Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-11-26
BOWEN d KINasBURY. Prcp'trs

There has been very general misap-
prehension concerning the terms of the
bill for the admission of the state OF
south Dakota which passed the senate
last spring and is now upon the calendar
OF the house. But few copies Of the
bill found their way into the territory.
The general impression was that it pro-
vided for absolute admission under the
Sioux Falls constitution. This, 1t appears,
is not the case. Though the bill pro
vides for admission under the Sioux
Falls constitution, an important
section of this statehood measure
requires that Gas the bill
changes the name OF the new state
and its boundaries from what they are
in the Sioux Falls constitusion-the
first being from Dakota to South Dakota,
and the second from the forty-sixth
parallel TO the seventh standard parallel
for its northern boundary iine--beiore
the state shall be admitted these two
changes are to be submitted to the vote
of the people in the proposed new state
on che 18th day of August, 1885," The
28th Of August having passed while the
bill was hung up in the house, it will be
necessary TO lnsest new election date
| if the bill is finally used as an enabling
act for Dakota. Following the foregoing
specifications is another important sec-
tion which reads:
That at the same election there shall
be submitted to vote OF the people
for their ratification or rejection. the
constitution heretofore stated as having
been framed and adopted, together will
each of the separate articles thereof, IL
CONFORMITY with the schedule of said
constitution.
IL is thus provided that under tn,
senate bill the Sioux Falls constitution
and its separate prohibition clause viii
need to be ratified before it becomes tn
lconstitution of the state. This fact doe
away with the strongest argument in op
position to admission under the Siou:
Falls constltution-that thousands o
people have settled in Dakota since tn,
ladoption and ratification of that con
Istitution, Under the terms of the bill
these thousands will have an opportu
nifty to speak their sentiments at sh
polls, either for or against the consti
tutIon and its separate prohib,tio
clause. The fual section in the senat
bill provides:
That if majority OF the votes cast q
said election shall be in favor of the ac
ceptance of both the change of name an
boundaries, and also for SAID constitu
tion, regardless Of separate articles. the
said state of South Dakota shall b
deemed admitted into the union o
states, on an equal footing with tn
original states in eli respects whatever
And this act of admission shall thel
have full force and effect, and said CON
stitution shall be deemed amended so a
to conform TO said changes. But if
majority of said votes 80 cast shall no
be in favor of the adoption OF said con
stitution, then this act shall cease t
have further force or effect.
Il Under such terms it is probable the
this bill for admission would b
acceptable, as promising th
speediest process by which ad
mission can be ACCOMPLISHED. Unless
however, special session OF congress !
called to pass upon the Dakota case th
two proposed states can as quickly &C
complish admission through legisls
tive enactment oonvenIng two constitu
tional conventions and providing for
vote in ratification OF their work,