The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-09-11
OFFICIAL COUNTY PAPER
PlEREE'S LATEST RATHER THIN

LATEST IA I HEX ! HIN
The State Register, at Pierre. the
official organ Of the State Publishing
company, is naturally very much wor-
ried over the prospective removal Of
the capital to a more convenient To-
cation and is expected to make a
hard struggle to retain the capital in
the same town with its W printing
~ofice-the former being indispensibl BILE
to the latter. The Register will,
however, have to put up reason
able arguments if it expects them to
receive consideration by the level
headed voters Of the state. Its latest
effort is an attempt to ~honey-fuggle
the farmers in the eastern part Of
the state-and in Union county in
particular-with the proposition that
their on.y hope from excessive tax
alton for state purposes lies in root
ing'' for the lands west Of Pierre
and incidentally developing the lands
in that section belonging to the state
Institutions. of tie older settled
portions Of the state want to bring
down their taxes they must help in
crease the value Of Missouri valley
and trans-Missouri lands by saying
that the country around Pierre and
across the Missouri is all right, which
it Isl says the REGISTER.
There is an old saying that you
a lead a horse to water. but you
can't make him drink. The farmers
of Union county, Douglas, Brown or
Roberts may proclaim from the house.
tops that the Country around Pierre
and across the Missouri is all right"
but that won't make it so-that is to
say, it will not make it like their
own fine falms. The Almighty alone
a do that-and for the last twenty
years to our certain knowledge He
has shown no inclination to change
His first handiwork.
In a sense, the country around
Pierre and west Of it is all right
for certain purpOses-and is capable
of sustaining a much greater popula-
tlon and will have that increase Of
ihabitatiOn in time. But it will all
come about without reference to the
location OF the capital and will follow
as surely with the capital at Mitchell
or Big Stone lake-Or anywhere else
las at Pierre. But while this is all
going on the country east of the Mis-
souri, will be as surely increasing it's
population even to IA greater extent
and the two sections will bear to one
another the same proportion Of popu-
slation as at present.
And as the lands west of the Mis- |
souri, are settled, thrown into the
state tax levy and increase in value. !
so the lands east Of the Missouri will
steadily rise in value and with it a
possible increase Of taxation to cor
respond to the, development and
needs or the State-aS the Register
cites is already the case in Union !
county. 1t points out the fact that
while the average state tax per quar-
Ger section in that county vas s., "A
Der annum in 1892 the state tax this |
GEAR will be SIS. The Register. how
..yer, ingeniOusly fails to mention
that Union county lands are worth
Our times AS much as they were in
1872. The average farmer in that
county would much prefer paying IS
lax on a SIG, 900 farm than s. on \
1900 one.
lit is not the history of the state.
Ither. that taxes always decrease |
With the opening and development
IL new country and bringing lands
INTO the tax levy. AS the counties
nd state deVelopes the needs Of them
9th increase proportionately.
Lit required no capital close at
and to increase the population of
toberts county from 2,217 to l2,2l9
q the ten years from 1890 to 1900. If
lerre has anything ''equally as
soOd' west OF it it need not 90 beg
LIS " ol'hCi ocullelS u ~SypnDatDY.
The thought will suggest itself to
ggle average Union county farmer
Sld all others east of the rjyer-
slat a bird in hand is worth half a
sozen lying around: that the quick
way to get action on his money
/ to place the capital near his own
oldings-if an enhanced value is TO
me from it--and save taxes by cut