St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-03-05
= DAKOTA AS A WHOLE.

=
- DAKOTA AS A WHOLE.
The Committee Adverse to the
Proposition of Division.
The territory of Dakota, organized in
1861, comprises an area of 15O,932 square
miles, or sc, 596, $50 acres. The pOpula-
ton by the census of 1880 was 135, III. a
special census was had in the territory
in 1885, which showed a population of
415.6l0. In 1856 the governor, by the
estimates filed in the executive depart
ments of the territory, estimated the
population at 100000 and in 1887 he eS-
timated the population of the territory
at 56S,477. The total assessment of
property in the territory in 1886
amounted to Si06, 499, $40, and in 1887 to
S157, 0S4 1865. The increase of 1885, as
stated by the governor, over the previous
year, was 90 per centum: of 1886 over
1900, nearly % per centum, and OF 1887
over 1886, 20 per centum. The number
OF acres of land assessed for taxation in
1887 was 24.061, 7S4. The report of the
governor for the year 1887 to the secre-
tary of the interior sets forth in great
detail the resources of the territory in
agricultural productions, i'll mines. stock
raising, etc. There are 5,49l miles of
railroad in the territory, and there are
projected lines in process of construc-
ton which will largely increase the rail-
road facilities. 1t is conceded that in
point Of population, agricultural and
mineral resources, and in all other mat
tiers which constitute a state, Dakota is
FULLY PREPARED FOR ADMISSION
into the Union. In fact, no other terri
tory heretofore organized, having so
great a population and so many agri-
cultural and mineral resources and such
material wealth, has failed of admission
into the Union. This failure is attribut-
able to the fact that all organized efforts
heretofore put forth in the territory
looked to the division of the territory,
and the admission of the southern half
only into the Union as state. A bill
for the purpose OF such division and adj
mission referred to the committee has
been adversely reported back. IF the
people OF the territory" says the report
of the committee. chad directed their
efforts towards admission as whole,
instead of towards the division of the
territory, there can be no doubt that
admission would have taken place sew
eeral years ago. The fact that terri
tory, having so large a population and
SO many resources, still remains i'll a
territorial condition is to be attributed
solely to the course of those
20 ieWHO ADVOCATED DIVISION
of the territory. There are in Dakota
large Indian reservations, which by the
terms of the bill are excluded from the
jurisdiction of the proposed state. The
Indian reservations and the number of
acres, in each are as follows: Crow
Greek, 203,397: Devils Lake. 230,400;
J Fort Berthold, 2,9i3,000; Lake Traverse,
9lS, $50: Old Winnebago, 416,915; POnca,
$4,000; Turtle Mountain, 5000; Yank-
ton, $50, 405, and the great Sioux reser-
walton. 2l,593, 12S, making total of
25,S47. lis acres. This is more than one
fourth of the entire area OF. the terri
tetg. 1t is provided in the bill that the
sixteenth and thirty-siXth sections i'll
these Indian reservations are not granted
until the Indian titles are eXtinguiShed
and the lands become part OF the pub
lie domain. In view of the fact that
these Indian lands are not open to set
Element, are not subject to taxation,
and remain within the exclusive control
and jurisdiction of the United States,
the area of Dakota upon which the state
government can operate is reduced to
7O.000.000 of acreS-a less area than that
of the state OF Nevada. If, however. at
any time in the future the Indian titles
should become eXtinguished, and the
population should become so great as to
make single state government un-
wieldy, congress may, at the request
and with the consent of such state
PROVIDE FOR IT'S DIVISION
into two or more states. But with the
present population of Dakota, which is
but little over one-third of the average
population of the existing states in the
union. and so large an area comprised
within Indian reservations, and other
large areas sparsely settled. there is no
imperative reason for dividing the terri
tory. There have been heretofore many
potent reasons for dividing Dakota into
two or more states OF territories. These
reasons were the fact that the railroads
which penetrated the territory ran east
and west, on parallel lines. The large
area in the center of the territory was
at that time uninhabited, and the COM
municatiOn between the Northern and
Southern part of the territory was only
overland through vast prairies, or by
rail through Minnesota; but at this time
trail counties of the territory
are now among the most popu-
Ious, and railroads running north and
south have been completed, making the
communication from the northern to the
southern part of the state as easy as
from the eastern to the western part.
If Dakota should be admitted into the
Union as one state, it will be but a few
years until state pride, local interests,
and ito diversified resources will be
such as to demonstrate beyond all per-
adventure the wisdom of single state
hood. The demand for division will
not be insisted upon VIXEN all
questions of the present and
future are carefully considered.
In a large and populous state the ex-
pense per capita of preserving and car
rying on the local and state govern
mcnts will be much less. Taxes will be
prop6rtionately less, and lands proper
.tionately higher and prosperity greater.
The state government will be strong
enough to enforce its own laws and
have sufficient representation in the
popular branch of congress to demand
and receive proper consideration for its
local interests. In view OF these facts
and considerations, your committee are
of the opinion that no greeter wrong
could be done to the inhabitants of that
territory than to provide for its di-
vision.'
NfnNTANA,S PROGRESS