St. Paul daily globe., 1888-02-11
WILL She GET IN :?
The Admission Of Dakota a
Topic Of Discussion and
Disagreement.
Partisan Feeling Has a Good
Deal to Do in Shaping
Sentiment.
Some Of the Queer Theories
Of Gen. Campbell Exposed
and Punctured.
Dissection and Discussion Of
the Springer Bill in It's
True Aspect.

From the Globes Special staff Contributor.
WATERFOWL, Feb. 10.-There is at
least one topic that is of special, if not
absorbing interest, to Dakota people at
this time. l refer to the question
whether Dakota is going to be admit
ted into the Union or not. At the time
of the Aberdeen convention it looked
very much as though Dakota would be
admitted, and that there could be but
little doubt about 1t. Now, there seems
to be some little doubt. Mr. Pettigrew,
of Sioux Falls, has been inter
viewed at Washington, and says that
of the passage of the Great Sioux
Indian reservation bill there can be no
doubt, but Tor the admission of Dakota
as two states-well, that was doubtful,
to say the least. Mr. Pettigrew may as
well as not be recognized as the most
respectable representative that the idea
of "division" has at the national capi-
tai. On this head, prObably.he is about
correct. OF the chance of the admis-
sion of Dakota as two states, there is not
the ghost of show. This must be con-
ceded by all fair persons. The last great
effort of the ''diviSion' party was made
last winter. when the senate took up
the Sioux Falls constitutional cOnven-
ton farce. This scheme was Petit
Crews. and was put through the legiS-
lature by him; but it died before it was
born, and all attempts to bring it to life
again are absolutely hopeless. Now,
what are the chances for the admission
of Dakota? Not two Dakotas, or any
thing but just plain Dakota territory to
be a state. They are still good; but
there seems to be the damp
er Of doubt put on them.
At one time it seemed plain
that Dakota would have an enabling act
think so. The plan was simple, and
easily explained and understood by all.
1t was this: The people of Dakota, in
the Aberdeen convention. asked for an
enabling act; their petition would be
properly presented to congress; the
house of representatives would take up
the matter, recognize the Aberdeen con-
vention, and pass an enabling act for
the admission of Dakota; then the sem
ate would ratify. This scheme seemed
most plausible and reasonable, indeed.
There was everything in its favor; the
Democratic house wanted to show its
zeal for doing the fair thing by Dakota.
one of the greatest territories, and, like
her sister, Minnesota, soon to be a
Democratic state: there ought to be no
question about the passage of such an
act by the house; the admission of Da-
kOta would be postponed until after the
presidential election, and there was
everything for the Democrats to gain
by this move and nothing to lose;
it, indeed, seemed most feasible
plan; then the senate would be bound
to ratify for two good reasons; first, if
they did not, Dakota people would load
all the blame of the failure of admission
on the Republican party; and second,
the Eastern senators are decidedly
against the admission of any more states
out West here than is absolutely nee
essary-they fear that the issue some
day may be the East against
the West. For these reasons,
which seemed good and sufficient
alone, but in company with most thor
oughly posted Dakotians, when l pre-
dicted that Dakota in about year from
this time would be a state. Was |
wrong in this? Most assuredly not,
from all the evidences at hand at that
time: but since then matters have gone
on i'll their own sweet way-and other
wise, and many of the prOpo-
sitions - or maybe more properly
called theOries-that were then
so strikingly plain have become OBJ
scured. The house does tzet seem to be
quite so willing to take up this matter
of all enabling act as it was thought
| that it would be. 1t is true that Mr..
Springer has introduced a bill, but i'm
mediately, not only all the enemies of
the admission of Dakota, but. all those
| who oppose the admission of Dakota as
| one state and all the personal enemies of
Mr.. Springer have jumped onto his bill.
| You may be sure it makes music and it
| begins to seem like old times for Dakota.
| The clouds that stheSe parties kick up
| rather obscure. the real issue and make
many persons believe that not this time
will Dakota get admission; there are
! too many enemies to it-or friends, that
| all have different ideas about the
matter-I don't know which. But this
argument may as well apply to Da-
kOta ever gaining admission, fol
| l don't believe that the time
! will ever come when there
as to chow it ought to be DONE" / am
inclined to think that when these mat
ters become the most miXed-up, hard
to understand and cloudy, that it is the
most likely time for the clouds suddenly
| to break and light to appear-and tt
have an enabling act passed by the
| house some day before the people know
! it. 1t will be just about this sudden
That will be all there will be to it.
THE SPRINGER BILL.
There are some features of tht
Springer bill that are worth discussing
There is great difference of opinion
even among Democrats as to what i
really is and what are its provisions
Mr.. Springer's bill is attacked by it
enemies on several grounds. First, they
claim that his bill is an attempt to della,
DakOta's admission, and that he propose
in this line hitherto unheard-Of things
They say that his bill requires that be
fore Dakota can become a state tha
congress must admit her, and this the,
call most unheard-Of thing, claimin!
that when congress has passed an EN-
abling act, and the territory compile,
with that, that that is all that there il
to it, and the territory is an,
becomes a territory without tn
on the part of congress. They preten,
to talk knowingly about this, and t
quote precedentS to sustain themselves
What are the facts? Can territory he
come state without an act of congress
No sane person would say yes. Ant
yet there are some of these bowling
mad-Statehoodists who claim thi
much. If they only knew in wha
an awfully ridiculous position
they put themselves In doing ii