Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1888-02-01
DAKOTA TWO STATES.
Reasons Given by the Senate
Committee for Division
and Admission.
The Right Of a Territory to Adopt Con.
stitution After an Enabling Act
Has Been Passed.

Senator Platt reported to the senate the
Gath the substitute for the Manderson bill
adopted by the committee. He reprints
entire Senator Harrisons report on the
bill last session. and Ia addition appends o
somewhat lengthy advocacy Of the present
bill. After recapitulating the action of
Dakota looking to statehood as set forth
by the committee on territories Of the
Fory-ninth congress, the committee say
mittee and the passage Of the biii sdmitsins % he
people Of the southern half to the privileges q
statehood, nothing has taken place In the opin-
al of the action Of the senate In respect to divts-
ion OF the territory and the admission into ~
union Of . new state, with substantially the
same pounaasss 70 Sn si 2: those presented y ths
the reasons for the division OF the territory and
the formation Of two states rather than the
sona q tine whole :. snss stsss ss
untustifiable delay Of congress In recosnfs-
ing the rights Of Dakota Territory for SELF
pasoa ana sonsS s sps
since the former action Of tho senate have be-
come, II pos sible, more completely two political
units until today they are a. distinct In inter
stitutions as are the people Of any two states
In everything except the compulsory union In .
territorial legislature, norta Dakota and south
Massachusetts and Connecticut. To instst up-
on their admission as one state is as repugna6t
to the sense Of justice and to national propriety
as would be the enforced unio Of the states
named. Tint this is absolutely true is shown
by the fact that the institutions usually found
III states have been duplicated IN southern and
ioi tiiefn Dakota by the action OF the territorial
legislature.
The report then goes on to recapitulate the
various institutions which have been located by
the Legislature with an even division between
In nutQ tnrA hat ~ukn 1S~Bp
ment providing that If the territory should ever
be divided the portion in which each institution
lies ia 70 assume the indebtedness incurred In
its erection
The completeness of this political division 10
still further shown by the fact that the names Of
North Dakota and South Dakota have attached
to the different portions OF the territory as have
the ines OF South Carolina and North Carolina
to those states To admit north Dakota and
south Dakota as states would add to their dis
tinctive character TO admit them 40 one state
would be to attempt to unite two peoples
Heterogeneous in interests, in associations
In characteristics and in aspirations II
the welfare, the harmony and the good Of
the people OF the territory re to be consid-
cred, the argument in favor of two states instead
of one state seems overwhelming aud conclu-.
sive. And they are to be considered. This leads
us to consideration Of the question whether
in the present case national int rests require
the compulsory union Of already distinct COM
munities whose material interests Us well -
expressed wishes call for separate statehood.
To answer this question, In the opinion Of our
committee depends largely upo the further
question whether tho area Of the country inhab.
presence Of the necessary elements for future
development and the character OF the popula-
tion give promise Of two large prosperous and
The report then goes ON to compare the size Of
Dakota with other states, mentions the re.
sources. agricultural and mineral. ana quotes
from the last report Of tlfe governor upon var
ious subjects connected with her prosperity and
development. The action Of the Legislature in
submitting the question of division to vote Of
the people is spoken OF. and the result Of that
vote mentioned. The report saws:
II the result Of the vote in the territory seems
to indicate less unanimous sentiment In favor
Of division than has been supposed to exist the
reasons for it ar, quite obvious. The name Of
Dakota is as dear to the people Of north a. south
Dakota. The residents Of the northern section
Justly claim 70 have given the name TO one OF
the principal productions OF tho territory and 10
have made Dakota wheat famous throughout the
world. There 10 merit In the claim that they are
residents in the southern part Of the territory.
The bill passed by the senate at its last session
gave the name Dakota to that portion Of the ter
ritory proposed to be admitted as state, and
organized the remainder Of the territory under
the name Of Lincoln. Divisien, therefore,
seemed TO north Dakota to be simply a loss Of
the cherished name. aud, on this account many
were induced to vote against division. Another
reason why many persons though desiring di-
vision, voted against IL, was because division
seemed to portend indefinite postponenlent OF
the claims of north Dakota to be admitted into
the union. The history Of the movement for
statehood In the northern half Of the territory
was SO discouraGing that the sentiment OF state.
hood at any cost and ut any Inconvenience 10
believed to account for the majority against d.
vision in north Dakota, and for many II not for
most Of the votes against 1t in south Dakota.
The report further says:
However that may be- the controlling factor In
determining whether Dakota should be admitted
as one state or as two states must always be the
national interest and welfare. And II seems to
your committee that states Of immense area, At
great wealth and power and with population
which entities them to abnormally large repre-
sentation in the house Of representatives are
tional strength, and may In future prove .
danger to the repu lie. Every consideration.
national rs well as local, seems to point - the
wisdom, rropriety and necessity OF division and
the creation OF two states out Of the present ter
ritory Of Dakota.
The report then takes up and considers
the right of a territory to adopt constitu-
ton after congress has passed an enabling
act, and cites at length the history Of the
admission of both Indiana and Kentucky
in support Of Dakota's present position be-
fore congress. The report further states
that the full ratio for two representatives
under the present apportionment is 3l6,-
500, and that south Dakota has at the pres
ent time 100000 population. As by the
next apportionment she would have Mt
least 6OO,0 900 population it seems no more
than right that she should have at least
two representatives in congress when she