The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1886-07-30
THE QUESTION OF DIVISION.

THE QUESTION OF DIVISION.
The Brookings Press sends us a
marked editorial OH the question of
division and statehood, in which it
takes strong grounds for admission as
a whole. We take the liberty of re-
printing in full an article written
by the editor of the REPUBLICAN last
fall, and published in the Sioux CITY
journal. 1t was carefully prepared at
the time, with the facts and figures at
hand, and seems not to need any
particular modification. except where
1T refers to the admission of Dakota as
a party issue. 1t has been made that
since. The article is as follows:
MITCHELL, d. r., Oct. Is, 18s5.-To
the editor of The Journal: The ques-
tion of paramount interest before
the people of south Dakota to-day is
the adoption of the constitution. The
only real issue involved in that ques-
tion Is division. 1t is conceded even
by the opposers of the plan for a con-
stitutional convention that the recent
gathering of representative men at
Sioux Falls did an excellent work.
The charge that the act of the legis-
lature authorizing the convention was
an unfair measure, in that it did not
give north Dakota a voice, is refuted
by the history of the passage of the
same. 1t went through both houses
without opposition, the members from
the north supporting it almost as one
man, and the governor, who can not be
accused of leaning more toward the
south than to the north, signed it with
out hesitation. It was unanimously
agreed that south Dakota was entitled
to admission and statehood, and,
THE ONLY THING NORTH DAKOTA
ASKED
was, in the event of division, that she
be reimbursed for her share of the
expenses of the convention from the
special tax which the law provides
shall be assessed on the south Dakota
counties(see section nine of the act.)
1t matters not whether the acquies-
cense on the part of the north was
sincere or whether it was born of the
desire to protect her local interests by
concessions to the majority-she gave
it, and it now i'll becomes her news
papers and politicians to attempt to
create faetious opposition to the
movement.
1t is no argument against the state
hood movement to say that it is in the
interest of few politicians and is not
backed by the people. All but four of
the forty-nine organized counties in
south Dakota sent delegates, and OF
the unrepresented counties two have
seen their mistake and are manly
enough to acknowledge it. While the
vote in the several counties was not q
full one by any means, no one will deny
that representative men were sent ir
every instance, and that
THE PERSONNEL OF THE CONVENTION
was above the average Of such bodies
Not solitary personal scheme Of ag
grandizement raised it's head in tn,
convention, but every element was will
ling to modify it's own radical views tt
secure the best general results. Their
was not a man in the convention tina
made any attempt to start little boon
of his own for any position. And hat
this been the case, he was very short
sighted in his ambition who shoul,
hope to get anything the people di'
not want him to have; yet were ever
prominent man in that convention an
every prominent man out of it VIII
favors the movement, a candidate fo
office, the state of Dakota would hav
reason to congratulate herself on tn
excellent timber she had to select from
AS one who is in south Dakota to sta,
and who expects to bear his share c
the burdens of the future, am not q
all alarmed at the prospects of havin
an Edgerton, a Moody, a Hand, War
or Campbell represent us in the SCI
ate, or a Goodykoontz, King, K'
mouse, Barnes, a Brookings, a Gambl
a Washabaugh, Kellam, Martin,
Westover, a Picker, yea, verify, or
Pettigrew, fight our battles in I'll
house of representatives, nor would
feel at all restive under the governo
ship of any one of these men, or of
dozen others whom might mention
a Mellette, a Williams or an Edmund
for instance. So much for that poin
1t were waste of time to more tha
notice in passing
THE ABSURD CHARGE
that the members of the conventit
were intent only OH drawing their p
diem and squandering the $4,000 a
propriated. The result of their labo
and the fact that but half the sum a
propriated has been expended, give Il
lie to this allegation.
The real issue, then, is divisio
which, from the early history Of Il
territory until within the past thr
months, has been a foregone concl
sion. The change of sentiment
ostensibly located in what is known
central Dakota. but have reason
believe it has it's origin farther mort
not among the people generally of tn
section, for their opinions have n
undergone a change, but among a c.
tain element, whose motives will n