The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-30

that Congress was the only power that could
say when States should come into
the Union. If the Ordinance Of
17s7-which provided that new States
should be admitted when population Of 10000
should be reached-was the only authority on
the question. the debate would close at once.
MIR. Vest denied that that ordinance was now in
force, and read from decisions Of the United
States Supreme Court to show that that ordi-
nance ceased to exist on the adoption of the fed
eral Constitution, in 1889. Any other view
would forever put an end to any discussion in
Congress as to the admission of new States. Mr..
Vest took the broad ground that no ordinance or
treaty whatever could hamper or bind Congress
In q matter of so fundamental character as
this. If it could then one Congress could for
ever bind future Congresses. We could tear to
pieces any ordinance or treaty that should pre-
tend to put such shackles on the Congress of the
United States.
Abiding to the partisan references of the 9TH
or side. MIR. Vest said he might pertinently in
quire what political party was to be benefited
by this Csesarian operation by which Dakota was
cnt In two for political reasons. Would it not
add to the Republican forces, and perhaps give
preponderance to those forces in a national con-
test7 The great question was. said Mr.. Vest
how to get new States into the Union.
Everybody, then, wanted to push the
Union. Every one wanted to push the
frontier from their own borders. But what was
our present condition. Our population, develop
ment and resources had exceeded the imagina-
ton of the facts The admission o. two new
members into the Senate of the United States
as soon as any fraction Of a Territory could
show the same number of inhabitants that
were now claimed for South Dakota. would soon
swell the Senate to the size of the House 81
Representatives, and such admissions would be
unjust to the older and much more thickly popu-
lated States. Mr.. Vest compared the position
assumed by Dakota with thaS of Montana, to
show that the latter Territory had acted in re-
spectful and constitutional manner, though he
said he should be compelled to vote against the
admission of Montana until she had popula-
ton at least equal to that required for repre-
sentative in the lower house of Congress.
Dakota had not evinced proper respect for the
Supreme Court of the United States. Its peo-
pie had entered into a conspiracy to nullify
decision of that court i'll regard to the
territorial bonded Indebtedness By the vote
on the Constitution now presented, Mr. Vest
continued, 160 900 persons residing in north Da-
kota were disfranchised, and had not taken part
in the election. He ridiculed the Republican
pretensions as to the anxiety prevailing the peo-
pie of Dakota on the question of admission.
Zone would think, he saio, SHAT even the ba-
bies OF Dakota were crying for admission.
Laughter The manipulators of the movement
had to bring every issue to bear in their support
even the prohibition issue. Cut off whisky
from man on the plains, and you take from him
all that makes life endurable"
The speaker related an incident Of finding in
the wild West three men who. for three years,
had been cut off from civilization, from bread.
and from salt The first thing they asked for. on
seeing other human beings fresh from civiliza-
ton, was not bread, not SALT but whisky.
Laughter Mr.. Vest mentioned this, he said,
not to show the depravity of man, but to show
that the rigor of the climate required whisky.
Mr.. Vest denied that the action Of Dakota
was the action of its whole people. 1t
was Republican movement. in the interests OF
certain individuals. The Democrats of Dakota
regarded it as farce, and had not participated
in the vote on it. He had the Clerk read an
official address by the Democratic committee of
the Territory to support his statement The
whole trouble, he said. was that Fargo and
Yankton were competing centers of political
ambition. He charged that the record of the
last Legislature of Dakota, even on the showing
of Republican newspapers, was without a par
allel in the history of bad schemes. In con-
clusion, Mr.. Vest said he would hereafter sub
nit proposition to divide the Territory by a
line running north and south on the 101st par
allel of longitude, providing for the keeping of
the unsettled western side in a territorial con-
dition.
Mr.. Logan then took the floor, but gave way
for motion to adjourn, and the Senate accord
ingly adjourned until Monday