The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-04-01

Pierre while holding office. have
frequently asked the reason, and
have invariably been met by this
answer they do not wish to take
their families there to live, follow
ing their reply by the reasons. which
explanation is unnecessary to give at
the present time.
u is enough to know that it is for
reasons that our State officers deem
good and sufficient. For the fifteen
years that The state capital has been
located at Pierre, all ou1 State oti-
erals except n or Two, regardless of
party ~atlillatiOn, have refused to live
at Pierre-which certainly is a mis-
fortune to the people of the state. l
am not going to enter into amy clah-
crate discussion as to the merits or
dement's OF Pierre for Il permanent
capital OF the state of South Dakota.
In explanation would say, | have no
personal interest in either the asplr-
ants for capital donors. Still | be-
lieve our state capital should be To-
Gated in a city of sufficient import
ance to afford educational, social and
commercial advantages to accommo-
date all our state officers so they will
not have an excuse to abandon their
duties and leave them to be per-
formed by deputies and clerks.
Such city should be centrally locat-
ed as tic business and population, on
some main thoroughfare where peo-
pie to and from the great centers of
commerce could reach it without so
much Inconvenience. But it is
claimed Pierre will be such a city.
10 this l can not agree for the fol-
lowing reasons: After fifteen years
OF probation, Pierre remains the
same, while our state has advanced
to the front rank among western
states. All towns throughout the
state have increased wonderfully in
population and business; many hav-
ing been dout led and some have
treblel, but Pierre remains the same.
l I'M of the opinion theil business is
not as large as it was when the
Pierre & Deadwood stage and freight
lines ran out there.
Pierre is the terminus of the C. &
N. W.. r. r. and has no competitor
for business for 1870 miles on the
west, 10 miles on the north and
south. With this immense territory,
which the Pierre people claim is
fertile land, and having the further
advantage of being n of the oldest
towns in the state, the state capital,
and .-home of some of the most astute
capital boomers in the west, Pierre
has made no material advancement
for nearly a score Of years.
There must exist a cause for this
and it must be unsurmountable or
those same shrewd boomers would
have overcome it and made a pros
porous commercial city of Pierre,
which thing they nave signally failed
to do. 1t still remains one hundred
and twenty miles west of any main
thoroughfare and every citizen in the
state, in order TO reach the present
capital, must travel over this dis
lance and pay tribute to Huron and
the G. & N. w. r. r.. unless he live
on the line between Huron and
Pierre. Although he may live in
the Black Hills he must travel the
line from Huron to Pierre.
Has Mitchell any advantages over
Pierre? To this question we must
answer in the Affirmative for the
following reasons: First. it is much
easier of access, being located on
two main thoroughfares, n running
east and west. one running north and
south and the Omaha running east
direct to st. Paul and Minneapolis
and connecting with the Omaha
main line running direct to Chicago
enabling people to reach it from all
parts of the state, from all directions
and in passing to and from our COM
merclal markets. Mitchell can be
reached without inconvenience be-
cause it is on a main line in the CEN
ter of population and business. Sec
ond, Mitchell is one of the substan-
tial tlourishing cities of the state. Its
educational advantages are unsur-
passed by any city in the state.
Commercially 1T ranks among our
first.
Its future is assured whether it
succeeds in this contest or not. Our
last reason is: IF the capital is To-
Gated at Mitchell it forever settles
the capital question and our state
can make Il home for its government
and its officers. The opposition are
aware OF this fact, hence the fight i'm
all the rival towns. AS long as the
capital remains at Pierre. it is a
bone Of contention and Huron n
Redtield will have a chance to win
the prize.