Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1890-02-05
AIDFOR SOUTH DAKOTA

AlDFORSOUTHDAkOT
MINNEAPOLIS WILL SEND $1,000 ro
TUE DESTITUTE.
Governor Mollettc Meets the Board oi
Trade and Tells of the Condition and
Suffering Ut the People-A Big Fund ia
BE Raised,
The st. Paul Pioneer Press has the
following:
The session of the board of trade yester.
day proved to be an enthusiastic cne ON
the subject OF Dakota relief. There were
usst.nguished visitors present in the person
Of Gov. Mellette, Senator Hunter, Repre-
sentative Smith and Judge Briggs Of South
Dakota. These gentlemen presented the
needs OF their state 10 eloquently that the
board lost NO time In seeing that q COM
mittee was appointed to endeavor to raise
the amount OF money requested. Gov.
Mellette said his purpose was to collect 4
1und Of 5000 With which to purchase
seed wheat tor use 10 the spring. OF thai
l(ssEl. I'd &af b sBs iss lslss 81. ss..
halt the citizens OF Minneapolis, st.
Paul, Winona, Sioux City and Omaha
would bs importuued. He said that
tho assistance Of neighboring states
would enable his people TO get through the
winter comfortably. but in the spring ii
would be necessary to furnish them seed
wheat. Il he succeeded in raising the en-
tire amount he proposed to have written
report compiled Of tho way In which the
money was distributed. In this connection
Gov. Mellette suggested that North Dakota
ought to be treated in an equally generous
manner. Minneapolis wohld never regret
1t. Every dollar contributed meant an
acre and quarter Of wheat sown. He felt
confident thAti be DEVELOPMENT Of Dakota
had developed both Minneapolis and St.
Paul. The prospects of good crop for the
coming year he regarded as favorable.
Here the governor took occasion to
relsr to the exaggerated reports of the cli-
matA and other alleged disadvantages Of
Dakota, which eastern newspapers have
printed in order to prevent immigration.
That was one of the many burdens under
which the two new states had suffered for .
long time. The great mistake of his coun-
try, Gov. Mellette confessed, had been the
lack OF diversified crops. In reply to ques-
tions he said there was little seed wheat on
hand in the state, large number of peo.
pie having been already obliged TO use the
wheat that they had put by to save. Re-
garding the relief that was needed other
than seed wheat in some Of the counties,
he replied that II was difficult to answer.
Sometimes where the clamor Is the loudest
the needs are the smallest.
Following the governor, Judge Briggs, Of
Ipswich, addressed the meeting. II seems
that he is in the city on Q separate mission,
that of securing relief for his own county,
Edmunds. He referred to the fact that his
people had suffered from poor crops since
1885. Last years failure in particular
wiped them out of nearly all their possess
sions, 90 that they were unable to pay the
interest on heavy mortgages to both real and
personal property. At present the smaller
farmers have absolutely nothing to begin
on again. To emphasize the poverty of
the country Judge Briggs stated that the
gross collection made by him last year
would not amount to as much az his per
cent. Of the year before. Nevertheless, in
the face of all this be still had firm faith In
the future. Representative Smith also
wished the board to understand that his
oonstituents were possessed Of nerve to
bold out. Senator Hunter emphasized the
difference between the pleas made by Gov
Mellette and Judge Briggs, the formers
being commercial proposition entirely.
Considerable discussion followed these
speeches. The opinion seemed to be una
nimous that the requests for relief should
be acted upon favorably, but just how to
60 about the matter was another thing.
F. H. Peavey moved that a committee Of
three be appointed to CO. operate with COM
mittees from the jobbers' union and the
chamber of commerce to raise tho $1,000.
H. G.. o. Morrison wanted this amended
SO that the board would insure the raising
Of that amount, but Judge Atwatcr and e.
J. Phelps objected on the ground that the
board could not be 80 bound. Mr.. Nor
rison accordingly withdrew his amendment
and Mr.. Peavsys prevailed, and President
Nelson appointed F. II. Heavey. j. Ii. Bas-
sett and E. J. Phelps the committee. The
names of j. T. Wyman aud Anthony Kelly
were afterward added. Previously Gen.
George p. Wilson spoke in favor Of North
Dakota. He did not like to discriminate
between the two states, inasmuch as the
destitution in the northern one was much
greater. South Dakota 10 not limited to
wheat raising, as is her sister. He thought
$1,000 for each state could largely be Sc
cured through the wealthy churches Ut the
city.