The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-01-08
LOCATING THE CAPITAL

The Minnehaha, Baltic, Minnehaha
County: Inside Of a year it is going
to be up to the people Of South Da-
kota to decide whether they are 60
ing to bring the capital to a point
where they can get to and from it
without any unnecessary loss Of tine
aud physical exertion and at small
expensesor leave 1T where it Is in a
vain hope of beneHtting generations
unborn. The last legislature very
properly. and by an overwhelming vote
gave the people of the commonwealth
another opportunity to pass upon the
question aud it:.is the expectation of
a great many public men we'll stu
ated to know that the voters will
promptly take advantage Of 1t and
place the capital at the hustling corn
palace city on the Jim. In so doing
the people, of the state who have bus
mess at the capital will not only he
greatly convenienced, but there will
be q large saving in annual expend-
itures. In the thirteen years the
Icapital has been located on the edge
of the range country and Indian res
ervations the state has been placed
to many thousands Of dollars extra
expense for mileage for the legislative
bodies and state oficers-a tribute
to the geographical center sentiment
the commonwealth could Ill afford.
This sickly sentiment would never
have %trlumphed, however, had it Got
been for an outrageous use Of money
the evil effects of which are felt all
through u body polite to this day.
Few people will agree with the
Sioug Falls Forum that Pierre ought
to keep the capital because she bought
and paid for 1T. The people are SOW
ereign il matters OF this kind-not
a little coterie Of real estate specu-
lators. 1t is costing the state upwards
of a thousand dollars-we don't know
but double %that-every yeal for mile
age over and above what it would
cost with the capital at Mitchell
Nine-tenths Of the people Of the
state have to go to Wolsey to get to
Pierre. and when they get to WolseY
they are fifty miles nearer to Mitchell
than to Pierre.
1t should be kept in mind. also,
that it will not cos the state a dol
lar to move the capital to Mitchell.
That busy little city is now building
a beautiful city ball from our OWL
Minnehaha county granite, especial
ly designed for a temporary capitol
building. 1t is large and ample fol-
all the requirements of the state fol
q capitol building and use of 1T is to
be donated to the state until it sees
ft to erect a building of its osn. The
building will have large assembly
rooms for both branches of the legis-
lature, rooms for the supreme court.
colnmittee rooms, goycrnor'e :coms,
and ire proof vaults for the state rec
ords and supreme court library, the
last named valuable documents now
being stored in the fire trap now
serving as a capitol building at
Pierre.
II the capital doesn't 90 to Mitch
eli you may look out for a 1850, 900 OF
more appropriation next time the
legislature meets for a permanent
capitol building at Pierre-which
means that the state will have to
borrow money until the land granted
by the general government for that
purpose can be sold at a fai. price.
IT is money in the pockets of the
taxpayers in more ways than n to
place the capital at Mitchell, to sag
nothing of the many benefits and con-
v%eniences to hundreds OF people in all
parts of the state.
Perry Heath is travelling across the
r.~.. rs. Gale