The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1904-02-12
THE CAPITAL
A Public Demand For a Change
in its Location

~A VI OpuIdulOlR anu
Accessibility and Not the
Geographical Center Deter
mining Factors
The Pierre papers are pub
fishing an article headed with
Some reasons why the state
capital should reamainat Pierre. ;"
The first reason given is that
Pierre is at the geographical
center OF the state. But this is
no argument at all to practical
men when the fact is borne in
mind that it is the convenience
of the people of the state and
not a geographical sentiment
that should have weight in the
proper solution Of the question.
No person who has ever had to
make the trip to Pierre from
any place east of the Jim river
but has felt that the capital at
it's present location is out of
place. This is attested by the
fact that at the meeting of almOst t
every legislature since the cap
ital was placed at Pierre there
has been d more or less deter
mined effort to give the people
an opportunity to make change,
and only because Of the rivalry
of the several towns, any OF
which would have been more
accessible than Pierre to the
great majority of the people of
the state, has the re submission
of the question been averted.
The last legislature was over
whelmingly in favor of bringing
the question to the people that
the capital might be placed in a
more convenient locality. 1t is
a well known fact that the west
ern part of the state. except the
Black Hills, which is devoted to
mining, is simply a grazing
country totally untitled for gen
eral agricultural purposes, and
will never be capable of sustain
ing anything but sparse popu-
lation. 1t is an injustice and q
continual expense to the state
to COMPEL the people of the pop-
ploQs portion OF the common
wealth to travel 100 miles for
the privilege of being at the
geographical center Of tie state.
The center Of population, present
and perspective, and convenience
in reaching the capital are the
vital things to be taken into con-
sideration in its proper location.
Few capitals are located in the
geographical center of the state,
and those that are SO located are
practically in the center Of popu-
lation as well. The people of
both Kansas and Nebraska acted
intelligently in this matter and
made no attempt to place their
capitals in the geographical cen
ters, but both sought the center
of population and convenience
of the people of their states, and
their wisdom has been fully JUS
tilted by the passing years.
The argument of the Pierre
boomers that the location Of the
capital in that city will help to
develop the western part of the
state is absurd. 1t is not capitals
that develop countries. 1t re
qulres natural resources to Sc
cure immigration to any section
of country, and not all the cap.
italS in the world will develop
or populate d country not fitted
by nature TO sustain population.
The history of the past ten years
has proven this true in the case
at point. The settlement and
development Of the state has al
ready been defined and it's agri-
cultural, mining and grazing sec
tions established, and no amount
of capital talk can change the
facts of nature.
The closer the capital is to the
people the less the taxes will be,
and the location of the capital
at Mitchell would result in the
saving of more than twelve
hundred dollars to the state at
the meeting Of every legislature,
to say nothing of the saving to
individuals in both time and
money, and this will continue to
be the case during all the years
| to come.
Three fourths of the people
living in the state north of
Mitchell can visit it and return
the same day and have four
hours for business. The great
majority of those residing south
of it have to pass through it and
travel 100 miles farther to reach
the present capital.
I Nine ten tbs of the people OF
the state have to 90 to WOlSey tC