New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-12
TX
THE FIGHT FOR STA TEHOOD.
A LONG AND BITTER STRUGGLE TO GEL
INTO TIE UNION.
DIVISION AND THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN DAKOTA.
tTRoA sTAFP CORRESPONDENT or TIE TEIBUml
Copyright: 1880 BY Ths Sstc- York Tribune

NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN DAKOTA.
tTRoA sTAFP CORRESPONDENT o TIE TEBUSEl
Copyright: 1880 BY Ths SsrO- York Tribune
Mitchell, South Dakota, May 4.
II the people Of The East, at any time during
the long and costlgs struggle maintained by the
Dakotans after political rights and civil liberty,
had only known the real facts Of the case, the
real nature OF the difRcultes these people were
seeking to overcome the real nature Of the OPP
posing interests they were endeavoring 10 satisfy
the real grounds upon which they based their
claims TO q star in the National banner and above
all, the real nature of the influences at work IN
Washington 10 defeat their Just aims and con
ceded rigIts-if the people OF the East had only
understood these things the history of DakOta's
admission into the Union would have been very
different from what il is Our National system,
IL is true, is wonderfully elastic. II admits Of
the harmonious operation Of interests wholly di-
verse and ordinarily opposite. In political
envelope less ethereal less sympathetic, disorder
would be inevitable. But our happy experience
darcned by only single tempest, and that tri-
umphartly hravcd, should not make MS careless
and ncglectful Of other affairs than our i'm
mediate and particular own. Boston is r nice
town vastly pOrtant folks live there but Boston
should remember that Duiuth Ia doubling her pop
ulation every three years, that Omaha Is growing
more rapidly than Chicago, that $50 600, 600 in
! minerals came ont OF Montana last year. nnd. in
brief that there iss great, big magnificent world
out here trying 10 live under the same laws with
Boston How many people in New-York realize
that when they have reached the spot am writin
from, they are only halfway across the American
Continent? How many Of them understand that
in adding Dakota Montana and Washington 10
the Union, VIC have taken in area greater than
the combined areas Of Maine. Ncw-ITampshre
Vermont, Massachusetts. Connecticut Rhode
| Island, New-York, Pennsylvania New.JcrSey
Mary the two Vlrgnias the two CarolinaS
Ohio and Indiana? When this il considered, and
when we test our rccollectionS 10 discover
how much or how little we have followed the
amazing story Of Northwestern development and
the history OF the political oppression these people
have suffered, the statement may not be so very
surprising that in their single handed fight for
their ghts they have more than once approached
the line between constitutional agitation and ac-
tive rebellion There have been times during the
last four years when il was an open question with
many OF them whether, between the evils OF eX-
peling their opprcssors or permitting themselves
10 be robbed and outraged. they would not fare
better on the whole by taking the revolutionary
course II will ever remain on honor to the
founders OF these States that harasscd with so
unfair and malicious weapons at Washington, they
have succeeded in their undertaking without com
promise on the one hand or violence on the other
Dakota as cut from Minnesota, was a block OF
land 400 miles square. The southern part of IL
YVES settled more rapidly than the northern, aud
by q different class Of people, who came upon a
different plan and engaged in n different pur-
suit. The people Of Vermont are not more dis
tinct as n type from the people Of Georgia than
are the settlers OF South Dakota from their
neigfbors north OF the 7th standard parallel.
The South Dakotans engaged IN general
farming upon small holdings OF from 80 TO
$50 acres The North Dakotans raise nothing
but wheat and stock and they operate upon
colossal scale There are many farms In North
Dakota Of 10000 acres. In North pakota
there are the extremes Of wealth and poverty TO
be found wherever the employers are few and the
employed many. In South Dakota wealth and
poverty aro comparative terms There are no
palaces and no poor-houses. The Territorial
Governments Of Dakota was established In 1851.
and by 1880 tho divcfsity Of interest between
North and South beolme so apparent that both sec
tons were favorably disposed toward division,
which became at about that time an Organized
movement
Until MIR. ClevelAnd'g Inauguration there bad
been no party politics in Dakota. Everybody
had general idea as 20 the party attachments
of everybody else, and the Republicans possessed
an organization, but In conventions and other as
sernblies intended II promote the welfare OF the
Territory, and in TIE Territorial Legislature, no
partisan distinctions wen made Everybody
could get himself Nominated who made the effort,
and voters often hal chance 10 choose between
half dozen Rspinnts. As distinguished from
,arty politics, there existed sort of town politics.
the demorali,ing Effects OF which are still APP
parent in the South Dakota capital contest
Mem went to the legislature, not 70 advance the
interests Of the Wide people, not 20 make laws
for the whole Territory, bat to get what they
could for their owl towns. Their svsflabiiiw