St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-10-16
DIVISION SENTIMENT.
a Globe Correspondent Shows That Many
Dakotians Desire Division Before
Admission.
Democrats, He Says, Are Willing to Sub
nit the Matter to Vote of
the People,
But Most of Them Relieve the Great
Territory should Be Cut
in Twain.
History of Republican Opposition to
Admission From Purely
selfish Motives.
History Of Division Agstatioa.

bur feel that but one side of the division
matter has been given. The question has
been of absorbing interest since 1871, when
it was tirst introduced by Hon. Alex.
Ramsey in the senate. In 1879 Hon. NJ.
X. Armstrong. Democrat was elected to
congress from Dakota, and the strongest
possible arguments were brought 10 bear
by him for the division Of the territory,
and Inc bill would then have passed
both houses OF congress but for the
opposition of Republican members from
New England who jealous OF the growing
power Of the West. dreaded to see the foun-
datOn laid for another Western state. In
1875 the bill introduced by Judge Kidder
passed the house and would have passed the
senate but for a woman's suffrage amend
ment tackled on by Senator Sergeant, who,
to please some old hens in his state. intro
trOduced the amendment in order to gain
an opportunity to make a speech on the
question. The amendment was adopted
and the bill was killed because of it
killed by Republican votes. 1t was again
introduced i'm 1877 and was killed by Sem
atOr Saunders, who reported bill for diyi-
sion on the Missouri river creating the
territory of Lincoln from the western part
Of Dakota. taking in the Black Hills and a
part of Wyoming and Montana. The bill
introduced in 1879 passed the senate, but
was slaughtered in the house, to be revived
in 1891, the principal opponents during all
OF these years
BEING REPUBLICANS.
In 1882 there was a general movement
made throughout the territory in both the
North and the South. to secure the desired
result In the North conventions were
held in every county. and delegates were
elected to a convention held al Fargo,
which elected twenty-five delegates to so
TO Washington TO labor for division. They
chartered a palace Car and went to Wash
ingtOn. and were i'll fair way to secure
the much desired result. when Judge
Moody nut in an appearance with a
large delegation from Southern Da-
kOta. The Northern delegates had
rented a room on T street, and had gone to
work Systematically to gather statistics to
lay before the proper committees. The two
delegations met in conference and Delegate
PettigreW stated that, in his opinion, if all
~.c-i-d together for division thar could be
ACCOMPLISHED but the admission OF the
Southern part could not be gained at that
session. Moody said If that was true their
visit to Washington was in vain. He took
his hat ana left the room, followed by most
of his delegates. j. c. Burrows was
then chairman of the house committee
on territories He was ambitious to make
a record in congress and be the father of a
fUll-hedged state. Moody secured his ear,
and the game of division was blocked, I'M
less it carried with it the admission of the
southern half as a state. Gov. OTdWay and
his officers-in fact all of the territorial
Officers-were to be delegated to the North,
while the South was to step in as a state.
question was finally reached. two weeks
BEFORE THE CLOSE
of that congress, a bill for straight division
having been finally reported, Mr.. Randall
demanded to know if the gentleman from
Michigan would pledge his word of honor
that the bill would not be so amended in
the senate as to admit South Dakota. say
ing that the Democrats had not yet forgot
ten Colorado. Mr.. BarrOwS refused to
make the pledge desired for the reason that
enough Democrats, including Holman, Of
Indiana were pledged to division to give
them the necessary tw0thiTdS to call up
and pass the bill But the night before
the Democrats had held a caucus
and it was agreed that the bill
should not be passed unless such a pledge
was given BaRH0pgS refused to make the
pledge and the motion to suspend the rules
and take UD the bill was lost and the
scheme for division was defeated through
the work Of It's pretended friends. Repub-
Iican senators. notably Hale. who was in
terested in Yanktom county bonds, were
leading opponents of the Dakota bill. Hale
was determined that no action should be
had that would tend to relieve Dakota until
his clients, the 6anktOn county bOndhold-
ers. were protected. Gov. Ordway was in
on6 1lodH- 70 ict
in securing division. but he was ignored
and abused by PettigreW and members of
the delegation from the South. and Judge
Barnes and others of the North refused to
extend him even the courtesy of a call
Ordway smiled and headed them Off through
Hale and other good Republicans, who
cared more for securing contingent fee in
cOnecton with the YanktOH county bonds,
than they did for promoting the interests
of down trodden Dakota, or for laying the
foundation for
AS0THER WESTERN STATE,
even if that state was certain to be Repub-
lean. Up to that time there was no divi-
sion in sentiment in Dakota in relation to
division. Col. Thompson, that grand old
Democrat of Bismarck, who thirty-tive
years before had been a Democratic mem
Der of congress from Iowa, almost wept
when division was defeated. He published
columns of argument aud appeal in the
Washington Post in favor of division, and
his name will be found attached to the
North Dakota pamphlet setting forth the
reasons why the territory should be
divided. Republican and Democratic
conventions without exception for years
had asked it. The Legislature had passed
memorials urging it, and in the whole terri
tory scarcely a vOiPp was IiTf1d atra5rct If
The insane asylum at Yankton had been
duplicated at Jamestown: the penitentiary
at Sioux Falls had been duplicated at Bis
marck; the university at Vermilllon had
been duplicated at Grand Forks; and bill
had been passed locating an agricultural col
lege in the North as well as in the
South: everything had been done
that could be done by the
legislature TO pave the way for division.
About this time the capital matter came up,
and then bad blood. which had been &C
cumulatng. was thoroughly stirred up and
in the next congress. the idea of submitting
the question to a vote Of the people of the
territory was worked up. and measure
providing for a constitutional convention
upon that plan was presented. Thompson,
Steele and other old advocates from the
North
FOR DIVISION
then went to Washington and antagoniZed
division by posting this measure. This led
to the attempt to remove the capital from
Bismarck, and to the determined fight for
division in both the Democratic and Repub-
Ican conventions recently held in the terri
tory. To head that off the Bismarck crowd
completely surrendered. and the memorial
of 1885 for division, which is the ablest
presentation of the case ever made, was the
work of one of their number. They went on
the streets with petition to the Legislature
asking for its passage. Democrats and Re-
publicans alike signed it, and commit
tee of leading citizens offered all
sorts of evidence to prove that