Brookings County sentinel. (Brookings, Dakota [S.D.]) 1882-1890, 1890-01-24
New State Finances.

49, ei'' A"NO OiitO 'oIil hl'1 dJ DtCStuU
laboring with deficiencies in the
state treasury. Nor is this to be
attributed, either, to the expense
OF q state government over and
above that of the territorial sys-
tenn. The difficulties which these
two new states have to face are
partly those common to all new
states, and partly heritage from
Democratic injustice in the long
postponement of division and ad-
mission. The financial question
is almost always foremost in the
early history of a state. In these
new commonwealths there is u
strong public spirit and a desire to
be abrest of the times in facilities
for education, for transportation,
for the care of the dependentclass-
es. Twenty years ago it was the
rage for railroads and internal i'm
provcments that bankruptcd the
treasures Of new states, cnticed
them into the issue of large
amounts Of bonded Indebtedness,
and then raised the cIamor for re-
pudiation or readjustmcnt. We
have but to compare the condition
OF the two DOkOtas with that
through which nearly every state
has passed at some time in its his
tory, with that of nearly all the
Southern states since the war, with
that Of Minnesota hersclfnot many
years ago, to understand that the
financial troubles of the Dakotas
are the proof of an immense i'm
provement in the matter of dealing
with the public finances. For, in
the first place, the practice of issu
ing or guaranteeing on the credit
of the state immense issues of
bonds in aid of railways has gone
forever: and with it have gone the
necessity and the excuse for pro-
posed reputation. Gone, too, is
the freedom of a new and ambi-
tious community to load itself with
an unbearable burden in order
that it may at once stand on a level
with its older and wealthier peers.
A limit of indebtedness is now
fixed by the constitution; so that
the financial problems with which
the new states have to deal, though
annoying enough, are simple as
compared with those of few
years ago. And. finally, the heavy
expenses which these new COM
munities have 20 bear are not
chargcblc to any private or cor
poratc account. If the incurring
of them was a mistake, it is at
lerst one due to the generous I'M
pulse to erect q system Of public
education equal to the best, and to
privide literally for the unfortun-
ate. 1t is such obligations as
these that can be met with cheer
fulness, even though they are puz-
zling in their practical demands.
1t is true, TOO, as stated above,
that a great share of these difficult
ties is due to the long resistance of
the Democratic party to justice for
the Dakotas. 1t was contended,
as an argument against admission,
that the state form of government
would he unduly expensive. The
fact is that the retention of the
territorial form is largely respon-
sible for existing embarassments,
The fact that division was ulti-
mately inevitable was apparent
years ago to the people Of Dakota.
The holding together of the two
sections of the territory by federal
obstinacy provoked a conflict that
could be settled only by division
of benefits. 1t happened, there
fore, that public institutions were
duplicated beyond public require
ments. When it became evident
that new public institution must
be created, the question of it's To-
cation at once arose. And, as it
must 90 either to North or to South
Dakota, that advantage was bal
anced in every instance by Great
ing some other institution to be
given to the part of the territory
not so favored. And thus it hap
pened that the Dakotas were fur
nished with list of the institu-
tions charged upon the public be-
yond their requirements and their
ability to maintain. 1t is these
debts, debts of honor to be sure
and those which the future will re-
pay, but still source OF present
difficulty, that the Dakotas owe to
the Democratic obstructionists in
congress. The situation is one to
be met only by rigid and common
sense economy. The actual cost
of government in the new states is
not more than they can meet with.
out undue taxation. But part of
their public equipment should be
4 Sc.