The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-01-28
Capitol REMOVAL TALK
STRONG SENTIMENT IN SOUTH DA-
KOTA FAVORING A CHANGE
FROM PIERRE
GRUDGE AGAINST NEWSPAPERS
Some of the Members Inviting Flu
ture TrOuble for Themselves
Benedict, of Custer,
One of Them.

PIERRE, Jan. -(specia1)-Com
plant has been made that the
state of South Dakota is in the clutch
OF the counties having state Institutions
penal, charitable and educational. No
appropriation can pass nor can any legis-
lation without the consent of the mem
bers from these allied counties. The
chairman of the appropriation commit
tees WELD an influence greater than that
of any ten members, and are able to tie
up the legislature at any moment they
see fit to apply the pressure.
In The senate eighteen members come
from counties desiring appropriations
almost a majority of that body. In tie
house the counties having public instltu-
lions are represented by thirty-two mem
bers-over the constitutional one-third.
which is sufficient to defeat the passage
of any appropriation bill not drawn to
suit the demands of the public institu-
tions. These members easily combine
to protect their own local interests and
by so doing get control of the legislature
and all legislation is made subservielit to
the appropriation committee. Such a
condition is dangerous, and is likely to
lead to grave complications in the future
unless a remedy is applied A constitu-
tional amendment fixing tax levy and
apportioning it to the different institl-
tons is the only available remedy, ard
should be applied.
Dr. Finnerud refuses to go on
the board of charities and corrections
and Mr.. Ringsrud has declined to be-
come member Of the board of regents.
The businessmen of Watertown have de-
cided to enter the capital removal fight.
A meeting for that purpose was held
there Saturday, and bill for removal
will soon be introduced. Watertown will
offer the state $4,000 building free.
The Daily Huronite says:
1.-The Huronite is in favor of a capital
removal bill, and in order that the bill
may pass would draw the resolution so
that Aberdeen Mitchell, Huron, Sioux
Falls and Watertown may be voted for
and provided that in case no town should
receive a majority vote, all towns save
those receiving the two highest be drop
ped from the list of candidates, and at
the next general election the people be
given an opportunity to vote as between
those towns"
The house seems to have a particular
grudge against the newspapers, and in
order to secure the passage of a bill 1T
former like Benedict, of Custer, to state
that its effect will be to reduce the COM
pensation of publishers for legitimate
work. Scarcely a day passes that does
not witness some such performance. On
Thursday M. Benedict, who certainly
has not yet reached the topmost round
of the legal ladder, told all about the
ignorance of newspapers on the subject
of constitutional law. After roasting the
newspapers for their ignorance he pro-
ceeded to tell the house all about the
constitution, which he declared was to
him an open book During the debate
Representative Warren, of Lawrence
county. took fall out of Mr.. Benedict
by stating that the gentleman came from
a county, the only one in the state, that
showed a continually decreasing popuia-
ton, and. was trying to apply to the live
counties methods and restrictions fit only
for retrograding community like the
one he so fittingly represented.
The cattle men who feed on the ranges
are always alive to their own interests.
ed bill placing steoial tax of 80 cents
per head on cattle owned by non-resi-
dents that are allowed to Craze on the
ranges. There is little doubt that the
plan is unconstitutional, but the oatt'e
men believe that if st IS placed on the
statute books it will enable them TO worry
the fellows from Nebraska and North
Dakota, who have been driving cattle
into this state TO pasture free during the
summer.
The pending bill to appropriate s31 900
to reimburse those who advanced the
money with which to Pay the way of the
First regiment from San Francisco to
their homes bids fair to raise a partisan