The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1904-08-04
A REMOVAL EPIDEMIC
How 1t Might Affect Towns Now
Having Public Institutions.

in the controversy which already has
excited so many portions of the state.
We have made no arrangement with
the capital committee of either city,
nor do we expect to make any. What
ever we may have to say will be based
entirely upon our convictions as to
what will be wise for the state at large,
or for this particular locality, and not
az all as to what may be for the par
ticular and special interest OF the
boomers of either Mitchell or Pierre.
There is one phase Of the case which
it seems to the Press ought to engage
the concern of Brookings and OF every
community in South Dakota in which
"a public institution is located. That
phase is the danger Of starting move
ments for the relocation OF such insti-
tutions. Every city or town that today
has the advantage of possessing such
a location, hazards its advantage by
contributing to the unsettling OF the
present distribution.
y Taking the capital away from Pierre
would leave without single public
institution an area extending from
Aberdeen, Redfield and Plankinton on
the east to Rapid City on the west
an area including two-thirds of the
entire state.
1t is to be presumed THAT !such an
area, covering two-thirds of the whole
state, would be content to be thus de-
prived for any great number of years!
Mould it not be inevitable that cru
sades would be inauguratedkb before
long, seeking to capture a due share
OF these seventeen public institutions,
monopolized by one-third of the state?
TO resist such crusades would entail
expense-and the demand made be the
deprived two-thirds would have fair
showing of justice in its behalf.
In case such efforts at reprisal should
be made, there would be no Isubmis-
sion of the question to tvote OF the
people of the state. The matter would
be determined by a majority OF the
legis lature. Who can insure Brook
ings, or any other locality. now having
a public institution, that a1combln-
alton for capturing two or three of
these institutions might not be made?
Z There are several countiesIwhich now
having nothing in this line and that
are outside of the two-thirds area re-
ferred to, which might beTenlisted in
such legislative combination.
The strongest possible guaranty
against such combinationEwould be
to allow this two-thirds of the state to
retain the capital, instead of removing
it to a section which already has more
than its share of public institutions.
Therefore Brookings and all the other
communities already enjoying these
locations should be industrious in re-
sisting capital removal.
In addition to these special icOnsld-
eratiOns, there is another OF more
general character, which already has
been emphasized by supporters OF
Pierre. The lands granted by the
Federal government for endowment OF
state institutions, lie largely in Sec
tions which will be injuriously affect
affected if the people of South Dakota
should remove the capitallin response
to any such arguments as Mitchell
has set up in this campaign.
These arguments are an impeach-
ment of more than half the state, and
removal would be an endorsement of
this impeachment. 1t would frighten
homesteaders and delay settlement,
and thus prevent these endowment
lands from reaching the price OF $40
per acre, which the constitution fixes
as the lowest figure at which they may
: be sold.
So long as these lands cannot be
sold, the state treasury must betapped
for maintenance and improvement of
the institutions; and therefore many
much needed features have been
omitted because the taxpayers will not
tolerate such large drafts upon their
funds; while realization of funds from
these endowments will save the peo-
pie large part of the taxes they now
pay.
The Agricultural College at Brook
ings has nearly twice as large an en-
dowment as any other institution in
the state, and four times as large as
any except two of them. Two-thirds
OF these Agricultural College lands lie
in the territory either directly in the
Missouri river country or west Of it,
which would be injuriously affected
by removal of the capital.
1t ought to be evident, therefore,
that there are at least two reasons why
those interested in the Agricultural
College at Brookings ought to oppose
capital removal.
I First, because depriving two-thirds
( of the state of any public institutions
Whatever would certainly increase the
Ranger of attempts at removing insti-
<,+;opS 90 now located