The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-05

names the southern half South Dakota and
gives the name OF Dakota TO the northern half
which will overcome the objection raised by the
people In the northern part of the Territory to
losing the original name of their country and
the subst1 tution of Penn mbine, Lincoln or any
thing else: judge Moodys bill refers to the
people OF Dakota as whole the question OF
division and admission as State, and fixes the
election for the determining of the question a
couple OF months ahead of the next presidential
eiection 30 as to admit of the voters partici-
pating as voters of States in the presidential
election next fall; but it is understood that the
latter provision will be waived if it is insisted
upon by the Democrats in either branch of Con-
gress. Tho people Of Dakota do not propose
to let politics Interfere with their chances of state
hood. The bill provides for statehood without
further action by Congress; 1t grants statehood
absolutely and definitely, not as Representative
Springer proposed, by tying string to the mat
ter py way of an enabling act, SO that Dakota,
after the question has been amicably settled &C.
cording to provision of Congress, will have to
come back here again and give Congress an op-
portunity to ruin everything if partisan politics
In talk with Judge Moody. who is one of the
ablest lawyers and brightest minds generally in
the Northwest. he said, to-day, that in his opinion
the bill would pass the Senate without the
drawing of strict party lines. In other words.
he believed there were at least two three
Democrats. besides Senator Voorhees,, who
would support the measure in the upper branch
of Congress. A duplicate Of the bill will 60 to
tue House committee on Territories, and an
effort will be made to have it adopted as sub
stitute TO tn6 Springer Dill, Wnlcn Will PROVIDE
for the admission of Dakota q whole. The
Judge is confident that if the question can be
brought fairly and souarely before the House
that even that body will adopt his BILL as 1t can
be shown very readily that large majority
of the people of the Territory prefer their present
condition to admission of the whole Territory
as State. The most ardent enemies of divs-
ion OF the Territory the Judge says. are con-
verted to the proposition by even the shortest
visit to that country. During the past summer
statesmen have gone there who were rabidly
n xcsn oil yy,Cf
the north and south sections; that public insti-
tutions we're being duplicated expenses mani
folded and strifes engendered by the wide vari-
arce between the interests of the two sections,
and that il is quite as mpracticable to talk about
the whole Territory being one State as 1t would
be to annex Minnesota to Missouri, or place
Mississippi and Iowa under the same State
government II cannot see," said Judge Moody,
''how the Democratic party can afford to
refuse to let the people of Dakota who
two States. decide wheiher they want
their countryldivided and whether they want
statehood. Dakota has five six thousand
miles of railroad, and is building thousand or
mora miles year, while she is populated by the
brightest. wealthiest, most honorable and enter
Dakota is bound to be divided, and will be two
States sooner or latter, and the party that votes
against this consumation and tries to strangle
the will of the people will rue the day it did it.
The issue Dakota presents is q national one. and
as it involves development, education and the
general advancement of thriving and worthy
people, it is a cause that party can make a
part of its platform. The justice OF Dakota's
proposition is so plain that six years ago Alex
ander H Stephens, Of Georgia. who was one of
House, said. even at that early day, that it was
suicidal for any party to oppose It.