The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1902-12-19
Low Rates Have Been Secured Over the
Railroads to the Poultry Show in
Mitchell.
NOT AFFECT INSTITUTIONS
Pierre's Argument That State Insti
tutions are Liable to be Moved
Very Weak.

w
man into the belief that if the
question Of relocating the state
capital is submitted to the people
that some Of the other public in
stitutions will later on be considered
for removal. The state university,
insane asylum and one normal school
are in the southern part of the state
where the population is dense. The
penitentiary, agricultural college
and one normal school are in the
eastern and thickly settled part Of
the state. One normal school and
asylum for the feeble-minded are in
the extreme northern part where the
population is reasonably thickly
settled. The state capital is located
where people are considered neighbors
if their residents are twenty-five
miles apart.
To be just and reasonable in regard
to public insti tutions the Journal has
made some estimates from figures
prepared by the census enumerators
which are conclusive evidence that
the people sometimes very easily fool
themselves on matters that are of a
public nature because sleek, smooth
men present them with a plausibl
story or a gold brick. The state
capital was located dozen years age
on the geographical theory because
a big red star showed up well on the
center Of the map Of South Dakota.
At the time that star was placed tc
center of that map, if you had drawn
a line north and south through the
center of that star where Pierre is
located and counted the population
living east and west Of it, you would
have found the following results
West Of the center Of that big star,
in the state Of South Dakota there
were living IS, 442 men, women anG
children and east Of THAI north ano
south line which passed through the
big red star there were 293, AS men,
women and children residing. The
proportional growth of population
since the enumerators took that
census has no doubt been greater east
of the line through that big red star
than it has been west Of that line
The Journal has further prepared
some figures that show how the peo
pie are located-and they, not the
vacant lands, are the ones who are tc
be accommodated in reaching state
institutions. By taking the twelve
counties, the nearest and most
contiguous to Pierre, within sventy
five miles you will find that in those
counties there are living, men, womer
and children to the number of q, 1884
You may then take the twelve
counties that their centers are withr
seventy miles of Redefld .anC
you will find the census taker say.
there reside 9O,3 people. Then take
twelve counties that their centers
are within seventy-fve miles OF
Huron and you will find 96,94s
people reside. Finally take twelve
counties located within seventy-fve
miles of Mitchell and you will fine
residing in them 9S,666 people who
pay taxes and many of them go to the
state capital every year. Either Of
these three cities have more thar
three times the number of people
living within seventy-fve miles OF
them than Pierre has, and such will
be the case for centuries to come.
The same proportions would hold gooo
if you extend the distance from
seventy-fve miles to one hundred OF
one hundred and twenty-five miles.
1t therefore will require philoso-
pher to figure out why the question
of relocating the state capital should
not be submitted to the people. by
the legislature passing resolution
authorizing an amendment to the
state constitution.
l