The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-07-22
KEEP THE RECORD STRAIGHT

KiDlball Graphic: One of the
singular phases of the Mitchell. Pierre
capital campaign is that a news
paper published in the former town
is doing all it can TO embarass the
cause Of the community from which
it derives its support. In a recent
issue this paper says:
Pierre's press bureau has Just dis
covered that Mitchell's old Ordway.
Observation-Disclosures gang played trait
or to division and statehood because
of Bismarck accessibility for capital.
illusions of this sort are liable to
be misunderstood if allowed to 90
without explanation. There never
was any treacherY in Mitchell to-
ward lhe cause of division and admis-
sion. The Republican was a staunch
advocate of both measures from the
time Ralph Wheelock became its ed
itor in 1882 until admission was Sc
cured in 1889, and always had With
it a large majority of the people Of
town and county. There was a small
contingent in 1888, after the terri
torial capital went to Bismarck. who
feared that in event of division the
capital OF the south half might 20
to Huron and were some what luke
warm, but The Republican main
tined its ground consistently. Dun
ing a part Of 1854 and 1885 Mr..
Wheelock was in Yankton and later
in Bismarck but during all of that
time relaxed none of his efforts in
behalf OF the two-state movement,
as the files of the Sioux City, st.
Paul and Chicago papers of those
years testify, Returning to Mitch
ell in November, 1885, Mr.. Wheelock
found the sentiment for two states
we'll in the ascendent. though there
had been no participation in the
constitutional convention at Sioux
Falls, and that sentiment grew until
admission was an assured fact.
Now that MIR. Caldwell is delying
into ancient history it might be we'll
to ask him who was responsible for
the one-state combination in the
jamestown convention of 1888, that
if carried through on the eve of a
national Republican victory would
have given division a worse setback
than all Of Mitcbeli's alleged in
difference? On The morning Of that
notable convention it was discovered
by the delegates from the new coun-
ties and the tier west to the Missou-
ri river from Lincoln county, that
certain ambitious South Dakota Lol-
iticians had put up a slate that
would have TUNED down such vail
ant champions of division in North
Dakota as II. G. Hansbrough and his
friends, and given recognition to
members of the old gang who stood
out for n state.
Members of the Dawson county
delegation Of which Geo. a. Silsby
was chairman, discovered this deal
and rallied a caucus in the parlor of
the Gladstone about 8 a. IN. that re-
suited in breaking this slate and
bringing about a combin alton of di-
visionists both north and south.
Mr.. Silsby will recall this affair as
will Senator H~ansbrougb. L. b.
Richardson of Grand Forks and
Others, WHO took part in the exciting
events that marked the preliminary
organization.
Mr.. Caldwell himself will doubt
less lecall also that he was invited
into this COW county caucus and
questioned as to the progress made
by the one-state combination and
that he assured the boys it was too
far gone to be stopped, largely
through the influence of the Mitch
ell men who were on the ground and
who scented danger to division at a
time when a misstep would have
been fatal to all hopes of two states.
Surely Mitchell proved its loyalty to
the cause Of South Dakota whenever
the results were OF a practical sort,
if it refused to play into the
hands Of self seeking politicians with
their pseudo legislatures, their pre-
mature constitutional conventions
and their threats to break into the
Union whether or no.
If there is n thing Mitchell does
not need to apologize for at this
stage in the history of the state it is
its consistent, conservative, yet sim
cere and earnest record. on division
and statehood.
The Aberdeen News says that
South Dakota has a half million peo-