Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-02-14
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DIVISION AND ADMISSION.


DIVISION AND ADMISSION.
Delegate Giffera Before the House
Committee on TerritorIes-Ras ad-
dress in BehsIf OF two OAK otas.
Below is presented q synopsis of the
speech in behalf of admission and
division for Dakota which was recently
made before the house committee ON
territories by Delegate Clifford:
Toe proposition i nave to present to
the COMMITTEES contempiates The lorna
tlon and admission Of two states from
the present territory of Dakota, to be
named, respectively, north and south
Dakota. the dividing line to be east and
west upon the seventh standard parallel
OF said territory, aud would make the
states nearly equal in size. The pro-
posed states would contain very nearly
10000 square miles each, and each state
would be exceeded IN area by only seven
ststes-Calltornia, Colorado, Ksnsss,
Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon and ~Iexas.
Each state would exceed IN size ali of
New England, with New Jersey adGed
l think, without doubt, all unbiased 81 d
informed minds upon this subject will
agree that the treatment received by Da-
kota from the hands of congress, RI gard
ing this matter OF statehood, is without
parallel IN orr his sorry IN its neglect and
injustice, and it is sincerely hoped will
not be repeated toward any other terri
tory. L desire now to give the commit
tee some facts, all OF which sre we'll aa-
thentlcated, regarding this question.
upon which our claims for selt-govern-
mens are based. FIRST, as to
population, wealth and material
prosperity. The area of each of
the proposed states has been
given, and l will only add that the
country is eminently an agricultural
country and as capsule OF supporting as
dazse q population as any OF the states
adjoining us-Minnesote, Wisconsin,,
Illinois, Iowa or Nebraska. The num-
Der OF farms In Dakota 1885 was So
237 in the south and 3l.78l IN the north,
of the average eiZe of---scres. The
crop reports of 1887 show that we raised
80 900 900 bushels of wheat and $780,
600 bushels of corn, while hundreds of
thousands OF horses and cattle Craze ap-
on our boundleas and fertile prsiries.
In the matter of stock, we have moro
cattle than any one of twenty-o states,
more horses than any one of twenty
statee; more swine than any one OF four
teen states; more sheep than any one OF
twelve states. In the matter of banking
institutions. W have ~sixtJ-swo national
and 237 private banks, We have more
banks than eithey one of twenty-eigh,
states, including Indiana, Connecticut
California, Kentucky. Minnesota, Wis
consin, Texas or Colorado. We have
more than the eight states of NORTH
Carelina, West Virginia, Florida, Mis-
sissippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Delaware
and Nevsda combined; more than twice
the number credited to the states o
Maine, New Jersey, New Hampshire o,
Maryland: nearly three times as many 81
Georgia, Virginia. Colorado or Teunes-
zee combined, and more than the states
of Vermont, Oregon and ell the ter
ritories put together. In the matter o.
railways we nearly 1900 miles OF com
pleted railroad u md saar;
than Is contained in in any one o
twenty-five states of the union tina,
could be named. @
We have nearly 1000 school houses
with about s 900 teachers, and expended
in 1887 nearly 81 10000 for school pur
poses, the proceeds OF taxes raised by th.
people, or more than was expended by
any mi of twenty-five states IN 1885.
We have two territorial universities
three normal schools (territorlsi) anc
agricultural college, besides q school o
mines and one for deaf mutes, and alsc
q very large Number OF sectarian college,
and academies belonging to diff ereni
religious denominations.
1t muHt be remembered that the BRO.
posed state of north Dakota contains al
least 240,0 900 people, and south Dakots
100000 and that escn OF the proposed
states contains O like proportion of TIL.
material wealth and educational adyan.
sages possessed by the whole territory
Dakota to-day is g territory only il
nsme. In every condition and as 9 fac
ia q mere colony or province, as complet
ly So wa eyer attached to the British
empire. q condition OF affairs never i n
tended nor contemplated by the founder
of this government and 10 most repug
nant to the spirit of our institutions
Tho government which is provided TO
the ssrritories of the United States i
almost identical With that which was 81
tended by England over her colonies
century and o half ago, and Rgaine
which the fathers of this republic 81
successfully rebeiled. 1t may be- stated
as Q broad proposition, regarding tn
admission OF new states, when tn,
proposed territory and its people com
within the requirements imposed by tn,
constitution, spirit and policy of on
government, it is entitled as q matter G
right for admission into the union @
states. Especially is this true in til
case Of Dakota, which claims that RICH
by virtue of solemn treaty obligation
and by the terms OF the ordinance @
1857, which, by repeated enactments q
congress, has been extended to inclnd
our territory. Whatever views may b
entertained by the committee regarding
. strict construction OF the Louisian
treaty and tho ordinance of 1857, il Ger
tainly will strike the average mind tina
congress is under an sslmperious mora
obligation" to adEit both north an
south Dakota as states into the union
il the conditions as to area, production
capacity, population, good dispositio,
towards the government and institn
tions OF the country are found to exist
What excuse, then, is there, for denyin
Dakota admission into the union ns
atate2 Whatimpediment stands in th
way? Why is not Immediate an
prompt action taken? Why the hop
long deferred? Why this unreaaonabl
delay? Ia il strange, in view Of al
these facts, that our people have becom
impatient oYer this long delay and wit
the injustice and neglect they have re
ceived? Regarding the proposition &
the division of the territory and admis
sion Of two states from Dokota, I desir
20 say o%oncerning the bil