New-York tribune., 1888-04-12
MR.. DAVIS SPEAKS For DAKOTA.
VEST AND BUTLER INTERRUPT IN VAIN.
THE YOUNG SENATOR FROM MINNESOTA MAKES
HIS FIRST GET SPEECH.
FAY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUNE1

fRY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUSEI
WASHINGTON, April ll.-Mr. Davis Of Mime
sofa, is one Of the young members OF the Senate
He came here with the reputation of being fine
speaker, sound lawyer, and ready debater. To-
day he had an opportunity Of making his first
set speech, and he did not disappoint his audience
in any of those qualities which had been claimed
in his behalf by his friends. He spoke on the bill
providing for the admission of the Territory OF
Dakota. 1t was q clear, concise, unanswerable
argument, delivered in that earnest and emphatic
manner which carries with it conviction and leaves
O lasting impression upon the listener. AT first
Mr. Davis spoke from notes but these he discarded
as soon as Messrs. Vest and Butler sought to draw
him into cross fire of irrelevant questions, so as
to disconcert him and to break the force of his
argument They had attacked the wrong man.
however, il they thought to confuse Mr.; Davis in
that manner. In q very short time the Minnesota
Senator succeeded in completely routing his ad-
versaries and after that they left him severely
alone. Mr.. Davis's speech or argument did not
suffer in the least by these Interruptions On the
contrary II only served in fully bringing out his
fine qualities q ready debater. Upon conclud-
ing Mr.. Davis received the congratulations OF all
Republicans present.
Mr. Davis spoke Of the question involved In the
admission Of new State as one OF the most I'M
portant that could come before the Senate Ihe
rights of the great Northern commonwealth oil
Dakota had been, he said. denied for years Tor
manding rights which could not be refused them
with decent pausbllty-rights to which they
were entitled under the Louisiana Purchase Treaty
and under the principles Of the ordinances OF
1887. The present Territory of Dakota had In
turn formed part of the Territories of Michigan,
Missouri, Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota, and
was now entitled to insist on its admission as
State until the moral sense OF the American peo-
pie became convinced that in this case treaties
had been violated, comRacts set at 9aught ana
Carolina Butler was of the opinion that the
admission of State was purely within the dis
cretion of Congress; lie Davis denied that prop;
osition. He denied it from the light Of law, and
he denied it lin all its length and breadthj from
the light of history. .
Mr. Vest inquired whether MIR. Dayis,S prop
Qstion was that Congress was excluded from It's
discretion in regard to the admission of q Ter
ritory AS State, provided it had the requisite
population.
Mr.. Dsus-whenever a Territory has the requisite
population and the other requisites.
Mr.. vest-whst other reQuisitesf
M Davts-A republican form OF government; people
having the qualifications OF virtue integrity and patriot
ism. And, although Congress has the power to deny
admission under such circumstances cannot 90 30 IN
the rghul exercise Its discretion. That power mas
been exercised and cruelty exercised in the case OF
Dakota but that 1t has been done In the rghui exercise
Of discretion do most sincerely deny.
As to the claim Of the Senator from Soutn caro-
lima that there great opposition In Dakota 10
the bill, he DAVIS asked why, IL uat were Ine
case no petitions Of dissent had come 10 the Senate
had read resolutions of Democratic Convention
in Dakota in favor of the division OF the Territory
and of the admission of the southern bali as a
State. As TO the proceedings Of the Aberdeen Con
vention In December, 1os7-which Mr. Butler had
referred to as proof Of the opposition 70 the
division of the Territory he read extracts OF
letter from Mr. Springer chairman OF the Com
njttce on Territories, which he spoke OF as
pronunciamcnto7 and uIase," stating that those
who were waiting for q division OF the Territory
mi abt well postpone the realization OF their hopes
until a more convenient season'-whlch MIR. DAVIS
supposed might refer to time after the heAU
Presidential election. -,
Was it any wonder, he asked, that with such
letter as that read TO the Aberdeen Convention, the
neople who had met here had abandoned the nope
of division, and had made up their mind to take
whatever they could gctp The whole Territory
Contained some 500 900 Inhabitants, OF which
humber about $50, 900 were in Southern Dakota
or the latter 20, 600 were eX Union soldiers VINO
were denied enfranchisement by the country when
they had fouQ Qht 10 save They were to-day, III all
that constituted State more fully equipped than
monv States which were now perSistentv denying
their admission as State. Why should not con.
gross he at least meanly inst in the admission OF
Sonth Dakota WHY DELAY longer that great
not Of National Justice? The question should he
stripped Of all pretence, evasion and sham, ana u
should he Mainly admitted that the commonwealth
NJ South Dnlvota had been denied admission as
State for the sole reason that the party IN power
with the SOLID South, was determined not TO lose
lis political ascendancy.
Mr Tnrnie obtained the floor and the bill was
r;1 fO m