The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-11-04
THE CAPITAL QUESTION

Arguments are Presented for Mitch.
ell by IA Yankton County
Farmer.
From The lankton Daily Press Dakotan Gazette
Editor Daily Gazette: The cap
ital fight is the absorbing topic of
conversation all over the state. The
writer took il trip to Mitchell last
Wednesday (peing Rec Mems day to
ascertain if Mitchell's claims for
state capital were genuine. About
two thousand guests arrived between
III d. m. and , p. M. This vast
throng was taken in hand by the
Mitchell club and provided with
comfortable apartments in private
families. Mitchell ma not have its
four hundred of upper tens but it
is a city OF good SamarltanS'' and
genuine hospitality. The town itself
displays great taste: the buildings.
both public and private are neat and
substantial. The capitol building is
of Sioux Falls granite, built ON the
most improved plans and is Il beauty
from basement to attic. The inter
ior is so arranged as to --accommo-
date comfortably our legislature for
the next twenty wears and Mitchell
guarantees its use to the state until
the 81, 600 acres or land set aside for
public buildings may he sold: they
also agree to move all state property,
furniture, books, records and NOV
able property free OF cost to the
state.
The Pierre boomers tell US tanners
il the capital is moved from Pierre
we will be taxed to death as Mitchell
will present Il bill in the legislature
for ST ,0O0. 900 to bulld a new capitol
building. This bluff is too trans
parent; us old hayseeds can see
through it without the use of the
Array. If Pierre should retain the
capital | suppose those boomers are
patriotic enough to build a fire proof
building and present it to the state
for legislative purposes. If Pierre
wins out they will ask for a million
dollar appropriation for a state
building inside OF four years. If our
law makers appropriate this vast sum
would it be a safe investment to
build inside the corporate limits of
Pierre: | say. NO" for these
reasons:
When the state o. South Dakota
accepted the old capitol building at
Pierre January 3, 1891, the bonded
interest indebtedness OF the town
exceeded $500. 900. When Pierre
forced a compromise in the fall fol-
lowing the total indebtedness was
1913 900.
Expert inanciers affirm that Pierre
can never pay her debts and that
eventually her creditors will begin
action IN the courts to recover their
money.
y 4 vi NOhISS 1t Iltll
on all real property within the "
porate limits OF the town, property
belonging to the state as well as to
the city and private individuals
III you should purchase a mortgaged
farm and build a fine house thereon
and were unable TO pay OIL the mort
gage there is no need TO tell you that
you would lose your house as well as
your land.
If the capital remains at Pierre it
means the expenditure of something
like 81, 700, COO at ono for Il new cap
itol building and Pierre will then be
in good shape to repudiate another
half million of bonds.
The bond holders will also be in
position TO find sufficient assets at
Pierre TO warrant foreclosure pro-
cecdings as the bonds will be a lien
on a new capitol building as well as
the Old one.
DO YOU want to be taxed to pay
your share for IA million dollar cap
itol building and then be taxed a sec
ond time to pay PieIre's debt of half
a million to save the capitol from
passing to the hands of eastern bond
holders?
1T not vote for Mitchell. where a
fine capitol building will be leased
free to the state and where there is
no outstanding city Indebtedness to
plague tue state now or i'm the flu
ture
Are the farmers and taxpayers
fool HARDY enough to erect a building
for state purposes on property that is
in the grasp Of the eastern bond
holders and Shylocks? III we invest
in a capitol let US put it at Mitch
ell, a city with no outstanding in
%debtednesS that we will have to pay.
In writing this article I don't intend
to a one unkind word about the