The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-12
THE TERRITORY OF DAKOTA.
Senator Harrison's Report on the Bill
Providing for Its Admission.
A Concise History of the Movement for State
hood-A Number of Precedents Which
Are Applicable in the Present Case.
Special to the indianapolis Journal

w ASHiNGTON, Jan. l1.-SenaCor harrison re-
ported from the committee on Territories. to-day.
new bill providing for the admission of the
Territory of Dakota into the Union, and for the
organization of the Territory of North Dakota.
Accompanying the bill is a lengthy report pre-
pared by Senator Harrison, who has made close
study Of the subject The main proposition of
the BILL the report states is that the proceedings
taken by the people of that psrt of the present
Territory of Dakota lying south of the Forty
sixth parallel or north latitude. which resulted
in the adoption of State Constitution by pop
ular vote, on Nov. 8, 1885, shall be accepted and
ratified by Congress, and the State of Dakota be
admitted to the Union upon an equal footing
with the other States.
The history of the movement for statehood in
Dakota is rected by the report, showing that
everything had been conducted in order and
with propriety, going so far as to receive all the
authority the legislature of that Territory had
and its full legal sanction. The report concludes
that the Legislature had authority to authorize
an election of delegates to constitutional con-
vention, and calls attention to the fact that Iowa.
Michigan and Oregon proceeded in the same
manner. The official returns at the elections
selecting delegates to the convention and ratify-
ing the Constitution accompany the report.
Senator Harrison says that it is clear
that an overwhelming majority of the people of
South Dakota approve the Constitution. and de-
sire present admission into the Union of
States under it. The Constitution framed by
Dakota is declared to be republican in form and
spirit, and gives full recognition to the suprem-
acy of the Constitution and laws of the
United States establishes absolute
ligious liberation. throws about the
life and assets of tho citizen a safe
guard of the law. and provides in the most lib
eral way for q permanent system of public
schools. The Constitution was framed by the
people who are to live under it in the exercise of
the American principle of popular government
1t meets their wishes and, the report believes,
their wants.
'It is not the province of Congress-" states
Senator Harrison in the report, Ito frame con-
situations for the new States. In some cases
Congress has authorized the President to an
nounce by proclamation the admission of State
if he found the Constitution adopted to be repub-
lican in form and to contain certain articles of
compact stipulated in the enabling act. IL such
cases, of course, the State Constitution was
never laid before Congress-
las early as January, 1871, a memorial was
unanimously adopted by the Territory and Leg
islature praying Congress to divide Dakota from
the forty sixth parallel and to organize two terri
torial governments for the people. The political
conventions of both of the great political parties
have repeatedly declared in favor of division, and
some of them in favor of the admission of the
south half as State The newspaper press of
the Territory has very generally voiced the same
desire. Democrats as we'll as Republicans
have taken part in all of the movements of the
people to which we have referred"
A comprehensive abstract Of the several
reaties of the United States, by which cessions
territory have been acquired and some Ter
rtories admitted to the Union, is given In the
report showing the legal right of Dakota for ad-
mission into the Union. Then follows long
line of presidents, forming very formidable
line of argument The Southern Democrats in
the Senate, who have so bitterly opposed the
division of Dakota, and admission Of half of it
to statehood. are reminded by the report that
their States were admitted, in every instance,
with less claims and in less legal way than
Dakota has, and it is proposed that she shall
come into the Union. The argument,
so far as law and precedent are
concerned. is very exhaustive. The opin-
ions of Presidents, from Washington down
to late years, bearing on the subject of admitting
Territories to statehood are quoted. all furnish
ing the strongest proofs in behalf of Dakota
Henry Clay, during the course of report made
from the compromise committee of thirteen in
relation to the admission of California said:
There are various instances prior to the case of
California of the admission of new States into
the Union without any previous authorization
by Congress. The sole condition required by
the Constitution of the United States in respect
to the admission of State is that its Con
stituton shall be republican in form"
The Territories which have been admitted to
the Union of States during the past decade or
two. it is observed. were admitted by prelm-
mary action almost identical with that already
taken by Dakota. When Oregon was admitted
into the Union, on Feb. IA, 1849 there was quite
protracted debate in the House upon the bill.
The debate however, turned chiefly upon the
question of population There seemed to be no
other point at issue. 1t was conceded on both
sides that the possession of a population equal to
the ratio of representation in the House of Rep
reseutatives was all that could be demanded of
a Territory applying for admission. Under the
ordinance of 1887. only 60. 600 inhabitants could
be insisted upon as requisite for the
admission of State, and those who combated
the proposition to admit Territories twenty or
thirty years ago simply insisted that there should
be the unit of population, which was SO 420, to
entitle Territory to representation in Congress
Now, congressional representation in the States
is based upon representative for every Isl, oil
inhabitants, under the census of 1880
But we do not need to insist upon that, how
ever in the case of Dakota" states the report
referring to population. Where larger popu-
lation has been insisted upon in argument by
the opponents of the admission of a new State
the have not gone further than to claim
that the Territory should have
population equal to the unit of representation in
the House of Representatives. In fact, three
States. Florida. Oregon and Nevada, ad-
mitted when their population was less than the
existing ratio of representation. In the case of
Kansas. Congress in terms declared. in view of
the contingency of the question of the rejection
of the Lecompton Constitution that in that
IL oec