, 1888-04-11
IN THE SENATE.
Petition FavOring the Preserv-
alton of Yellowstone Park.
Plumb Discusses>the Admission
of Dakota.
He is Opposed to the Dismem
berment of That Territory.
Congressional.

Congressional.
WASHINGTON, April 1O.-In the senate
to-day Plumb, presenting a petition in
favor of the bill to preserve Yellowstone
park, said it was one of the many which
had been sent to him and which were evi.
IDENTIFY circulated from a center and had
personal purposes for their foundation.
Vest said the senator lion Kansas was
mistaken. The bill which had passed the
senate had been drawn by himself, from
his personal knowledge of affairs at the
park, had been reported from the com
mittee on territories of which he was not
a member, to meet a great necessity and
had no personal object.
Dawes askel Plumb whether he pro-
posed to have Yellowstone park surren-
dered. If not, did he propose to adopt
measures for its preservation. He was
in favor of its preservation and was there
fore in favor of all proper means and
measures to secure its preservation.
Plumb replied that he was in favor of
preserving the park.
The senate then resumed consider ition
of the bill to permit the sale to aliens of
mineral lands, the question being on the
amendment offered by Faulkner requiring
a majority of stockholders. trustees or
directors of a mining company to be citi-
zens of the United States. The amend
ment was rejected-yeas 20, nays 81.
After further discussion the bill was
passed-yeas 81, nays Is.
Itreads as follows: That the act entitled
an act to restrict the owners of real estate
in the territories to American citizens, y
ETC., approved March 3, 1887. shall not
relate to or in any way or affect
the title to mineral lands or mining
claims in the territories of the United
States which may be acquired or had I'M
der the mineral land laws of the United
States nor to mills or other reduction
works or property used in the produc-
ton of metals from said mineral lands
or claims, but as to all such mineral lands,
mining claims, mills, reduction works and
other property, the laws of the United
States and territories shall be, until
changed by act Of congress, or an act of
the territorial legislature, the same as
though said act had not been passed.
The senate then resumed consideration of
unfinished business" being the bill to
provide Tor admission as a state of South
Dakota and the organization of the terri
tory of North Dakota.
Butler hoped that the present territory
of Dakota would not be dismembered.
The question of the admission of %territor
les was entirely within the discretion of
congress. If any other doctrine should
prevail why should not the territory of
Utah be admitted as a state ? Or what
was to prevent LOG, 900 socialists, anarch-
ists, nihilists and communists taking
refuge IN some corner of a territory and
proceeding to frame a constitution
--I -N-k-
to be admitted as a state? The bill of the
minority, he said, proposed to authorize
the people Of that territory to meet in
convention, frame a constitution and state
government and submit them to congress
and tupon their ratification by congress)
to declare Dakota a state of the Union.
The majority bill, on the other hand, pro
posed to ratify and confirm the so:called
constitution adopted in South Dakota two
and one-half years ago and to seat as
United States senators two gentlemen,
Republicans, who claimed to have been
then elected.
Would the senate consent to seat full
tledged senators equal to those who repre-
sented the sovereign states, two men who
simply represented 10000 voters out of
los, 900 votes? That was the proposition.
He referred to one of the gentlemen seek
ing seats as senators from Dakota (Mr.
Edgerton), as one whom he had spoken
of courteously in the last congress-, but
who In a recent speech in Dakota had
alluded to him in an offensive manner.
Drawing a parelled base on a Southern
man who learned nothing, forgot nothing
and resorted to the bowie knife and re-
volver, and a Dakota man whose weapons
were the bible and spelling book (said
Mr.. Butler, after reading this extract
from Mr.. Edgerton's speech) is the Ian
guage of the man to whom | extended
the courtesies Of expressing kindly feel
ings when he was attempting to get
a seat on this floor. He is entitled to
all credit and all honor and all eclat
and prestige which that character of
language can give him, But [ may he
permitted to say that if | had to select
either as companions or citizens of this
great country the stalking bandit, the
reckless highwayman, with his pistol and
bowie knife in hand, or a sneaking
hypocrit, a s%narling pharisee who falls
in the rear and takes cover under the
shadow of his own meanness and malig-
nifty. | would select the former.
If the spelling book and the bible incul-
cate such education as that, such malig-
nifty, such unfairness, such injustice, such
falsehood, NAV God have mercy upon the
bible and spelling book which hat man
carries with him.
Without any action on tho bill the
senate proceeded to executive business
and when the doors were rcopened ad-
journcd.
nHn rI.nn~NDg XITfp