The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-12-11
ON THE CAPITAL QUESTION

ON THE CAPITAL QUESTION
In commenting on an article in the
Buffalo Gap Republican, in reference
to the future location Of the capital
the Lesteryille Ledger makes a most
excellent reply in the following per-
tinent article:
The Republican has been seen: II
seems to be possessed OF some of the
froth spoken of In the above article
in regard To the capital question and
the editor OF the Republican has al
lowed it to get into its boiler and the
conseuuences are as tie stated, an ey-
pIosion has taken place. We do not
claim 10 be authority on the capital
question, but at the same time We
have our views upon the matter. and
we are free to express them according
to the d~ictation Of u own conscience
and we must say that there are a few
things that we see in a different
light from the Republican. Pierre
may be geographically situated where
it should De, but it never will he
the centre Of the population OF the
state any more than 1t is at the
present time. and it is d very doubt
fnI question If it can maintain the
place it now holds in that regard. 1t
may also be a fact that the country
between Pierre and the Black Hills
is settling up fast now in q sense:
that is. that the government land is
being filed on, bat that is no criteri-
o. to Judge by that the population Is
greatly increasing. Is it not a fact
that spectators and Others who want
to secure a wide range for stock have
both young men and women out there
on claims holding them until they
car prove up on them, and they are
to an extent responsible for a good
share Of the immigration into that
country. Just as soon as these young
men and women get their money
they are going to leave that country
and come back to this part Of the
state where q good many Of them
are from, and some will 60 further
east to where they came from This
is the condition that prevails in all
the country west OF the Missouri riy-
er and the Black Hills country. 1t
will never Re settled to the extent
that the eastern part or the state is
now, from the fact that it must be
admitted that the greater part Of it
will never be d grain raising coun-
try. For a cattle country there is
now already too much settlement.
The range has already been spoiled
for the large stock raise:s and the
smaller ones have net proven veiy
successful. So when the country Will
not produce corn and wheat TO any
advantage, what is there in 1T that
will make the population grow to
compare with that Of The eastern
part OF the state? Could it support
a dense population IL it had one? II
it is all like what the writer has
seen Of the country west OF the river
from 100 to 125 miles between Cham
berlain and pierre. there Is not much
danger that yet for ages and ages the
population will become so great as to
make Pierre the center OF the popu-
jation OF the state.
We do not wish it understood that
we believe the country west Of the
Missouri river is useless and a barren
desert, far from it: we believe that
the time is coming, and not in the
far distance, when something will be
found that Is adapted TO that country
that will make It valuable. 1t is a
rich stock country and would make a
fine dairy country if once developed
along that line, but common n
will tell any one that for ages and
ages it will never De able to turn the
tide of the population Of this state
s: as to make Pierre the centre Of it.
1t is also safe to say that the Mil
waukee road will be able to give the
people Of the Black Hills country as
good or better facilities Of reaching
Mitchell as n other road will give
them to reach Pierre. AS a matter
of fact, Mitchell! will always be near
er to the center Of the population OF
the state than Pierre, and If the
western part Of the state gets as good
or better facilities for reaching
Mitchell we 30 not see why Pierre
should be such a desirable place to
keep the state capital. There is one
thing sure. its environments are not
such az TO draw much population in
that direction. Looking at this mat
ter FROM a sensible standpoint we
do not see nnt the people OF the west
ern part ni the state would get just
as good accommodations from Mitch
ell as they eve will get from Pierre,
aud IT. . without saying that peO-
pie Of mis- part OF the state would be
greatly benefited should the capital
come TO Mitchell.