Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1885-01-31

The Bismarck correspondent of the
Sioux City Journal, in letter of advice
and instruction to the newspaper men of
south Dakota says:
In the first place not one of you will
deny that the removal of the capital two
years ago was premature, and that the
measure would never have passed the
general assembly, even with the potent
influence behind it, had it not been un-
derstood that the location was to be
made with view to the state which
should be erected south of the forty-sixth
parallel. Further, no one of you will
deny that. bad as were the methods by
which the bill was passed, they were
praiseworthy compared with those by
which decision was reached in Bis
marck's favor. For whatever doubts I
might have had on the subject of i'm
proper influences on sundry members of
the capital commission before coming to
Bismarck, have been removed by evi-
dence from the citizens of the place, who
freely admit that the present crippled
financial condition of the town is not
due so much to the effort to raise the
100000 clean money which was paid
toward the building, but because nearly
as much more in cash and town lots
went direct into the corruption fund.-"
Private information says that when
the bill to remove the capital from Bis.
marck was introduced and seemed likely
to pass, citizens Of that place in their
alarm and disgust gave away many of
the secrets of the transaction by
which Bismarck was named by the COM
mission as the capital.
The inference is that Bismarck not
only paid heavily to the territory for its
not very valuable honors, but expended
q large amount for "inhuence" which Sc
cured to it the privilege of making the
final purchase. These developments.
though not new except as to details and
specified amounts, form another humil-
iating chapter in the fraud perpetrated
in the name OF the people of Dakota
There is considerable sympathy
evinced for the people of Bismarck. be-
cause they have placed themselves
on the verge of bankruptcy
to secure that which was largely
overestlmated as to value. That the,
were induced to do this, against thei
better judgment, by the misrepresen
tations of the organizers of the pool ant
the promoters of the speculation, is evi
dent. Still they must have known thai
the method was corrupt one and know
ing this cannot expect that sympathy tc
become very enthusiastic.
I We have before US the report Of til,
capital commission, just issued, and il
this report is a list of bids made for tn
possession of the capital of Dakota
Bismarck's bid was 100000
and 800 acres of land. The
town OF Ordway made the same bid
Odessa offered 100000 in cash and 16(
acres in land-a better bid than Bis
marcktmade. Pierre offered 100000 i,
cash and 25O acres Of land-a bid, al
things considered, superior to the Bis
marck bid, with an urquestioned superi
ority as to location. It has been unde,
stood that Bismarck was selected be
cause it agreed to put up the most valu
able consideration. Do the figures sus
tain this belief? 1t appears not. Ord
way, Odessa and Pierre evidently omit
ted something in the specifications.
This subject is growing rather agec
but the new developments will freshe
public interest. Now while the legisla
ture is IN session it would be q gratif
cation to the public to witness an inve!
tigation by that body. If the state
ments of the correspondent above quo
ted can be sustained it is wholly With
the province of the legislative body
make such an investigation and give th
public the facts.