The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-08-19
caN SEE NO DANGER

There are several Pierre support
ing newspapers that are having a hit
over the alleged superstition that
capital removal will lend an influence
tending to the removal of many state
Institutions, such as universities,
normal schools, aud penitentiaIy,
insane asylum, etc. These fellows
hope to brighten towns wherein
these state institutions are located
and drive them to the support of
Pierre. The scheme, however, is
too gauzy for any sane person to take
any stock in it. The Vermillion
Republican a few days ago had a
timely article clearly refuting this
idea, and Vermillion has about the
largest school in the state. Now the
Aberdeen American, which is pub
lished at the home of the northern
normal and industrial school, has
the following to say concerning this
matter:
John Longstaff and his Huron
Huronite, C. j. Mcleod and his Alb
erdeen News, Charley Allen and his
Bookings Press and our elder BROTH
er with bis Arlington Sun are trying
very assiduously TO convince the peo-
pie that the removal Of the capital
from Pierre to Mitchell would Gre
ate a removal spirit in the state that
state institution was moved to some
other town, and in CONSCIENCE they
go into Mysteries and have seventeen
kinds of fits and prophesy all manner
Of bad things for South Dakota and
r Sur that the state would 90 to
the damnation bow-wows in a hurry
just because a great majority Of
the people want the capital of the
commonwealth located in a more
populous community.
This sort of tommy rot is some
what amusing to any one who is at
all conveIsant with the state, its re-
sources and its institutions and the
property held by each, together with
its land and money grants. In the
first place all the other state institu-
tiOns aside from the capital, are To-
Gated in populous centers and for
that reason alone there would be no
cause whatever of moving q one Of
them. Then again at every other
state institution-the state univer-
sity, the agricultural college, the
various normal schools, the penal in
situations, etc.-the state has thous-
ands Of dollars invested in both
buildings and lands and 1T does not
stand to reason that a removal of
any of the institutions would be at
tempted or thought OF on account Of
the sacrifice Of property eutailed.
But with the capital it is different.
The state does not W a foot Of
ground or a building at Pierre which
duplicate, and to duplicate with
much more valuable lands and with
a building that would do credit to
the state for a capitol building.
Then there is another thing to be
taken into consideration. The cap
lltal should.be located where it can
he OF easy access Of any and every
one, a condition much different from
that Of the other institutions of a
public character. With the educa-
tional institutions a small proper
ton Of the younger element of the
state is all that visits them, and
With the penal institutions-no one
wants them where they can ''chase
themselves into them whenever the
spirit moves them. None but the
young me- and women get any good
from the university n normal and
other schools of the state, none but
the feeble minded receive any bene-
fit from the states asylums and hos
pitfalls, and none but the criminals
get any good from the Sioux Falls
penitentiary; but the state capital
is for all the people and should and
must be located where it car be Wis.,
tied whenever any one in the state
has occasion to do so.