The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1888-12-28
I6nanship d.
wonder 70 Amer{c
all sali.ions and NM

an church here. TheyaiI own L.
One of the Euriosities is mo-
caught about tw eny.five miles eastward:
II, Is owned BY. Mr.. Charlton, a store.
keeper, who has broke, the animal to
harnlss. The ,hooss Is very powerful
and car. draw 4 sleigh over the ice like u
race horse.
Another curiosity is the United
States fort ON the Red River, about q
mile away l paid them visit vester.
day and found two companies of the
fifteenth infantry stationed in u group OF
little, wooden buildings. The sentries
wore buffalo coats amt fur collars, caps,
aud inittene. The commanding officer
said that the thermometer record show
ed an average temperature the year
round of one degree below freezing
point. Once it went down to 50 degrees
below zero.
There is not much trade between
Winnipeg and Pembina. When an
American wants TO get bottle or two Of
brandy or an overcoat cheap without
paying duty, lie runs up to the Manitoba
capital, but otherwise lie has little use
for the place. The people of Manitoba,
OH the other hand, are beginning to
turn their eyes toward the Republic and
there is strong and outspoken ssuti-
ment in favor of annexation. The Cana
dian Pacific Railway Company has its
foot upon the bread trays Of the farmer.
1t calculates what the price Of wheat will
be at the marketing points and then
shifts the freight rates 30 that the rail
way gobbles all the profit. These Mani
toba farmers get eighty and eighty-five
cents bushel for their wheat, while
right across the border Americans farm
ers get dollar and dollar and five
cents. This feeling of disloyalty is grow
ing stronger every day, and is all open,
widespread tangible movement. against
which the government newspapers
breathe thunder in vain.
There is still another reason why the
people of North Dakota are for statehood
reason that stares them in the face
every day. In each township there is
set aside for school purposes, two entire
sections of land, which means two square
miles. This land is set aside by congress
and caunot be touched. So strong has
been the faith of the people up here
that they would DO admitted to the
Union, and SO be able to sell or lease
these school lands, that they have gone
on in many counties erecting fine school
houses. And now they are taxed enor-
mously to pay for it. In Pembina the.
school tax amounts TO five and a half per
cent, and, mind you, everything a man
has, including his watch and his dog, is
taxed. If the Dakotas were given state
hood they could at once avail themselves
from the school lands in order to relieve
the people from the present high taxa
ton.
The judiciary system of the territory
is another grave evil that tie Dakotians
believe would be changed by statehood.
The appeal from tho district court is to
the general term Of the same court, and
the lawyers here say that judges FREE
quently sustain judgment upon their
own rulings; That sometimes the judge.
from whose decision tho appeal is taken
writes the opinion of the appellate cou,t.
1t seems hardly possible that such grave
defect would he permitted to exist in the
territorial organization, and yet there it
is. Dakota wants a court of appeals
standing as separate tribunsl-a court
of last resort, whose decision shall be
supreme.
So the great prairie common wealth
goes striding on-strong, young and am
bilious, reaching out with both hands
for the crown Of Sovereignty.
Ten years ago l rode over wild and
unbroken plain.
Last night heard lecture OH Shake
spesre by the president Of the University
If Norfl, nnkofo