Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-03-01
ssLF GOVERN sFNT.

SELF GOVERN sFET.
Some Facts and Presidents for ike
Week Mnesd-Dakota'e Efghs TO knau-
game ktatsheed-Dsdfca.ed TO the
Sioux Falls Fregs.
To the Press and Dakotoian: In o
recent article in your paper you took
occasion TO urge the propriety and
necessity of the people of Dakota-in
case tho present congress did nothing to
advance the cause OF division and state
hood in conformity to the expressed viii
and wish of the people-taking the mat
ter into their own hands and eleeting g
Legislature shnt would prepare the wey
for putting in operation a state govern
ment for south Dakota. This PROPOSE
sion meets the hearty appreciation of
every true friend of diviIion and state
hood. and il, through the lnaotion OF
congress, this alternative is forced upon
the free people of Dakota-thst they
must either remain in territ ;rial vassal-
age for still an indefinite period, or rise
up in their manhood and assert their
i~nalienable right to self government as
American citizens, yon will find that
the spirit of hi ancestors, who refused
to submit to taxation without represen-
tation, is not yet entirely extinct, and
that the people will unite manfully in q
determined effort to secure the benefits
Of state government on the Michigan
plan. There will be no other course
left for the people to adopt. They
must either continue to submit to dis
franchIsement-so being taxed
to MAINTAIN a government in
which they have no voice, or else
they must meet the Issue fenrlessly,
wipe out this territorial sham monstros-
ity and insugurate q gov.
eminent of the people, by the
people and Tor the people. But there
are some timid, time serving, weak
kneed, bringing sycophants among the
people of Dakota--happily scarce / am
glad to ssy-whe s~tartle, and hesitate
with fear and trembling, lest such action
on the part OF an outraged people would
be revolution. and bring on o conflict OF
authority with the general government.
Among this class / regret to notice is
Editor Caldwell, of the Sioux Falls
Press, who challenges the production of
a single precedent by you for such 3
step as yon ha7s suggested for the in
auRuration OF a state government, and
in the same breath hastens to deny that
"the cases of Tennessee. California,
Michigan and Others" are any precedent
for the proposed action on the part OF
this people. Gal Is evidently not a care
full reader OF history, or else he would
not add the stigma OF Ignorance to that
of q bringing. trucking, political cow
ard which the position he assumes calls
down upon him.
The state government OF Michigan was
organized and IN active operation for
nearly or quite two years before the
atats sss admitted into tho union, and
the territorial government thereby forced
out of existence. Laws were passed by
the state legislature, and recognized and
obeyed by the people before the state
came into the union, and these laws, or
some of them, were afterwards sustained
by the highest courts, as valid and Of
binding force and effect. Yet Gal says
this Is no precedent! But what is the
use of reciting presidents to q man who
iaso stupid, or blind or wilfully perveorse
as to deny that these facts in the Mich.
gan case are precedents for the people
OF Dakota to go forward under like man.
ly men, conscious Of their rights and
brave enough to enforce them, and do
precisely as tue people OF Michigan did?
Talk about .the destruction Of o COM
monwsalthl" What is q commonwealth
but a state? Think of Louis x. Church
as governor of the Commonwealth" of
Dakoss-of our federal judges n their
dual positions, as serving the people Of
this commonwealth! All these officers
hold their positions against the wish and
in spite of the will OF the people.
What q rascally, revolutionary piece OF
business il would be indeed for the peo-
pie of Dakota, In their capacity as sovsr.
eigna Of this Commonwealth" to de-
stEoy this relic of colonial monstrosity-
of taxation without representation
this territorial eyranny, misnaemed gov
ernment-snd inaugurasa a government
of the people and for the people-a
state. Out upon such q %perfidious i,
cowardly doctrine as that which would
bind q free people in perpetual abnega-
ton OF self government, rather than to
uphold and maintain them in asserting
their legal rights, IN o lawful way, as
established by numerous psecedsnts.
When the English parliament passed
she obnoxious sugar act" in 1894, the
Massachusetts, house of representatives
declared that "if we are taxed and not
represented, We are slaves" and yet that
heroic spirit Of liberty and Justice which
actuated our forefathers in their strug.
gle against tyranny End oppression, and
eliminated in the declaration of indie
pendence and the erection Of this free
and independent OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES to
have SO far died out / n the
hearts OF sore of their decen-
Il 1N- 49,