by California, Kansas
and Colorado, and there is reason TO be.
lieve that it will be ms successful in the
case of Dakota as ia their ease, for Dako-
tn has higher CLAIMS to admission into
the union han they had. The enabling
act which passed the senate il few days
ago lies buried in the house. where it
will never be considered. 4 similar
experience will be encountered next
winter unless the people in the mean
time do something to assert their claims
and to bring them SO prominently be.
fore the country that the democratic
majority in the next house of represen-
tatives will not dare to commit the in
justice Of excluding a territory which
would be entitled to three or four mem
bers of congress lift were a statc-larger
in population than two Coloradoes. five
Delawares, three Floridas, II dozen Ne
vadas. two New H~ampshircs, three Ore |
CONS, two Rhode Islands, or two Yer
monts, and nearly equal to West Nir-
ginia, Maine or Connecticut.
The effective steps TO take are these
The territorial legislature should pass
an act this winter calling a constitution.
al convention to meet at a convenient
time and place, and to be composed Of
the same number Of men as the legisla-
ture itself and elected in the same man
ner and from the same districts. The
act should authorize the convention 10
frame q constitution to be submitted to
the people, appoint an election for state
government, legislature, and three or
four members Of congress, and designate
time for the meeting Of such legisla-
ture to choose two United States sena.
tors. Then Dakota can go to congress
next winter with all the force of q
formulated public opinion. with all the
machinery of a state government ut
hand, with a constitution which will ex.
cite no antagonism, and with the ablest
men in the territory demanding admis-
sion into both houses of congress-. An
application urged in this determined
way will be backed up by the popular
sentiment Of the entire northwest with
out regard to party, and there are TWEEN
ty five or thirty western democratic
members Of congress who cannot join
the southern conferate members i'm re
sisting it without risking a loss Of their
> seats. The issue will be plainly one of
justice against injustice, Unpopular rights
against mere partisan advantage, that
the democrats will be constrained to adj
nit Dakota or her application, or at
least to pass the necessary enabling act
that will admit her to a participation in
the affairs of the nation.
Gov. Perez should recommend this
course in his message to the Dakota
leRlSldtuTe. lie SnOuIu auNlSc tlat tne
movement be made for the admission Of
the entire territory as one state, because
it will be easier to secure the assent Of
congress to this program than to the
formation OF two states. But he should
also point out that, in case the northern
and southern interests Of the territory
cannot harmonize, then the legislature
should call a constitutional convention
for that half of the territory which lies
south ofthe forty-sixth line and contains
about $4,000 square miles and $4,000
population, leaving the north half, with
its l75,00O Inhabitants, to work it's way
into the union at some future time. The
movement on congress will be more for
midable if it shall come from the whole
territory, but the south half alone will
have stronger claims to admission as a
state than any new state had when it
was admitted.
The people Of Dakota may make up
their minds that If they wait for a dem
ocratic congress to pass All enabling act
coaxipg them 70 come in they will not
ut it while that party is in power. But