Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1890-01-23
THE PIERRE ROUND UP.
A NEwsY SUMMARY OF THINGS AT
THAT CAPITAL.

A Glance mt the Busting, Growing City
1t Is Still Frontier Town-The Leeisla-
tive Make-Up Economy the Watchword
La Grippe Is the Popular Fad.
The bustling little city OF Pierre has
taken on new airs, since the people Of
South Dakota selected her as the capital Of
the state. Notwithstanding the metro
politan style Of improvements that ere now
in the process Of construction, the electric
lights, gas works, water system, street
railways and motor lines, and large hotels,
she still wears the swaddling clothes of
civilization, every where the habits and
scenes of frontier life are daily seen. On
the streets the soldier from the fort, the
dusky Sioux from the reservation, the
statesmen from the capitol, and the irre-
pressible. real estate boomer mix and min
gle, and in this democratic gathering one
man counts Just as much as the other.
There is no distinction. There does not
seem to be much fear or respect for the law
at this. place, for contrary to the letter of
the constitution, under the very shadow Of
the state capitol, along the streets where
the prohibition governor walks every day a
score of saloons flourish and run wide
open, and no one here seems to think it
strange. Pierre without saloons would be
a strange frontier city.
The legislature in session here now is o
representative body of men. They are all
filed with theories of how reforms should
a In ha
there are only seven lawyers, two news
paper men and over 100 practical farmers,
and if the interests of the agriculturists
are not we'll protected this winter in this
state, it will be because the farmers them
selves are Indifferent on the question of
self protection. The granger members of
this legislature impress your correspond
ent as being men who are earnest in the
work they have undertaken, and are will
ing and anxious to render the state yalua-
BILE service il they only knew how, and il
this class of solons commit any grave er-
rors it can all be attributed to inexperience.
The state needs just this kind of men to
guide her, in this critical period.
In the house there are few men who
.iaye displayed more than ordinary ability.
and among than we notice Gordon, of
Brown, Parker, of Lawrence, and Bixier,
Of Sphinx. These three gentlemen are
taking the work we'll in hand. They are
leading in ths debates and seem anxious to
render to their less gifted colleagues all the
assistance In their power. We notice that
nearly every member is ready to make the
modest request that the business pending
be fully explained to him before he votes
on any question, and it is safe to say that
where men are so careful, no trap will
catch them. The work of the legislature
up to this date has been largely taken up
in perfectlng the organization of the
houses, fixing the compensation of the
officers and adopting rules. II is expected
that the well prepared speeches that have
been practiced upon for months viii soon
be launched upon the world. Look out
for northwestern oratory about the middle
of next week.
From weeks observation we have
come to the conclusion that this body of
law makers is too large. The work often
drags; bills, resolutions and motions are
duplicated. Last Friday an effort was
made to push to its final passage bill to
extend the time for the payment of taxes,
and i'll the long discussion that followed
the fact developed itself that nearly every
member on the floor had bill of similar
nature and was fearful that the credit for
this wise movement would fall on some
other fellow. This jealousy almost en-
dangered the measure itself. The time
for the payment of taxes will be extended
until next September. A bill has been in
troduced to reduce the membership in the,
lower house to seventy. five and the senats
to twenty-five members. The bill should
by all means become law, for in work of
this kind 100 men can better do the work
that 174 are now trying to do.
Economy is the watchword of every man
who is represented in this legislature, and
soft snaps in the way of clerkships are not
visible. The usual number Of oficeseek-
ers that hang around when bodies Of this
kind are organizing have all left for home.
They saw the handwriting on the wall, and
the SO positions are not wanted, especially
where board at the hotels costs from
50 to So per day. the condition of the
state finances has intensified the desire of
every one to reduce expenses, wherever
and whenever it can be done, and the
friends of public institutions now here
seem to think that some of the state
schools will be closed.
The temperance bill formulated by the
Enforcement league has been read id both
houses and referred to the committees
specially created to take care of it. With
few minor notifications the bill as in
troduced viii become a law. The only
visible opposition in temperance legisla-
tion comes from the Black Hills and a. few
river counties.
La grippe has found its way to this far
away city. It is a quaint study to see its
effect on the stolid Indian, the dignifed
senator, the meek page and the dashing
cowboy. The symptoms are the same, the
sneezing alike. La grippe is social lew
eler and great is its power.