Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-01-22
DAKOTA'S DAY.
Our State Dele? ntiOn Spends an Hour
with tie President and senator
EdGePt0n Delivers an Address

4
with tie President ana senator
EdGert0p Delivers an Address.
Washington, special telegram, Jan
l9-President Cleveland gave very re-.
spectlul,attentlve and consideratiye hear.
ing to the Dakota delegation this after
noon, and listened to their arguments
IN favor of division and admission to
statehood under the provisions of their
delegation was composed OF Senators
Harrison, Edgerton and Moody, Repre-.
sentative kanouse, Gov. Melette, Dele.
gate Clifford and John FL. Drake. MIR
Cleveland gave them over an hour of his
tune, and the whole eabject in every
possible phase of Its bearing, was talked
oyer, and he lett very favorable i'm
preston upon the minds of his guests
Senator Edgerton was the principal
spokesman for his people, and his argu-
ments are worthy of the most careful
perusal OF the citizens of the whole
country, giving, as they do, the most
&C Cmprehenslve and clear statement oi
the cause he and his colleagues repre-.
sent. Senator Edgerton eaid:
We are grateful. Mr.. President, for
an opportunity, in the first place, OF as.
suripg you that our people are not revo.
lutionists; that everything doge by us
has been done IN the most orderly man
ner aud in accordance with established
precedents, and IN the next place, for an
opportunity to lay before you the
reasons which have induced our people
to take the steps they have. The terri
tC:isl legislature, in 1885, passed law,
approved by the governor, providing fol
u constitutional convention for that por.
ton of the territory south of the forty.
sixth parallel. This convention met at
Sioux Falls and prepared constitution
which was ratified by the people by q
majority of over $4,000 votes. While
that convention was in session preparing
the constitution, several questions prose
and were discussed showing the temper
of that body. When the bill OF rights
was under discussion the following
amendment was proposed, taken from
some Older declarations of rights, ana
stlii retained IN some OF the state con-
situations: "Ali political power is in
nerept IN the people aud all iree govern
meut Is founded on their authority and
Is instituted tor their equal protection
and beneht,and they have the rig ht at all
times TO alter reioIm or abolish their
form OF government IN sucn manner
as they may think proper" After u luii
discussion the convention voted down
the amendment and adopted the follow.
ing substltute: "All political power is
inherent in the people, and all tree gov
ernment Is founded on their authority
and 1t is instituted tor their equal pro-
lection and benefit, Laud they have the
right, IN lawful and constitutional
methods, to alter or reform their form
or government In such manner as they
may think proper, and the state of Da.
kota ls an InseparabIe part of the Ameri
can union, and the constitution OF the
United States is the supreme law of the
land And again, after the coustItu.
ton and the schedule had been report.
cd, to avoid the possibility OF miscon.
structlon and the more clearly TO define
the purposes OF the convention, the fol.
lowing section was added: "Sec, 81
Nothing III this constitution or schedule
shall be construed to authorize the iegis
| lature to use any of ite powers except as
60 organization, to elect United Statet
! senators, to provide and pass means ano
measures necessary, preliminary arg
incident to admission, and to assemble
and re-assemble, and to adjourn from
time to time; neither to authorize any
| officer of the executive or administrative
| departments to exercise any power of hi
Office except such as may be preliminary
and incident to the union, nor to author
izs any officer of Judiciary department Il
exercise any of the duties OF his officr
until the state of Dakota shall have beeI
organized and regularly admitted int
the union, except such as may be author
lzed by the congress of the United
States" 1t will take, Mr.. President,
very astute lawyer to detect anything
revolutionary in the proceedings of tha
convention, But it has been said tina
there was no authority for calling tn
constitutional convention; in othe
words, that the law enacted by the ,egis
lature is without authority and conse
queptly void. l will not examine tn
question as to whether the organic ac
passed by congress investing the legisla
ture with the power to "leglslate upol
all rightful subjects of legislation" no
prohibited by that act, gave the terri
torial Legislature the power to provid
by law for constitutional conventIo
or not. THAT'S not necessary for on
present putpose. When stat
ntes are silent, precedents max
the law, While the constitu
tion of the United States provides tina
lcongress shall have the power to admi