Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-09-23
Dakota's biennial congressional co,

Dakota's biennial congressional con-
ventlon is thing of the past. 1t has
| met, deliberated, decided and dissolved.
| AS the result of its lsbors Dakota re.
publicans have a congressional candi-
date in the person of Hon. o, s. Clifford,
the present representative of the terri
tory in congress. The long line of
precedeDts which have declared in
| emphatic tones that no Dakota delegate
should serve two terms in congress has
been broken and Delegate Clifford will
become his own successor. This has
happened but once before in the politi-
cal history of Dakota. In the olden
time Judge j. P. Kidder served two
terms as Dakota's representative in the
halls of congress. following the two
terms accorded him by the grace of the
republican party came Judge G.. g..
Bennett, one term, Hon r. +. Pett1-
grew, one term, Hon. j. B. Raymond,
one term, Hon. o. s. Clifford, one term,
and to the last named gentleman q
grateful party is about to add two
years more of official existence.
The conclusions of the Yankton con
vention will be acceptable to large
majority of the republicans of Dakota.
They were fairly represented In the con-
vention, which contained an overwhelm-
ing sentiment IN favor of division and
its concurrent fealty to MIR. Clifford.
The battle has been fairly fought in the
republican party upon the issue OF the
division OF this great territory into two
states. Division has fairly won in
the nomination of its champion and the
republicanism of Dakota reaffirms its
desire to draw the line of separation be-
tween the north and the south. The
opposition to division within the con.
vention was confined TO northern fac
tion and handful of its adherents
from Brown county. Both elements
were aotuated by selfish motives. The
northern faction labored in the interest
OF Bismarck as capital location
already secured and Brown county
labored in the interest OF
prospective capital location. With
General Allen as the figure bead of
this speculative sentiment they went
before the republicans OF Dakota and
were hopelessly buried beneath an
overwhelming adverse sentiment. They
did not care to exhibit their weakness
by the usual form of ballot, but aban-
doned the contest before the convention
assembled and called for unanimous
nomination of Mr.. Clifford by aeclama-
ton. By this course they protected
themselves against display of their
numerical weakness and the public will
never know the actual standing ef the
anti-division movement. 1t was dev .
loped in the convention that large pro.
portion of the north is openly in favo,
OF division aud that the south is solid
for division with the exception OF the
county of Brown.
The county OF Minnehaha was here tc
do it's best in behalf of it's can
didate, Mr.. Grigsby, bui
throughout all its efforts in
favor of its local candidate it stead
fastly remained within the division
ranks. When it reached the conclusion
that the nomination was not fer its ia
vorite in the race, Minnehaha county
came Loyalty to the front and moved the
nomination of MIR. Clifford. sil q
The aonyentien just closed has placei
upon the record of Dakota republican
ism convention contest fairly Tough,
l---=-------- -