Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-12-22


statehoed sny longer, The history OF
the ed oFts, .of the people OF q nth pa
kota tor admission, into the union is
Ia disappointed hopes and de-
nial OF jnst rights to as loyal and in.
teiligeus y people as live III our isnd.
The Confidence which they had u right
to repose in Americas love of liberty
and fairness has been broken. For 10
years she has pressed her statehood
cause. She is peerless in beauty, in re-
sources, vealta, numbers and ~intelli-
gence. the pride Of all America, yet
ignored by congress and denied the
right TO enter her, fathers house"
South Dakota contains q population
of about 375. 0O0 and IN area, OF about
10 900 square miles. The undersigned
believe that 1t has ever been and is still
the strong desire OF q great majority OF
the people OF ell Dskota that the division
OF the territory On an east and west line,
practically in the center, should be
made. Ii seems that these people have
laid the whole foundation OF their po-
l,tical system with this 10 view, and We
ask in oil candor and sincerity, what OBJ
ieotion is there or can the Q
be urged against granting it? Is
this government q sham? Are We
to name colo i q of our IN IL ssh and
blood and kept them + ? People OF
these territories are our fathers sons and
brothers. The whole OF Dakota is IN
oluded within q territory at CHS time,
simply because its area was SO defined
more than a quarter OF q century ago
Then its oiyilizsd inhabitants numered
1000. Had it been divided into two
territories OF any time previous hereto,
no n would advocate for an instant
the idsa of forcing both sections into
the union as one state. La there any
serious intention of annexing Idaho to
Montana or Washington to Wyoming or
Utah and forcing two into the union as
n state And yet this would be just
as reasonable and just ss the proposition
to admit Dakota as a whole. The p7o-
position TO force the people OF Dakota
into one state against their expressed
will or TO deny them their rights, ia
simply the exercise of arbitrary power,
and can almost be compared with sheer
brute force. 1t is repugnant to the
spirit as well as the letter of our laws
and the government. Political parties
chsnge, bat governments. il founded in
eqnity, Justice and inteIlieenoe, stand.
How applicable TO this Dakota quts
ton is the language OF that peerless
leader and statesman, Senator Douglas,
who, speaking Of the right that should
be accorded the people of q territory
to requisite their own ~effairs. ssld:
TX there is one principle dearer and
more sacred than all others in a free
governments il is that which asserts the
aYN}npiym vsrhk ~ n f.ao ~ao~1a - ko,~
and adopt their fundamental Law and to
affairs aud domestic institutions. I deny
the right (congress) to force 9 good thing
upon o people who are IN wiling TO re-
,ceive it.
We aroused the patriotism OF the
country and carried the election in de-
tense OF that great principle which 81
lowed oil men to form and regulate
their domestic institutions to suit them
aeises. The immortal Douglas, were
he living, would not attempt to force
Dakota Into the union Is one state
against her will. His patriotism would
carry far above party considerations.
The report goes into full detail OF the
various reasons why the diyislon should
be made for Dakota, and recites in the
ETsphi5 g The snpers tiilon
and Ignorance in the territory Of New
Mexico, which, in the opinion Of the
minority, sht uld keep it from enjoying
the rights of statehood. The report
The people IT N, Mexico are <
tsemely superstitlous, and superstition
prevails to q greater or less degree
among sll classes, the intelllgept as we'll
az the most ignorant. They have en-
abiding faith in SANTA and images and,
with the mass of the inhabitants, thelr
worship appears no more than q blind
alteration of these inssnsible objects.
Some OF the most intelligent Of tie
better class look upon these bits Of wood
as ali powerful In every emergency, and
upon the occasion OF q FIRE IN Santa Fe q
few years ago, appointment Mexican gen.
tleman was anxious that one OF the
wooden uaints should be brought from
the church 10 quenoh the flames. Ia
the raonth OF jnne, the people In order
TO protect their crols, atick up CROSSES
IN their fields and it is NO uncommon
thing for them 10 have their fields
blessed by o priest after seed 10 put into
the ground, in order that they may
bring forth coed crops. Another evil
depce Of the superstition Of she people
10 their general belief in %witchcrsft aud
every other kind OF soscery which is not
cootined alone TO the most ignorant por-
ton OF the community These are Of
several races-the Americans. she In
dians and the MeYieans. OF Americans
there are about 10000 engaged IN grazing
and mining and in conducting tho gem
ersl business OF the territory.
The report is exhaustive in citing the
history Of the admission OF all tho terri
tories into statehood, reviewing the at
titude Of every president OF The United