Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-12-25
A MESSAGE BY MELLETTR.
Full Text of the Message to the Assem-
bied Legislature.

Gentlemen Of the Senate and House of Rep
resentatives: have joined your presiding
officers In the notice OF this convocation, no
because Of any counsel OF value which ] ma.
impart, bnt for the benefits to be derives
from common deliberations, aided by the gen
lemen of tie constitutional convention, tn
representative friends OF Dakota statehood
gathered about us.
Upon your last adjournment you wer'
hopeful that ere this Dakota would have beer
assigned her proper place In the union o
states. Having done your duty and done /
well, you relied upon The American congress
O do hers, but In that you have been dis
ppointcd.
The committee provided by the twenty
q ixth section Of the ordinance and schedule
TO present the constitution, after ratification
by the people, to the president and congress
of the United States, and to crequest admis
ion OF the state hereunder TO the union Of
tates, consisting OF the governor, your rep
resentatives to congress, the Hons. O.. s. Gif
ord and I. ID. Kanouse, your duly chosen
senators OF the United States the Hons. a. j
Edgerton and Gideon G. Moody, and the Hon
John II. Drake, q duly accredited representa-
We Of the executive committee, during the
month OF January last, faithfully dicharged
their duty by presenting your constitution to
the president Of the United States and the
proper committees Of the house of congress,
and remained during the month of February
o second your request with whatever Of ener-
gy and ability they were possessed. The pres
ideDt received them courteously and patiently,
but he declined to express an opinion or take
action touching the matter until 1t should ap-
proach him for executive action through the
demands of legislation.
The senate committee on territories warmly
espoused your cause, and its chairman, the
Hon. Benjamin Harrison, from Indiana, Is es.
Ipeclally deserving the thanks Of the people OF
the state Of Dakota, having brought his untir
ing energy and %pre-eminent ability and learn
Ing TO your service, by means OF which an
able support of many senator's, distinguished
for ability and patriotism, a bill was passed
by the senate of the United States during the
month OF February admitting the state OF Da-
kOta into the Union, which was transmitted
TO the house of representatives and duly re-
fe!rSd to Its territorial committee, a majority
tuiAG M refused TO sustain your report, and
"a L0cir hands the senate bill still slum5ers,
~, IS doubt ess ex pire with the presentcon-
glpss ou the 4th of March next.
ia the discussion evoked by the passage Of
TIE pIl through the senate the honorable
member from Souti Carolina, in the plenti-
tudc OF nis loyalty to the Union, denounced
your action In creating a state government
without the prior consent OF congress, as un-
warrsnte aud revolutionary ana declared In
his zeal lat congress might lawfully in its
wisdom refuse any additional sattes admis-
sion, and that the senate OF the United States
might find 1t unwise TO permit an increase of
its number and conclude TO perpetuatc tGa
condition of the people OF the present terri
tories as ~vassals. | cannot, believe, however,
that these views are seriously entertained by
any goodly number Of the political compeers
of this gentleman OF distinguished loyalty
from a distinguished loyal state, and hence do
not require serious consideration here, but
they were to me utterances of great portent,
coming from the senate chamber OF the Uni
ted States.
Upon no occasion did there reach the ears
0f your committee any criticism or objection
TO your constitution, the wisdom and broad
statesmanship OF which was everywhere con
cedcd. Your committee, however, found a de-
termined resistance to the admission of Da-
kota on the part OF the dominant political
party of the nation, based upon solely parti-
san reasons. The same objection more inten-
sifed exists to her division and admission.
Partisan considerations did not, and do not,
enter into the reasons that exist why the ter
ritory of Dakota should never be formed into
n single state, and the movement for division
and admission was in%augurated and conduct
ed by the united sentiment OF the people re-
CARELESS of party affiliations, but 1t will be af-
ter many long years that her people will
either forswear or pledge their fealty from or
TO any party of policy In order to obtain "A
inst FpppUnitiAn al fhpir rights They are not
anxious To exchange one kind of servitude for
another more degraded. They desire to as
sumo the responsibility of their own local
government intended for their own welfare
and their share of that greater and higher re
spopsibility involved from their new relation
TO the federal union. This they do with a
Just and true conception OF the obligations
assumed, and a patriotic purpose to faithfully
discharge them, without evasion or reserva-
ton, and pledging their fortunes, ana III need
be, their lives, To the perpetuity OF the union.
Notwithstanding our reverses, so great Is
my faith in the almighty force OF the enllght-
ened sentiment OF justice of the age that | can
but hope upon calm deiiberation the popular
house of the national lcgi laJure Will concede
30 your request which 1t concedest to be reason
able, since an unrequlted wrong TO any citi'
zen or lawful political organization OF the
citizens of our country is a blow at the rights
OF every citizen and state. Anything short OF
the reasonable demands Of the people OF the
new state, securing to the people a just repre-
sen tation In the senate of the United States,
can but fail TO be followed by that contentano
Loyalty SO essential to the public well being.
III eongyess I'm its discretion shall divide the
territorial domain OF Dakota on or near the
present boundary line of the state, insuring
us our state in the end, and II this division is
made subject TO the approval by ballot OF the
IY,eople, we viii disclaim the solution of the
gproblem, and will cheerfully accept the new sit
uation. But until this is done we can afford 10
defer statehood, but this must be done and
not promised; until we have action and not
words, let us maintain intact our state gov
m no ruse To divert us of 1t and oppose
1t to any subsequent effort to exercise right Of
statehood within her domain with all vigor
the law gives us by the right OF peerhood and
priority In statehood.
To what extent under the state constitution
you may deem 1t eXpedient ana lawful to ex-
ercise the function OF legislation | leave 1t for
you under your solemn responsibilities to de-
ade. Upon the practical result to be attain
ed there Is practically no variance among 20"
or your constituencies. Upon questions CT
.expedieDcy opinion must ever vary.
Imay, however, urge you 70 take no step
backward 10 the work committed TO Your care.
With each SUGGESTING Encouragement renew
your courage from IN answering faith In the
ultimate triumph OF justice. You have already
sacrificed much, and are ready aud willing 70
sacrifice more. With the exception OF .-e
second constitutional convention, the expen'