The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-03-11
OFFICIAL COUNTY PAPER
FRIDAY, MARCH IL, 1904.
M.1cAeLL FOR THE cAplrAl


Dell Rapids Tribune: The cam
paign over the proposition to remove
the South Dakota state capital from
Pierre to Mitchell, submitted to the
electors of the state by act Of the
last legislature and to be voted on at
the November election, may be said
to be opened. Most of the newspap-
ers are lining up either for Mitchell
Or Pierre and the discussion of the
question promises to take precedence
v all other questions during the
time before the election. The peo-
pie, too, are manifesting an increased
interest IN the question at issue and
there is every indication that there
will be a fall and intelligent vote on
the proposition. While it is too
early as yet to make any forecast of
the result, it looks as if Mitchell
would be voted the capital by an
overwhelming majority. The vote
in the legislature submitting the
proposition indicated beyond any
reasonable question general dissatis-
faction, especially in the most popu-
lous section Of the state, with the
present location OF the capital at
Pierre and a strong sentiment in
favor OF its removal to a more favor
able and accessible point. OF the
three towns that were asp;rants for
the capital in the event Of its re-
moval from Pierre, namely Mitchell,
Huron and Redfeld, the legis-
lature selected Mitchell as being the
best place in all respects for the
capital, and there is every reason to
believe that the electors of the state
will ratify the selection at the No
vember election.
At the time the capital removal
resolution was taken before the leg
islature, The Tribune spoke in favor
Of it, and after its passage submit
ting the question, commended the
action OF the legislature in choosing
Mitchell as the candidate for the
capital against Pierre. Now that
the question is before the people for
discussion and consideration, The
Tribune, consistent with its previous
ntterances, will give such aid and
support as 1t is able to Mitchell, be-
lieving that the capital should he
removed from Pierre, that Mitchell
is by all odds the best place in the
state for it, and that it is to the in
terest Of the state at large to move
the capital to Mitchell.
When the state capital was first To-
Gated the writer and his newspaper
supported Pierre, but it became APP
parent to US long since that it was
a mistake to place the capital at one
of the most inaccessible points in the
state, and such being the case. we
propose to render such aid as we can
in rectifying the error while it can
be done without loss to the state.
Like thousands of others the writer
was caught by the %specious plea that
the capital ought to be placed at
Pierre because it was the geograph-
ical center OF the state, under the
erroneous superstition that as the
state developed it would become ac-
cessible to all sections, reckoning liz
tie Of the topography Of the country
around Pierre and its inadaptabiiity
to anything but grazing, which
makes it impossible Of settlement
and development like agricultural
regions. Time has proven that,
while the country around Pierre is
good for grazing purposes and the
stock raising industry is an import
ant land valuable u to the state,
it will never be good for anything
else: that in the very nature of
things 1T can never be thickly settled
or developed as the agricultural sec
tion OF the state, and that therefore
Pierre must continue as 1T is now,
merely a trading point for the ranch
men of that region. 1t has but one
railroad, the Northwestern, Of
which it is the terminus, and there
is nothing west Of it this side Of the
Black Hills to induce the Northwest
ern to extend west from there, and it
is obvious that it will remain as it is
for years to come AS Pierre is the
jumping off place. with no passenger
traffic beyond that point. its train
service has always been that Of an
obscure and isolated village and