The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-01-23

the question 20 such careful consideration as
the legislature may give 1t, satisfied thai the
dent.
THE MILITIA
In this connection 1 wish to call the atten-
ton of the Legislature to the militia laws of
the territory, which require amendment to
make them effective and thoroughly practi-
cable. Tit laws require the adjutant gen
eral TO perform various duties, to keep ex-
to Washington. He Is the only person in any
way authorized to act as the custodian of
arms and nccouterments. and this authority
is limited, and it is to he gained by inference
rather than by direct grant 1t is not
essary, in my Judgment, todevise any labor-
ate plan for militia organization or to incur
any considerable expense in maintenance of
military companies, but we cannot ask the
adjutant general to contribute OF his private
means, as well as Of his time, to carry out the
requirements of the law. therefore recon-
mend hat there be appropriated for the ex-
pense OF his Office $1,000 annually. This
seems to cover the necessary expense for
storing and caring for arms and accouJer-
ments, procuring and keeping the necessary
records and blanks, paying freight on arms
as properly and legitimately belong to his
office. There are several boxes OF
arms at Sioux Falls, sent to the
adjutant general by my predecessor. and
for which the former had to secure
storage. He finally succeeded in securing a
room in the penitentiary which was not i'm
mediately required for prison purposts, where
they remained for the time being. For sew
eral reasons it is not u proper place to keep
them, even if the room were not needed for
prison purposes. which it soon will be. /
also recommend that n small sum be uppro-
prlated for uniforms and for the rental Of
armories for each of the various volunteer
companies regularly mustered into the ter
ritorial militia. Even If this appropriation
be but 4 fraction of the expense incurred by
such companies, it will be II recognition, and
will relieve them in some degree from what
is now n considerable burden. Itshould be re-
membered that under the law every able
bodied citizen of the territory between the
ages of eighteen and forty-five is required to
be enrolled in the militia and that all such
persons are subject to call in care the vol
unteer companies are insufficient to meet an
emergency. Organized and active militia,
therefore, are not only convenient in case of
t,oubic, but they save other citizens from the
and services, and are a protection to those
subject to call, as well as to those threatened
with disturbances.
The law also provides for an annual brig
ade muster and e~ncampment OF all the vol
unteer militia OF the territory, continu-
ing not less than two nor more than four
days. Unless some provision be made
for the transportation and subsistence otsuch
companies 1t Is obvious that the law must re-
main uneXecuted. l leave the question of
what should be done under these clrcum-
stances to the discretion of the legislature.
There are six companies in the territory that
have been mustered into the service for two
years. There are several more organized,
one OF two of which are uniformed and
equipped. The others are awaiting arms
and muster. The arms at present in use by
our militia were secured by my predecessor
from the Wnr den, rim emf ln pDjnr nc T
understand. his personal bond for their safe
keeping and return when demanded. l ask
the legislature to authorize the governor, in
the name of the territory, to apply for such
arms and any others which it may be neces-
sary to secure, requiring him in turn to take
q good and sufficient bond from each COM
pany to whom such arms may be issued.
QUESTION OF ADMISSION AND DIVISION.
Isuggest that steps should be taken by the
present legislature to acquaint congress,
through a memorial or otherwise. with the
true sentiment of the territory regarding adj
mission aud division. The members OF this
general assembly are fresh from the people.
Nothing except the individual expression of
the people themselves at the polls could be
so reliably indicative of their sentiments and
desires as the public expression of their
chosen representatives. The very wide
attention which the subject of admission
and division is attracting, and the fact that
IL HAS CeGu utctlleu OIL buINClcnu lmDOlCanCe
for commen in the message of the governor
OF our neighboring state. Minnesota, who
alludcs with great ndnes to the merits and
desires of the people of Dakota. induces me
to refer at some length to the question in
this communication. The territory, either
as a whole or divided, is populous enough,
even ii the maximum OF population hitherto
required is demanded, for the formation of a
state government or governments. OF
course, if presidents are to be ignored and
new conditions applied to Dakota, we may
not only be unable to get into the Union now,
but may remain out indefinitely. But l be-
lieve that. with a full knowledge of our pop
%ulation, resources and development, con-
gress will at least afford the terri
s sory an opportunity OF s.atnS W Hf Joining ng the
of this character, which contemplated admis-
sion without division, would be accepted by
the people, is not for me to declare. l do
declare this, however, that it is more import
ant that territories shonld be divided as their
people desire. than that their boundaries
should be fixed by strangers, who IRE liable
to misunderstood their necessities. But
nothing could be more entirely conclusive as
to their desires than an opportunity to vote
upon the question of admission in any form
that congress may submit it. Whether they
accept OF reject the proposition. the oppor-
tunity to do the one or the other should be
afforded them. 1t is easier to decline an
honor than to endure q wrong. There We're
SO, 703 votes cast in the territory in the re-
cent election. There are 3 counties. but
only seventy-eight We're organized in time to
hold al election in November. That the
number of persons possessing the Qualiica-
ton OF voters aggregate 100, 900 in the
whole territory, will be disputed by nc one,
l think, familiar with the facts. That those
voters are not transient persons is evidenced
first ny the fact that nine months residence
is required under our laws as a qualification
of suffrage; and by the further fact that the
returns made under the law by school Off
GERS to the superintendent of public instruc-
ton show that in the sisty-fve counties out
of the eighty-tive organized (all that have
furnished census returnsl there were on the
LIST day of June. 1884, 77.499 children of
school age Seven to twenty years.. The pres
of the adventurer. The assessed value of
property for the year 1884 is over pS4 .OOO,-
900, and the receipts Of the treasurers Of
school corporations alone amounts to over
$1,000, 000. The total expenditure of the
whole territory for educational purposes, be-
ginning April, 1883, and ending June 30,
1854, were nearly 81, 900, 900. I might
make comparisons which would exhibit the
territory in a most favorable light beside
many old and well settled states. but this
a sum was expended for common schools
dispcls the notion that the population of this
territory is In any manner fictitious, or that
the country ia not peopled by honest voters
who abide in honest homes.
That there were illegal votes cast here and
there in the territory is very likely, but
though party lines were not drawn to any
extent in choosingloca officers. nearly every
county and district passed through an excit-
ing contest where the qualifications of voters
were as closely scrutinized as in the older
states East. 1t is a well known fact. also,
That there is no u opportunity for fraudu-
lent voting in sparsely settled country places,
where every man is known to his neighbors,
as IN g the n large cities AVN where s,rs s5Tang fhsr e9eme
that The vote cast was to any eX-
tended degree fictitious is entirely erroneous.
The citizens OF Dakota have as deep an in
ferast in thu roxarnmanf of the connfrv M