Omaha daily bee., 1889-07-14
A SEVEN MINUTE SESSION
South Dakotas Convention Ad-
journs Until Monday
LESS THAN A QUORUM PRESENT.
1t Will Continue Three Weeks Longer
Delegates Accept an Invitation
to Attend the Waterway Com
vention at Superior.
A Short Session,

| egram to THE BEE. Thirty delegates, six
| less than quorum, were all that put in an
| appearance at this afternoons session OF the
constitutional convention. Judge Carson, Of
Deadwood, presided, Judge Edgerton having
| gone to his home at Mitchell for Sunday. A
| design for the great seal of South Dakota
| was received from Chicago firm of en-
| gravers and referred 10 the proper commit
| tee, and then the convention adjourned until
Monday at Up. M, after being in session
seven minutes. II Is now settled that the
convention will remain intact three weeks
longer AS a body it has decided TO accept
an invitation to attend the waterway con-
venton at Superior, Wis, on Tuesday,
August 9. The wives OF tho dele
gates are to go also, and there is to
be a special train ride, o banquet and picnic
generally Arrangements are beng nego-
tiated with q view to having tho convention
of North Dakota 60 with .the party, but it is
! believed here that the northern neighbor
will remain in session during all Of the dog
days. as the work Of constitution making at
Bismarck progresses slowly. Considerable
interest is felt in the numerical order in
which the state Of South Dakota will come
into the union. The omnibus bill, adopted
by congress last February, providing for
SIabcuOOu lOT INOTJu aUu S0Oubu DahOUh nlUU-
tana and Washington territories, refers to
them In the order here named. If Presi-
dent Harrison's proclamation declaring their
statehood employs tho same phraseology as
| this law, North Dakota will be the thirty
ninth and South Dakota tho fortieth state.
| This may not seem TO he u matter of much
Importance, but it is, as 1t involves the senior
| ity and length Of the first terms Of the
United States senator's for the two states.
| One Of the gentlemen whom nearly every
body in South Dakota believes will be chosen
United States senator by tho legislature this
winter, says the terms Of the United States
senators for the thirty-nnth state will be
| for one and one-half years and three and a
half years on the first election, while the
United States senator's chosen by the legis-
lature of the forteth state will serve as their
| first terms TO ur and six years. Thus those
| who aspire to be United States senators for
| South Dakota are congratulating themselves
| that President Harrison will follow tho
language of the omnibus bill and name North
Dakota as the thirty-ninth state of the union
and not overlook the law in an effort to rec
ognize South Dako,a's work for statehood.
| She has borne the brunt of the battle from
| first to last.
There is not very great scramble for the
state nominations in South Dakota. This Is
due to n general understanding as to whom
shall be nominated for the principal offices
on the republican ticket, which is the only
one having any prospect at all for success.
Arthur C. Mellette, of Watertown, Presi-
dent Harrisons present governor of both the
Dakotas, will be nominated and elected by at
least twenty thousand majority Emlgra-
tion Commissioner Hagerty, of Aberdeen, Is
likely to oe nominated lieutenant governor.
The two congressional nominations lie be-
tween Colonel Charles L. Mccoy, Of Aber-
deem, who was member of the original
South Dakota constitutional convention and
who has been member of the national COM
mittee and a recognized leader of the party
for many years, Hon. John II. Gallble,
of Yankton, who was also member of the
| original constitutional convention and who
is a hustler, ana the present elective con-
gressiongl delegate, George @. Matthews, of
Brookings.
Only three names are ever heard in con-
nection with the United States senatorship.
They are Judge o. j. Edgerton, of Mitchell,
who was president of the last constitutional
convention, and is the presiding officer of the
convention In session here; Judge Gideon ID.
Moody, Of Dcadwood, who was a member of
eff the original constitutional convention, and
who has rendered incalculabls service for
the division of Dakota and statehood, and
ex-congressional delegate Frank Pettigrew
of Sioux Falls, who has been a fighter in the
front ranks for division and statehood since
Edgerton and Moody have the prestige of
having been elected United States senators
by the Huron state legislature. Mr. Petit
grew has the advantage of having made one
of the most satisfactory and effective dele
gates Dakota ever sent TO congress and
with having done more than any man in
South DakoGa for the territory's develop
ment. He is just entering the prime of life,
is Il thorough statesman, familiar with the
legislative proceedings of the territory
and of congress, and he will take heed at
Washington like an experienced senator. He
has assisted with his own capital and that
which he has secured in the east so many
cities and towns in Dakota that a sense of
gratitude on the part Of their citizens will
give him great strength, even though the ad
vantages he would have in Washington at
the outset are overlooked. Dakota is popu-
lated with shrewd, warm booded men,
among whom Pettigrew is the foremost. He
Is an unwavering and the stnunchest of
friends He is the youngest of the trio.
Judge Edgerton served in the United
States senate from Minnesota with great
credit. He is as large aud broad mentally as
he Is physically, and he Is a magnificent
specimen of manhood. He was IA good soldier,
is trained statesman, well educated, well
read and well known; a fine lawyer and
jurIst a firm friend and thoroughly popular.
Judge Moody is n fearless progressive
statesman. He was a colonel in the union
army during the late war, and like his coad-
jucators, early came to Dakota. He was on
the federal bench in South Dakota for many
years. proving himself an able and clear
jurst, and since he became private citizen
has demonstrated his ability rs an advocate.
All of these three men would do great
credit in the United States senate to any
state, and the people of the country may be
sure, even at this early day, that South Da-
kota will have as strong delegation In con-
gress this winter as can be found from any
state in the union.