The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-05-05
GUNS, PISTOLS AND DIRKs.
Senator Plumb Draws Some Companions
Complimentary to south Dakota.

senator Plumb DRAWS some companions
Complimentary to South Dakota.
In Reply to Senator Vests Speech Against the Ad-
mission Of South Dakota.
Senator Plumb-Psrhaps it may be the quail
ity Of the people in Dakota to which my friend
from Missouri objects. The people OF Dakota
are as fair representative OF what we call the
Anglo Sax on this continent a. any sim
liar number of people In the world IL may net
be. perhaps. fair to say that they are choice Sc
lection. but they have been taken from tie
most active, energetic and forceful OF the pso-
pie of the Eastern, Middle and Western States,
with sprinkling from the South. They are
men chiefly in the prime of life. They have
converted . desert into habitable land. They
cultivate more acres OF farm land than two
thirds of the Southern States. They devote
moro money annually TO schools than any one
of the Southern States. leaving out three four.
and the church buildings and all the other
things which are at least prima facie evidence
OF q state of civilization which has been the ac-
compartment of the march Of the Aneo-Saxon
race across this continent, are in stronger and
more manifest existence in Dakota than in the
majority of the States OF the Union.
l think their progress from the day when the
white man first set foot within the limits OF
Dakota to the present time has been marked by
less excuses than have been common to some
Of the older States of the Union during that same
time. and there has been in every respect not
only careful regard for the public will, but
ample laws passed TO give it effect. and l have
yet to learn that there has ever been In Dakota,
either by direction or By indirection. . serious
effort to prevent q fair expression OF the
popular will or suppress il after it was made.
There are not so mauy ballot-boxes there at the
annual elections as there are In the State or
South Carolina. however. The citizen OF Dakota
is willing to deposit his ballot containing ON IL
the name Of every person for whom he wishes
to vote In single ballot-box. When he deposits
it he is positively certain that that vote will Do
counted. If be should happen by any freak OF
fortune to be transported to South Carolina, and
become an elector there, he would have need to
exercise most carefully his visual organs when
he came to vote, for there the votes must be de-
posted in eight different boxes. one for each
officer to be voted for, in order TO DO perfectly
sure that he did not get some or all OF bis bal
lots In the wrong box. and thus lose his vote.
That elector who makes miss and puts bis
ballot In the wrong box thereby loses his vote az
utterly as though he had never gone to the
polls.
shall be glad to have some Senator state
whether he thinks that that mode or gathering
the popular will in South Carolina is preferable
to the Dakota plan, and more likely to result in
fair election ard the will Of the people being
made known, and whether Dakota. with her
free elections, her free Institutions and her
Anglo-Saxon people. with their order, sobriety,
their school-houses and their churches, is not ~
tit o representative Of what an American State
should be as South Cardinal Who ever heard
of a candidate for Congress. or any other Office
in Dakota. starting out in his campaign with
underground cannon, as was done in Mississ-
ippia Nor has there been in any OF the cleo
tons in that Territory. SO far as / am aware,
any serious charge that any man was prevented
from casting his vote or having his vote counted.
When come to the State Of my genial friend
with whom have served ia committee 90 long.
and Of whom am personally very fond. the Sen
ator from Alabama Mr.. Morganl, and for the
purpose OF showing that my friend from Mis-
souri, is little oversenstive abous tho admis-
sion OF Dakota, l cali his attention TO tie sx-
hibit OF taxable property returned by the Au-
ditor or State OF the State of Alabama for the
year 1880 II is found in the report of the State
Auditor to the Governor. and under the head or
Exhibit Discontinued" 10 list of the counties
in that State and the value and the kinds Of
property which are assessed for taxation there
In. find in the first column, as Is perhaps
| proper, the first thing to be enumerated, the
value Of the gums, pistols and dirks" subject to
taxation. The counties in the State are pot
down in alphabetical order. the first one being
| Autauga, and the value Of guns, pistols ana
dirks assessed In that county in 1880 was O. 49,
Running along over the various other items
| subjected 10 taxation in that county, an aeri-
| cultural county, come to the item Of farming
| tools" and find that that county, which had
$4.452 worth of guns, pistols and dirks for taxa
| ton in $780, had only $3.50 worth of farming
| tools. This proportion Of about eight to one in
favor OF the guns. pistols and dirks 10 very near
| ly maintained throughout the State.
Going further down find in the county of
Dallas that there were $13. 066 worth of guns,
pistols and dirks assessed for taxation. and in
| the same county g. Isl of farming tools; and in
not a single one of the counties of the State Is
the proportion more favorable-the guns. pistols
| and drks always being of greater value than
| the farming tools. The total of guns, pistols
and dirks subject to taxation in the entire State
is 1857. l50 IS. while the total of farming tools 10
only s77.20605.
When look at the item of mechanical tools
the total value of all assessed for taxation in the
State of Alabama 10 5000. Asa. as against 1857.
100 IS for guns. pistols and dirks Turning back
TO preceding table find the assessed value OF
libraries in the State is $lS1. 949, being tho
tire value of all the books assessed for taxation
in the State of Alabama while the guns, pistols
and dirks stand at the comfortable total OF
1857, $50. 20. 1t exceeds not only the Libraries
but the jewery, plate and silverware this last
item being only 1874. 419. while all that can do
will not reduce this total of guns, pistols and
dirks from the appalling sum total of 1851 l50 IS.
1t is not worth while to make the comparison in
regard to paintings. but to observe. paintings
are assessed at sl4.979 will present the table.
The comparison in value of the guns, pistols
and dirks with hogs and sheep Is equally strik-
ing, and nearly equally to the disadvantage to
hogs and sbeep