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


of taxes, for the completion Of that monu-
ment of extravaganza and corruption, the
Capitol building at Bismarck.
We remind the people here, of the fact
lately disclosed in the litigation, at Bis
marck, in which the people of Dakota
were defended by their Attorney General,
against a monstrous scheme, to swindle
the people, on the part of the late Capital
Commission. 1t appears, by the facts
elected during this litigation, that over
$4,000 Of warrants were issued upon or
ders OF The Capital Commission, by the
late Auditor OF the Territory, MI. Ord
way, and that these warrants are now be-
ing presented to the Territorial Treasurer
for payment. Thus a sum of $4,000,
which the Legislature new voted, and
the people never consented to, are being
sought to he flched from the public treas
ury.
GUARANTEES OF OUR RIGHT TO FORM A
GOVERNMENT.
The ordinance of 1887, and the Treaty
with France, by which Louisiana was
coded to the United States, contained IT.
revocable guarantees to the people of this
Territory, OF the right to form a State
Government, for themselves. and be add
mitted into the Union, as soon as their
population and resources are sufficient
for self government. The ordinance of
1877 has been extended by Congressional
enactment over Dakota, by four successive
Statutes. The rights guaranteed by that
Ordinance, are matters of compact, which
compact is stipulated in the Ordinance, to
be forever i~rrevocable, without the con-
sent of the people of the Territory. The
ablest lawyers and jurists of the country,
have united In declaring that the people
of this Territory are parties to these com
pacts, and of right entitled to act upon
them, and demand their fulfllment. In
addition to these compacts, the Constitu-
ton Of the United States, as judicially
interpreted by the Supreme Court, which
Interpretation has never been reversed by
any subsequent Court, has guaranteed to
the people OF this Territory, as of all
Territories, the absolute right Of self
government, and Statehood, whenever
their condition, their population, their
area, and their resources, are sufficient to
enable them to govern themselves.
These are Constitutional and legal
rights, which Congress has no lawful
power to Set aside, and can only disregard,
as Senator Harrison stated upon the floor
OF the Senate last winter. by brute force.
UNITED STATES APPROPRIATIONS FOR PUB
Lie INSTITUTIONS AND INTERNAL I'M
PROvEMENTS FOR A NEW STATE.
1t has been the custom Of Congress to
appropriate for a new State, upon ad-
mission 100000 acres of the public lands,
forinternal improvements; also 20 Sections
OF land for the maintenance Of a State
University; 80 Sections of land for the
endowment and maintenance of an Agri-
cultural college; so Sections of land for
the building and maintainance OF a Pen
itentiary; and all the Salt Springs in the
State not exceeding II sections. In addi-
ton to these donations, it has been the
custom OF Congress, as a compensation to
the new States, for an exemption of the
United States lands and property from
taxation, TO grant each of them five per
cent, of the gross proceeds, of all the sales
of public land, made within the limit of
ton as a Territory.
This SUM, for the State of Dakota, will
amount to, as We are informed by the
Hon. Il. T. Pettigrew, from whom we have
gathered these facts above stated, the sum
Of 81, 100000, being one twentieth of the
3 0,0UQ.O00, the amount of the said sales
up to this time.
If Dakota should be admitted as a
whole, all these donations and grants but
the last named would only be as much for
the whole. as for either of the two States
separately. Therefore. it is easy to see
that by division, the people of the new
jaw. VII S0hA tNltC IN Ndfuc III tDCSC
grants, which they would gain If admitted
as a whole.
DIMINUTION OF TAXES TO BE OBTAINED BY
The school lands which will belong to
the new State of Dakota will be in round
numbers about 100000 acres, and are
valued at S27,000,000. OF these, the Con-
~stitution provides that no more than one
third, shall be sold in the first five years,
which viii amount TO 900,0 600 acres. Esti-
mated at the minimum value OF SO per
acre, the total sum realized by the sales of
these lands will be S9,001,G00. This sum-.
will bear interest at not less than six per
cent. Six per cent. on the sum gives a
total evenue of $4,000. Besides this
revenue, the lands thus sold are lmmedi-
ately subject to taxation, and the revenue
obtained from these lands in the way of
taxes, at two mills on a dollar amounts to
$4,000. Thus the total revenue. immedi-
ately obtained for school purposes, for
the people, by Statehood. will be S546. 600.
As the school taxes nave amounted to
about one-half Of all the taxes, and as
this revenue will enable the Legislature
70 raI,ao 4t,a cchoo1 fovac fo o1r,ocS 10Th