Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-01-20
Aasly Press val 9akotRiaa
CHARGED AGAINST cHUscs.

a Rcathiog ssrapgeuf ans CT she Carpet
B#gger FROM New york; Facts aha
Eigurcs Relative TO His Imbecil. ad-
m~inistratt0n
Governor Pierce in the st. Paul Pho.
neer Prees: Ia q fair, courteous and
truthful way the Pioneer pless he's
pointed ont from time I time the abuses
| of the territorial sdminIBtsstien,
IL is the duty OF q newspaper devoted
to the interests of the people TO eDlieht-
on that people regarding public affairs
and condemn practices which rebound to
their disadvantage. They are entitled
to o candid presentation of the facts, and
no oanons of good taste or political
courtesy are violated in such q discns-
sion. Does the st. Paul Globe hope to
deter us from that duty by it's vulgar
abuse and continued distortion of facts ?
Does il hope to cover up the reckless, if
not criminal, mlsmansgement of terri
torial sffairs by it's malignant pursuit of
q former official of the territory? If SO,
we give it fair notice now that this can
not be done. While we hope never to
descend to the methods adopted by that
sheet, we shall continue in our own way
to discuss the public atfairs OF the terri
torial administration without fear on the
one hand or unfairness on the other.
What we have said in the miIdest possi-
BILE form against Gov. Church and his
administration is 80 notorious IN this
territory Oh to scarcely require repesi-
tion ;the facts are practically known of ell
men. The course OF the Globe induces
US, however, to mention again a few of
the abuses that began early and have
continued without intermIssion, end to
suggest them o little more emphatically
than heretofore. We specify as follows:
FIrst-His unseemly course in relation
to his W pay.
Hardly had Gov. Church taken his
seat when he began the work of ,ncreas-
ing his own compensation. This was
done by charging SIS for eonanlssions to
notarles public, which doubled the
salary allowed by congress-.
The act was @ plain and pslpable
violation OF the organic law which do
olsres that "no law of any territorial
Legislature shall be made or enforced by
which the governor or secretary of a
territory are paid any compensation
other than that provided by the laws of
the United States"
That this provision is intended to
cover fees 10 plainly evidenced by the
fact that q provision follows allowing
the secretary (but not the, governor) to
be paid fees in certain cases.
The bill from which the governor
draws his three or four Thousand o year
was originally framed for the benefit oil
the secretary who does the work. Gov
Church insisted upon a division OF the
spoils, and it was not until this was
granted that he consented to approve
che bill. When his course was criticised
he canae forward with q statement that
he lad merely done what had been done
before, and that this money was to be
paid for clerk hire. This was q bold
attempt to deceive and was NOT true
The legislature OF 1886 allowed the
auditor to furnish the governor ~clerica
help at q cost not to exceed $500. The
Legislature of 1887 increased this amour,
for the benefit OF Governor Church &c
ST., 1000 per snnum. The revenue from
com missions is in addition To th.a *
ihut Governor Church not only receives
double the allowance for clerk hire al
lowed to his predecessor, but three oil
four Thousand dollars additional from
his tax OF commissions.
We say that this greed wss unseemly
ii was shameful, and, worat OF all, il was
g violation OF law on the part of one
who had sworn to uphold it, and whose
first duty it was to afford an example
OF obedience and respect to statutes oi
the land.
But this il not ell. The organic Law
declares that the governor shall commits
sion all officers who are appointed under
the laws OF the territory, and yet Gov.
ernor Church has carried his notious oil
Q "tarIf for revenue only" TO such q
point that he has actually insisted upon
the trustees of benevolent, educationa
and charitable institutions deposlting 81
each before their commissions are issued
to them. IL they refuse to pay he re-
fuses TO issue the commission, notwith-
standing the law of congress which de,
clares that he eshall" thus commission
them.
Was such a thing ever before at
tempted IN Inc territory? Never. Doel
the Globe and Mr.. Baker propose t.
silence criticism IN such q course? The,
cannot do it.
Second-Using his position to intimi
date members OF the legislature,
This was done repeatedly by aoy
Church. 1t 10 almost incredible, but II
numerous cases the governor Of the ter.
ritory threatened the Legislature witt
the vetoes OF certain bills if certain othe
things we're not done, and actually sen
for members and bsrgsined for the pas
sage of laws. Was this done ignorantly
We do not know. We only know IL wa
done to the shame OF Dakota Legislation
and in absolute violation of the statute
Read the Inv:
Every person who willtully compels O
attempts to compel either OF the tw'
houses composing the legislature +
pass, amend or reject any bill or resolu
tion, or TO perform or omit to perforr
any other official aot, is punishable b,
: imprisonment in-the territorial priso
not less than FIVE nor more than te
!. years, or by o fine of not less than $50
nor more than $4,000, OF both.
We say these facts seem almost II
. credible; they do, but they are we
known to almest every member OF th
Legislature and scores of Others preser
during the session Of the legislature {
'S7. In their anxiety to secure certai
Legislation, members yielded and above
the enactment OF measures which the
Judgment condemned. In certain cast
he refused u approve bills providin
, for the purchase OF supplies or the 9.
penditure OF money unless his name WI
inserted as the agent to expendthe fund
Tt was go with o bill providing for th
purchase of law books for the publ
Library. The anne OF q OF the iudg
OF the supreme court was inserted as ti
person authorized to make the purchas