New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-12

wisdom OF their general course, but simply Dy
what they got for their friends In this respect,
and very naturally, every Legislature was worse
than the last one. This body became sort OF
grab-bag. Little time was wasted on the con-
sideration of general laws. The code became an
inconsistent tumble. What one Legislature did,
the next undid. There wus no restraint, no an
chorage, no fundamental law, and so far as n
government existed, IL was simply one OF give
and take. IL one town received an nppropria-
ton for school Of mines, then another one had
10 have a university. The rule was TINT you
could only get what you wanted by giving me
what l wanted.
In this eternal clashug Of town interests North
Dakota drew most OF the prizes. The politicians
of North Dakota almost invariably outmanoeuvred
their rivals OF the South. They were and are, an
uncommonly clever set Of men, and they worked
together, Contrving At the same time 10 divide
the South and split il into factions. Then they
combined with whichever Southern faction 1t
seemed best 10 combine with, and they and their
allies got the pudding But their affections were
tickle. Now they stood by one faction, then by
another, and then again by third, until they
had alternately won and lost the favor OF the
entire South, and the conviction had gradually
sunk into the minds OF both sections that their
ways lay apart, that they were too different In
motive in manner and in habit, 70 assimilate
advantagcously This was the condition OF pub
lie sentiment when in $50 call was circulated
through South Dakota for convention 20 meet
al Huron 70 form State Constitution. II was
proposed 10 create State, 10 he called Dakota OF
which the northern boundary should be n"
forty-sixth parallel. An earlier effort had been
made 70 get the State admitted in 1881, and II
had failed only by fuke which furnished the
Democrats in the Territory choice material for
inflammatory speeches. a railroad had been built
from Yankton 70 somewhere, and it's bonds were
chiefly held IN Maine II had failed and
defsulted. and It's Maine creditors were COM
p4Ilcd 70 whistle for their money. Their Con-
rrcsSional Representatives. all Republicans,
PROMPTED by taIs incident, opposed the Dakot"
bill. and beat it. contNndiug that people who
didn't my their debts were not yet 10 for citizen
shin This was an unfortunate affair, though
not an unnatural one, for there had been no
preliminary agitation Of any account on the
Statehood oucstlon and Congress was poorly
informed on the merits Of the Admission bill, quite
aside from the Maine grievance
But the National Administration being Kcpuo-
Ncan. il gave the Democrats here chance 70
howl and they embraced II. In the Huron Con-
venfion they made q series OF absurd speeches.
advocating the expulsion OF the Federal Governor
hv force and the establishment Of state GOV
eminent which Congress might admit or not luS'
"a IL chose They Ind q considerable iolio"'nS'
Too hut wiser men carried the day, and the only
outcome of the convention was can 7" ''o
roo,la south OF the A6th parallel to elect
delegates TO second cohEcii''oh '" NEW
Sioux Falls in September.
There was an even hundred present AZ ms a>'
s.rrhIv Opethird OF the members were berilo-
crots Chief Justice BARLEY Inpp' De'hocr""
an old Dakotan, and man then ana stlH Huon ie
,pscted in the Territory, WAS chosen chairman
A, once the convention divided into Conservatives
and Rndicak. All the Democrats were ls'ulc'S
ard they INDUCED In mnch duct
talk They wanted 20 give thc GoVcrnment w
Washington 20 understand that they wouId sHnn
no more nonsense. Dakota must he dlNided' INC
Northern half was drag on the sonth inc TWO
,cctions we're in no way ympatheho; 'ho "'n'
-, ,,Ik was gone. and IL was now high time TO
90, mis- oro,ory was met, OF cour.c, by The
tactical question What do YOU propose 10 do ?
Nm, tho Radicals could furnish no very definite
answer They coutenled themselves with The
throat 20 20 home. They urged that ~ the Con.
sc,vati % didn't mean business, they ought 70
sov 60 FINALLY the convention settled down 10
rho work Of forming the constitution, ana ihr"e
f,Il weeks were spent in thu; serious mhor. lH
,sspe was an instrument 81 much strength ana
bo,utv in many respects, and notably IN Us sim
,,,ci,v IT'S drrctnrsS lis lucidiW and lts HAPPY
crouoing OF CONSTITUTIONAL forms md declarations
model OF which far more experienced pcopR
might we'll be yrond. Upon its completion the
storm broke ont with renewed Jury between u"
Conservatives and Radicals concerning the m"thodS
that should be employed 10 give II eject Inc
Radicals. or Democrats, ~ they were ana became
n rornc a year Inter wished 20 proceed At once
with the election OF State officers, who were To z"
ohcod and administer State Government, and
,bctr propositron won temporary triumph. But
ogain such men AS Governor Mcllcttc succeeded
ia stcmming the revolutionary tide, and u was
finally decided simply TO appoint committee 70
utcscnt the conventions petition 10 Congress-
and in the hope that this orderly plan would avail
the convention adjourned
Until this moment the people north OF tho i6th
naraIlcl had been rs warmly committed to The
policy OF division rs those south OF H. Bht an
incident occurred in the Legislature that immedi'
otely succeeded this convention which rendered the
North Dakotans less anxious 10 be cut away. The
Territorial capital WINS Ynnkton, In the extreme
southeast Feeble efforts 10 remove II he'd been
frequently made. but none Of them amounted 10
much until the organizing genius Of Larmon G.
Johnson was brought 10 bear upon II scheme
20 do a good thing for Dakota, and incidentally
for himself and his friends. nv placing the capital
buildings NJ Ordway. johnson is Democrat,
and az brilliant politician as the Territc-c" con.
tains. In the light OF events his scheme seems
preposterous, but his failure TO carry II through
was not due TO the fnct TINT his dice were not
loaded. lie had things about as well fixed as
is possible 20 any finite hand. Ordwny WAS
two-penny little hamlet, squatted upon tie prairie
nj point that was the centre of the ierritorys
pomlation. Mr. johnson lived here, moved
there, had his being there. lie WINS practically
all there was to Ordwny In appearance he docs
not look like an intcllectuS giant but he possesses
a,1 ko - He md