The DeSmet leader. (DeSmet, Kingsbury Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-07-10

New States may be admitted. Their
is the sole charter of Congressional
power The question OF the prope
boundary is one Of agreement between
Congress and the new State. You ma,
lead a horse to water, but you canno
make him drink. Congress may pas
an act for the admission of Dakota as ;
whole, but we shall greatly mistake
our own powers and our own rights i
we feel we must accept such provi
sion. We are men. 1t is men wht
make State. j trusTthat shall no
liye to see the day when the people o.
Dakota shall so far forget the bloot
which runs in their veins-so forge
Bunker Hill and the foundations upor
which this great republic rests, as Il
crihSe before the Congress of tht
United States and servilely accept
State boundaries SO repugnant to thu
great majority north and south ant
which would work so great injustice
not only to ourselves, but to the whole
West, by denying the people a fail
representation in the United States
Senate.
1t is because of the fear that such 1
scheme as admission as whole may bt
attempted, and that for lack of organ
lied opposition it may gain dangerous
strength, that the State League was
organized. Its purpose is to secure
division east and west and admission oil
the south half under the Sioux Falls
constitution. This is the precise object
and the whole object. The provision in
the pledge that we will work to secure
the election Of public officers who favor
this object is only one leading and very
important means to be employed tC
secure the object in view-so important
a means as seemed to justify its speciti-
cation
The League is not pledged to or in
terested in the repeal of Section 32
neither does it oppose those who desire
such repeal. 1t is not in favor Of start
ing the State government; neither does
it oppose those who so desire. The
League, by organizing the steady, per
manent friends of division and the
Sioux Falls constitution, is only acting
as conservative agent in preserving
what has been done, and in aiding the
completion of the work. For fifteen
years the people of all Dakota have
been preparing for division. They have
duplicated their public buildings,
establishing one of each class in North
Dakota and one in South Dakota. The
laws enacted at Bismarck by the last
Legislature alone refer at least eight
times in eight distinct acts to the mat
ter of division as something that is
contemplated. The people of the whole
Territory have long contemplated diyi-
sion, and they have the grit to fight it
out on that line il it takes all summer, y
or dozen summers. We do not want
admission SO badly as to take admission
as a whole. We are right, and must
anchor ourselves to the right, and stay
there.
In establishing ourselves upon this
principle we shall be much stronger if
organized. A thousand men fighting
pell NEIL each Oh his own hook, like so
many Indians, have nothing like the
power of a thousand men in compact
column OF line of battle where each
feels the touch of the elbow of his com
Tade and all move forward as one man
for a common purpose. 1t may be
some etme-possibly some time, we hope
not-before Dakota is a State in the
Union. If long delay shall occur for
midable number Of men will come to
the surface who with long drawn sigh
will say, 1T is of no use, we can never
be divided; it is better to be admitted
some way than not at all; better accept
an enabling act for the whole When
the men who now lie low come to the
front with this cry, we must be ready
to meet them.
In 1862 many of us remember that
the cause of the Union looked blue, and
thousands upon thousands Of men were
discouraged and ready to give up, 60
home and let the black curse of slavery
spread its perpetual pail over millions
of helpless black men, and see the
slave driver continue To crack his whip
over the heads of women and children
under the stars and bars Of the Con
federate flag. DO not those timid
white-livered men who in 1862 would
have dropped their arms, now shuddel
as they think OF the consequences il
the country had then yielded to theil
fears?
| say we must be preparing Il
meet these admission as whole
men when they arise 1--WE have {
nucleus of them now. If we arr
satisfied that the people Of Dakot;
in their efforts of the past fifteen year,
looking to division have been right, W.
ought never, anywhere, give such mel
encouragement in their course. Mei
who will abandon the fight and fly be
fore the enemy are not the men to pu
on guard, Is it not reasonable whei
considering the qualifications of a mar
for an Office in Dakota, that we shall
know exactly where he stands upon th'
question of division? 1t is our publ,
officers in the counties and in the Legis
lature who largely influence public
opinion. They may do us a great ser
vice or great injury.
THE OBJECTS OF THE STATE LEAGUE
are SO definitely declared by its consti
tuition, and We are In this part O
Dakota so generally agreed upon then
that it seems it is entitled to our sup
port if there is in fact good reason
for the existence Of a league. The onl
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