The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1904-07-15
Il KIMBALL
cLArE T1NAN
Official Paper Of the City and County
KEEP THE RECORD STRAIGHT

KEEP THE RECORD STRAIGHT
One of the singular phases of the
Mitchell-Pierre capital campaign is
that a newspaper published in the
former town is doing all it can to en-
barrass the cause of the community
from which it derives its support. In
a recent issue this paper SAYS:
Pierre's press bureau mas just dis
covered that Mitchell's old Ordway-
Observation-Disclosures gang played traitor
to division and statehood because of
Bismark'S accessibility for capital.
illusions OF this sort are liable to be
misunderstood if allowed to 20 with
out explanation. There never was
any treachery in Mitchell toward the
cause of division and admission. The
Republican was a staunch advocate of
both measures from the time Ralph
| Wheelock became Its editor in 1882
until admission was secured in 1889,
and always had with it Il large ma
jority OF the people of the town and
county. There was a small contingent
in 1888, after the territorial capital
went to Bismarck, who feared that in
event OF division the capital of the
south half might go to Huron and
were somewhat luke warm, but the
Republican maintained its ground
consistently. During a part of 1854
and 1855 Mr.. Wheelock was in Yank-
tDn op6 Iotor in p;cp,orl- L,+ cj,r;~,.
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 will testify. Returning to
Mitchell in November, 1885, Mr..
Wheelock found the sentiment for
two states we'll in the ascendant
though there lad been 10 participa-
tion in the constitutional convention
at Sioux Falls, and that sentiment
grew until admission was an assured
fact.
Now that Mr., Caldwell is delving
into ancient history it might be we'll
to ask him who was responsible for
the one-state combination in the
jamestown convention Of 1883, that If
carried through on the eve of a na-
tional Republican victory would haye
given division a worse setback than
all OF Mitchell's alleged inditference?:
On the morning of that notable con-
yention it was discovered by the del
egates from the COW counties and the
tier west to the Missouri river from
Lincoln county, that certain amli.
tious South Dakota politians had put
up a slate that would have turned
down such valiant champions of diy.
ision in North Dakota as Fl. @. Hans.
brough and his friends, and given
recognition to members Of the old
gang who stood out for one state.
Members of the Dawson county del
egation of which George A. Silsby was
chairman, discovered this deal and
rallied a caucus in the parlor of the
Gladstone about 9 a. m. that resulted
in breaking this slate and bringing
about a combination of divisionists
both north and south. MI. Silsby
will recall this affair as will Senator
Hansbrough, L. B. Richardson Of
Grand Forks and others, who took
part n the exciting events that mark.
ed the preliminary organization.
Mr.. Caldwell himself will doubtless
recall also that he was invited into
this COW county caucus and question
ed as to the progress made by the one.
state combination and that he as,
sured the boys it was too far gone tC
be stopped. But it was stopped, large.
ly through the influence of the Nit.
chell men who were on the ground and
who scented danger to division at a
time when a mlsstep would have beer
fatal to all hopes of two states. Sure.
ly Mitchell proved its loyalty to the
cause of South Dakota whenever the
results were OF a practical sort, ever
if it refused to play into the hands OF
self-seeking politicians WI tn their
pseudo legislatures, their premature
constitutional conventions and their
threats to break into the Union
whether or no.
If there is one thing Mitchell does
not need to apologize for at this stage
in the history Of the state it is its
consistent, conservative, yet sincere
and earnest record, on division and
statehood.
Our friend, Mr.. Edward Box had tc
take it all back-what he SAID about
DIR. Pierce's medicines at least, in his
editorial, "Thc Patent Medicine
Curse" The r. V. Pierce company
Of Buffalo began a 5000, 900 suit against
the publication and in order to get
out of paying it the last number of
the Ladies' Home Journal contains a
complete %retraction. 1t was a decided
victory for the Pierce company and
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