Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1889-10-18
TILE TWO .DAKOTAS

Nothing but the Presidents proclamation
is now needed to set in motion the ma.
chinery of the new States, most conspicuous
of which, are the two Dakotas.
1t il due more to the late Mr.. Cox than
to any other man that the Dakotas are now
on the very eve of Statehood. Not only did
he deliver his great speech in the House
last January upon the division OF Dakota
and the admission of other territories, a
speech greatly influencing the opinion of
Congress and the country, but later, when
the action of the House was in doubt, he
assumed the leadership of his party and
passed the bills which adds four States to
the Union.
OF these the greatest are the Dakotas, and
if in their blindness they now bow down to
the idol of protection the time is coming
when their own interest as agricultural
communities will become so obvious to
them that they will as heartily join the
Democratic column as they are now COM
mitted to protection and Republicanism.
"Dakota," said Mr.. Cox in the speech re-
ferred to, "in length and breadth, in popu
lation, in area, in wealth, and in progress
stands unexampled in the annals of man
kind for material, political, and may say,
intellectual and spiritual advancement"
Continuing, he said, and no one conversant
with the progress of affairs will doubt the
prescience of his remarks, 81 will say that
the census of 1890 will show that Dakota
which began with $4,000 population in 1870
has to day over 100000 population-1 will
say that State which leapcd in the last
decade, from 1870 to 1880, 1856 per cent. in
the increase OF her population will have in
1890, by the least computation, 1898, 750 peo-
pie, with seven members of congress to
represent her"
The early history of the Dakotas is the
early history of our whole vast western do
main, the glorious increase OF the republic.
The Jesuits were pioneers in the region
marked upon our earlier maps as the Great
American desert. In 1866 certain lands
were bought from the Sioux, among whom
that Jealous missionary, Father DeSmet,
was laboring. White settlements were slow
ly effected and the territory was organized
in 1861. 1t was mighty domain of 150,923
square miles, now happily divided into two
States destined to become great Common
weaths. Flltingly to feel the vastness Of
their great area we must follow Mr. Cox
and institute comparisons, New York is
one of the greatest States OF the Union and
has an area of Al 500 square miles. Add to
New York, New Jersey, Maine, New Hamp-
shire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Is
land, Connecticut and Maryland and all of
them could be sit down in the two Dakotas
and the margin would be nearly $4,000
square miles.
The soil of the Dakotas is wonderfully
fertile. In 1887 they raised seventh of the
entire wheat crop of the United States. In
1860 their live stock was worth $40, 900.
In 1887 the value of the live stock was est.
mated at $430000,000. In speaking OF the
richness of the soil Mr.. Cox said: "The
ties for holding moisture and for growing
crops, illustrate the bounty of nature toward
Dakota, for her very soil holds her wealth,
and this enrichment, with no need of ma
nures, contains surplus that no legisla-
ton can dissipate. Indeed, her surface is
nearly all arabic land. 1t is easily titled
and miraculously productive, There is no
necessity to clear trees or remove stumps.
The fertility beckoned the pillow Of the
pioneer, and the pillow came