Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1888-06-02
TERRITORIAL
Delegate Clifford has Something
co Saw on the Subject.

Delegate Clifford has Something
20 Say on the Subject.
In the house on the 25th ult., consider
alton being upon the appropriation bill,
Mr.. Butterworth yielded twenty min
utes of his time to Delegate Clifford, who
spoke az follows:
Mr.. Chairman, I desire to call the at
.tention Of the committee and of some
other people to that portion of the bill
which appropriatcs money to support
the Territorial government of Dakota.
The amount carried in the bill Is 10000.
in round numbers, and some people
labor under the impression that this
the expenses Of our Territorial govern
ment, aud I wish; as far a. possible, to
remove that impression.
The necessary expenses of the terri
torial government Of Dakota for the year
1855 will aggregate $500. 900, and OF this
amount the people of the territory pay
out Of their " pockets DYE $55O,00O.
purpose is largely in excess of the
necessary amount for other years, owing
to u session of oar legislature, which
will convene in January next. Our
legislature meets biennially. The aver
age amount appropriated by the general
government fol- this purpose is about
$35, 600. The people Of Dakota pay the
sum Of about $55O.O0O for the support Of
the territorial government; also pay into
the United States Treasury annually
over one hundred thousand, the pro-
ceeds OF internal-revenue taxation, and
pay to federal territorial officials, in the
way OF fees, salaries, etc., about $50 0
per annum. In addition to all these we
pay annually about $2,60O,OOO for the
support of u common schools. The
governor of our territory, all of our
the courts in the territory, and the gov
error appoints nearly one hundred off,
Gals. Among these are those who dis
burse every dollar of the money our
people pay towards the support of their
territorial government. Not an officer
of their selection handles Il dollar of the
territorial funds. The governor appoints
those who make contracts for the sup
port, enlargement, or construction OF all
public institutions, and every cent OF
the territorial money that u people
pay goes through the hands of appoint
ees of the governor.
True to the principles OF the Dsms-
cratic platform, III present governor
was appointed from New York. I
might add that ut least two-thirds Of
these officials would not be in office to-
unS uAU III pCOfAo WIG AS&AG 00IOCtAOAs
If the expense Of carrying the transcon-
tinental mail over the Northern Pacific
and Manitoba lines Of railway was o
charged to our postal expenditures, the
mail service Of the territory would pay
an excess. of nearly $4,000 Q and
above its cost. Tho average annual ap-
preparation by the general government
Of about $4,000 is . spoonful of, sugar
thrown to GOO, 600 people to compensate
them for the miserable, carpet-bag,
territorial government that ia imposed
upon them.
The amount carried in this hill should
be largely increased or stricken ont alto
gether. So far as the wishes Of the peO-
Pile of Dakota are concerned, they would
much rather it would be stricken
than that it should be presented as an
excuse for denying us self-goyernlnent
and home rule. If the government
wo lid remit to us the amount that we
pay annually into the United States
treasury VIC would c%heerfully assume
the responsibility of our territorial gov
eminent. The idea that this mere pre-
tense should be made of supporting our
territorial government Is simply ridicu-
lOus
We hayc in Dakota in fiourishing con-
dition two universities, two insane asy-
lums three normal schools, an agricul-
tural college, q SHOOT of mines, and I
might add for the benefit of those who
violate the law, two strong penitentiar-
les. We have placed u common-school