Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1903-11-05
GemDer of the South Dakota Press Association
Official Paper Of Union County.
THE FIRST REMOVAL BILL
The Capital Removal Qaestion Started
In 1906 When Gen. Todd Tried to
Remove It from Yankton to
Bon Homme.
Published ON Every Thursday

From the South DDkotdn we CLEAN
the following bit of history OF local in
terest:
IL has doubtless passed the
memory Of most living men that
sharp capital location fight agitated
the minds OF Dakotans more than
thirty-six years ago. On Christmas
Day, 1866, Gen. J. s. B. Todd, former
delegate TO congress, and then speak
er of the house OF representatives,
called Hon. Franklin Taylor to the
chair and taking the floor served no
tice that on the next day he would In
trodnce bill TO remove the capitol of
Dakota territory from Yankton to
some other point. At this time Gen.
Todd was q citizen and representative
from Todd county, which was on the
west side OF the Missouri above the
mouth of the Niobrara. What was
then Todd county is now part OF
Nebraska. But not until the 9Th OF Jam
uary, however, did the bill appear,
when 1t was duly introduced by the
speaker who again called Mr.. Taylor
to the chair and moved that the bill
just introduced be read d first and sec-
ond time and printed, and the vote up
on this motion stood Is to 6 in favor.
which indicates the doughty general
had a circh upon the position so far as
the house was concerned. ID. I. Bran.
Bile, father of the present public ex-
aminer, was at the head of the Yank.
ton delegation and the burden of The
fight against the bill devolved upon
him. Only the delegation from Union
county, of which one Eli B. Wilson
was the leader, supported Yankton
county in this fight The bill pro-
vided that the capital should be re-
moved to Bon Homme. When the
strength of!the removers was revealed
upon the first test Mr.. Bramble sought
TO create a diversion by moving to
substitute Vermillion for Bon Homme,
but the gentlemen from Clay county
stood pat and his motion was prompt
ly tabled. Bramble's next move was
TO ask that consideration of the bill be
made a special order for next Fourth
OF July, and again went to she table.
He then moved to take it up the next
Friday, (the legislature expired by
Limitation of law on Thursday and
was again defeated by the same vote.
Convinced that the attempt to flibus-
ter The bill over the term would fail,
Mr.. Bramble gave up the fight that
day and the bill went to the printer.
Next day the speaker called Mr..
Horace Austin OF Vermillion to the
chair and again brought up the capi-
tai bill. Mr. Bramble made several
dilatory motions but was unable to
stem the tide and the bill passed the
house by l5 10 s. In the same time
Yankton interests had been busy with
the council and felt secure there, but
the Bon Homme people relied upon
getting parliamentary tangle which
would help them through. Their scheme
was dependent upon keeping posses
sion Of the capital removal bill. The
chief clerk of the house was Frank
Wilson, q Union county man, friendly
to Yankton county interests, and I'll
was bis business to transmit the bill TO
the council after its passage through
the house. Before IL had been enrolled
the house adjourned. but. the coun iii
was still In session. Wilson hurried
up The engrossment and against the
speakers protest transmitted the bin
The next morning and the last day OF
the session Frank Taylor offered q
resoluti0n which prevailed. directing
the chief clerk to wait upon the coun-
Gil and request the return OF the bill
'as II had been transmitted In direct
violation OF the house and its presiding
officer The council returned word
that y would return the Bill after