Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-10-09

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. It 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, Mr.. 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 never 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
STATE 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 ad-
mitted into the Union, as soon as their
population and resources arc sufficient
for self government. The ordinance of
1887 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, arc 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
LILO INSTITUTIONS AMI INTERNAL M
PRovEMENTs o A NEW TAT
1t has been the custom of Congress to
appropriate for a new State, upon adj
mission 100000 acres of the public lands,
forinternal Improvements; also 7OSectiors
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 maintenance Of a Pen
itentiary; and all the Salt Springs in the
State not exceeding ~ 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, o fall the sales
Of public land, made within the limit OF
the State, from the time of its organiza.
ton as a Territory.
This sum, for the State of Dakota, will
amount to, as we are informed by the
Hon. r. F. Pettigrew, from whom We have
gathered these facts above stated, the sun
OF 81, 100000, being one twentieth OF the
3 100000, the amount of the said sales
up to this time.
If Dakota should be admitted as {
whole, all these donations and grants but
tie last named would only be as much to-
the whole, as for either Of the two States
separately. Therefore, it is easy to sex
uIlaG ny u~lVl6lOIl, Guo peoPAo clo ~"
State, will gain twice the valuo in thest
grants, which they would gain it ADMITTED
as q whole.
D1M1NUIIoN OF TAXES TO BE OBTAINED 81
STATEHOOD.
The school lands which will belong tx
the new State of Dakota will be III roune
numbers about 100000 acres, and arr
valued at $27,OoO,0OO. OF these, the Con
stitution provides that no more than ono
third, shall DO sold in the first five years
which will amount to 100000 acres. Estl
mated at the minimum value Of $40 PEI
acre, the totalsum realized by the sales o
these lands will be 100000. This sum
will bear interest at not less than six pc
cont. Six per cent, on the sum. gives
total revenue of $4,000. Besides thi
revenue, the lands thus sold are lmnedl
ately subject to taxation, and the revenu
obtained from these lands in the way o
taxes, at two mills on q dollar amounts t
cR mn Thre tho total ravenue in,me1l