Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1904-03-05
Mitchell VS.. South DAKOTA.

Aberdeen News: Without reference
to the capital question, but solely with
regard for the reputation and financial
interests of the state at large the News
wants to protest once more against the
ISLANDERS upon the western counties that
are being published in its sympathetic
newspapers in syndicate style by the
Mitchell capital committee.
This weeks installment OF exchanges
again contains syndicated-articles rela-
tive to conditions in the western coun-
ties that are shamefully full of misrep-
reservations and perversion offact. The
counties are held up to scorn as being
uninhabitable except by cowboys and
coyotes and in all respects unfruitful. II
these ISLANDERS affected only the good
name of the eight or ten counties in
question, standing alone, the offense
might be condoned. If they affected
only Pierre's chances for retaining the
capital they might be regarded as mere
tricks of the trade. But as a matter of
fact they strike the whole state in vital
point and, if believed, will work irrepar-
able injury. They strike the financial
interests of every state institution and
every common school, from Elk Point to
Frederick. Much of the endowment
lands of the public institutions and COM
mon schools lie within the malinged Sec
ton. The northern normal has thous-
ands of acres in the country which the
Mitchell people are trying to make the
world think worthless; 30 have the
Madison normal, the agricultural college
at Brookings, Vermillion university, the
Rapid City school of mines, the Spear
fish normal, the Springfield normal, the
northern hospital for the insane at Red
field, the insane hospital at Yankton,
the school for the blind at Gary, the re-
form school at Plankinton, to designate
the several institutions by their local
names. The common schools of the
state also own many thousands of acres
in this so.called "arid-belt," which fact
brings the ISLANDERS home to every man,
woman and child in every locality.
If the vast section Of the country des.
igrated by the Mitchell syndicate as
worthless, is so in fact, then the vast do
main of the endowment and other pub
lie lands embraced in the belt is worth
less also. If the newspapers which pub
lish the Mitchell syndicated articles are
taken seriously, the endowment lands
and the common school lands will for
ever remain unsold. Instead Of common
schools becoming selfsupporting as they
should be with the income derived from
these and other lands to the almost en-
tire elimination of taxes for common
school purposes, the school taz burden
amounting to one.third of the total tax
which every man pays will remain al
most stationary. Instead of the institu-
tions of the state, educational and other
wise, drawing their maintenance from
these lands, they will forever remain a
heavy and direct burden to the taxpay-
ers. In this maligned region there is
enough land set apart by congress for
the purpose, to erect and maintain in
time capitol building of which the state
would be proud, and that without cost
ing the taxpayers dollar that will not
be refunded. Should the Mitchell syn
dicated articles take root, the cost ofany
new capitol building would have to be
borne entirely by direct taxation. State
pride, selfish interest as taxpayers,
everything, appeal to the Mitchell syn
dicate to stop this senseless abuse. There
is no reason in it. No good can come
from it. 1t is as unfair to the people
who favor Mitchell as to the people who
favor Pierre. In common deccncy, COM
mon self.interest, these suicidal articles
should be suppressed.