Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-02-14

Ai1fS o6a Nv
occurred in o state OF medium size than
can possibly be realised in SO large, I'M
wieldly, aud poplions q state az Dakota
The best possible data that can
lures shows that small and me
managed per capita than large ones.
This has not been matter with Of Of
the mere isolation of the people OF the
two sections OF the territory from each
other. The foundation OF our whole pc
litical structure has been Ind with q
view of DIVISION, because We realiBs the
act that it is more for coming genera
irons than for ourselves that states are
built, end, / verify believe, whatever
may be the fate of the division move
mept in Dakota, posterity will insist as
the reenlt CT ssd experience, and when
too late 10 be rsmedied, that sound goy-
ernment IN q state OF moderate size is
far better than glory and lavish expep.
ditnre in a state OF great area 1t may
well be said that except in matters which
are necessarily compulsory through one
legislature, end traumeled by acts of
congress, north and south Dakota are
quite distinct. in regard to the Aber
deem convention recently held, it is en-.
titled to the consideration which might
be given to the opinions Of like num-
Der of people who may assemble any
where at any time from nelghboring
towns, with a few from distant parts oil
the territory, and to no more c%onsidera-
tsoD. The original call for the oonysn-
ticn Was an anonymous call, not signed
by anybody, OF, herhaps, by one person
who purported to aet as secretary oil
something. | will say in regard to thia
convention, no doubt 1T was coAnposed
of respectable people, and no doubt the
opinions of those respectable people are
entitled to weight, but ask this com
mittee IN ell seriousness, if it is strange,
jogging from these proceedings, looking
as them carefully, that the 995 delegates
provided for in that call dwindled
down to, / think, 270 who personally
attended that convention, and the mum
Der OF delegates who were selected to
present this memorial to the house has
dwindled down to one.
1 have here q telegram from q yerJ
strong dlvisiopi5t in the territory. !
have no authority to dIyulge his name
|"The call was for 995 delegates. Actually
present, 270; $50 proxies were voted
365 failed to turn up either by actua
delegates or proxies l may say fur.
tner in regard TO this matter as TO th.
attendance. These delegates were gen
orally selected by mass meeting county
conventions. Well. now, I have received
information from ali over the territory
l will not lumber up the records of th,
committee by presenting them-thst tn,
number of citizens who actually attend
ed these county conventions would no
aggregate q greater number than ia in
cluded In the number of delegates in th
call of the convention. Counting ever,
man, woman and child who attended tn,
severkl county conventions in the ter
not exceed that of the delegate
further in regard to the desires of tn
people OF that territory for division, tina
each political party NJ to h leg. der.
%ocratio conyention held in the t~srritor.
in 1885, placed itself squsrely on recor,
in favor of division so far as there wer,
any expression at ell. In 1884 the demo.
cratic convention which assembled a
Sioux Falls stated 'Ihat We favor thu
division of the territory on the seventh
standard parallel" This was in th,
platform OF the democratic party of tn,
territory in 1884. AT the last democrati,
convention that was held q very strong
appeal was made that this proposition
of division might be submitted to q vot
of the people of the territory nigh
add, cub rosa perhaps, that the nominee
OF that convention was an intense divi-
siobist, and it was so understood at the
time he was nominated. Now, in regard
to the vote OF last fall, it can all be ex
planned in a few words, that is, the ex
PLANTATION for the small vote that wa
cast and small majority given. Here i
a clipping from on entl-division paper
which was published Jan. Is, 1888: 9Th
Truth is, there ere many who want state
hood the quickest way possible-mog
anxious for statehood than for division
Undoubtedly the majority of the peopl
OF the territory desire division, but onl
0 minority favor division or nothing
Let us have statehood in some form Q
onoe.o That expresses IN q nutshell th
true condition of affairs in north d.
kots. These people In north Da
kota who cast o majority vote agains
the proposition for division unde,
stood that they could not possibly &c
ouro admission exeept-as admission as
whole. They had understood that i
many cases for some time, but il the
understood to day they could secure ad
mission speedily with division the
would hail it with delight and by a val
majority. They understood well th
opposition and impedImentB in trying {
secure admission as q state, and thoe
people in north Dakota had become 4
dlsgusted aud tired of q territorial foll
of government that they voted sgains
division because they thought this VIC
the only sure way into the union speed
lily.
IL is proper for me also to say a vor
in reference to the bill introduced b
MIR. Springer, the chairman of the com
mittee. In the present. condition OF thl
question / not only place il upon th
ground that the bill does not provid
for the division of the territory. but b,
cause / think it contains unusual an
unjust provisions never before inoorpo
sted liz an enabling act, and also beeaus
it contains no provision whatever fe
the admission of Dakota, eve
il We were to comply with the conditao
OF the act. Regarding Its details, OF
people want no minority representation
they have once at leas. voted the pro
position down by q popular vote. The
do not want, under any circumstances
to have the convention. which frames th
organic law of the future state to intel
fere and intermeddle with county sea,
or county limos. They at least want th
privilege also OF making their own Con
gressional district in the FIRST instance
And il admission as o whole is force
upoR us we ought In justice TO be ad