Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1906-10-12
CHAPTER I

Az hNl progressive "Ayy buk LIZ 1SFp1S
he Of AuEeataiaud was certainly not In
- Gourishlng condition. Although most
happily situated tt lies IN the coast
rather 10 the sacFth), and gifted with an
4sxtensige territory, nearly as big as North
Dakota, 1t had set failed 70 make that
ua.srlal progress which had been hoped
by i2 founders. IT is true that the sLase
Wss still IN ItsyintaBcy, being ar ottshool
srom another and larger realm, and AaT-
lag obtained the boon Of freedom aud self
government only as recently as 1871, aI-
Tar o series of political commissions OF a
y!oIent character, which may bs studied
With advantage in tie well-hpowU history
81 The Making OF AuraataiaDd" bg a
learned professor Of the Jeremiah y.
Jse4s UniFeFsity. 4iss profound A!sao-
r+An u, beyond all question, accurate IA
a~ttributing the chief share IN the national
movement to tae energy and ability OF
VAe Lsat President Of AuCeataland, his
LxcelleBcy President Marcus W. Whit
tlnEham, a native Of Virginia. Having
enjoyed a personal friendship with that
ta!ensed a as will subsequently appear,
j haze great fpleasiss IN publicly eHdorE-
Ing the protessors eu.ogium. Not only
did the President bring Aureataland into
being, but he moulded her whole .coAsrl-
tuition. 1T WAS his genius" GAG the pro
tessor observes with ppopFiety9 which
~as fired with the idea of creating a truly
modern State, instinct with the prOgres-
s!xe spirit Of the Anglo-Sa1ou rae 1T
@as his genius which cast aside the T7Fn-
out traditions of European dominion, and
taught his fellow citizens thas they sSere,
lf not all by birth, yet one and all by
adoption, sons OF freedom" ANY mis-
taxes Ia the execution Of this fine con
caption must be SGT down to the fact that
the Presidents great pogsers were rather
che happy gift Of natuye than the result
Of culture.
70 this truth be VAS himsef in no way
blind, and lie Was Accustomed 70 attrin-
ute his waut OF a liberal education 70 the
social ruin brought upon his family by the
American Civil War, and TO the dislcea-
ton thereby produced in his studies.
Starting under the auspices of such q
x1ted leader, Rnd iInbged Rith 80 noble
q zeal for proaEess, AureGta!aGd WAS, at
the beginning ot her history as a nat!op,
the object of many fond and proud hopes.
But In spite of the blaze OF glory Ia
whlch her sun had risen, her prosperity
was not maintained. The country Ras
well suited Tor Agriculture and grazing,
bur tae population yery queer mixture
of races was ipdolent, and more given
10 keeping holida.@s and festivals than 70
honest labor. Most of them were u~pinteI
ligent; those WIG were intelligent made
their lying out of those who weren't, q
method of subsistence satisfactory TO cue
individual, but adding l4ttle 70 the agsre
gate Of national wealth. Only Two classes
nade fortunes Of any gize government
officials and baFkeepers-and even In their
case wcslth vas not great, locked at By
On English or American standard. Pro
ductAop was slack, invention az . stand
still, and taxation heavy. The PEsst
dents talents seemed more adapted 70
founding . State 10 the shock and turmoil
of war, than 70 the dull details of admin
istraliop and although he was nomipaily
assisted by Q cabinet Of three ministers,
sud an assembly comprising twenty-five
members, II was on bis shoulders that the
zeal work Of government fell. or him,
therefore, the moral responsibility must
ALAG rest=-a burden the President bore
with . cheerfulness and egpapiRaity al
most amounting TO uneonseiousness.
When Grst set foot il Aureataland
wss landed on the beach by o boat from
the stesmsr at the capital town of Whit-
bingham was e yeuRs paaR, entering
on my twenty sixth year, and full ri pride
st fadlng myself u ~ early 81 age sent
out 70 HIl tbs responsible position Of man
sges ct our AlraataIand branch, The
dtxsctDys of the bank we're chen pursuing
What may without unfairuess be called an
adventurous policy, and, In Response 10
the usgept eatreaties and glowing exhor
tations Of the President, they had decided
On establishing q branch at Whittiasbam.
commanded Q certain amount OF inter
est or the board, ipasmuch as the chair
nan owed my father q sum Of nancy, too
snail 70 mention, hut too large 10 pay,
and when, led BY the youthful itch for
novelty, appiied for the post, | sue
ceeded IN obtaining my wish 81 q salary Of
Q hundred dollars Q month, am sorry
to say that IL the COARSE af a later busi
uass dealing the balance Of obligation
shifted from the chairman to my father,
an unhappy event which deprived me Of
M held on the company and seriously In
huspced my caaduGt IN later days. When
arrived In Aureataland the bank had
hsea open some six months, under the
gpidanca af Mr.. Thamas Jones, a steady
going old clark, who Was IN future 10 act
~ chiat and cashier undar ny orders,
found W%hittingham q pleasant littls
city at shaut iys Thousand inhabitants,
picturssSuely situated on q ine hay, at
the spoS whefs the river MarcHs debnush-
I'd into the ocean. The town was largely
composed af government buildings aud
Rotsls, but there was q street at shops OF
10 mean order, and 4 handsome square,
called the ''Piasza 1871 emheilishei with
an equestrian statue Of the President,
Round about this national monument
vera . large number Of SEATS, and, hard
BIZ, a cafe and bapdstaad, Here, scan
found, was the center 81 lifa In the after
neons and evenings. tieins along a hne
Ryenua al tress for halt q mile ar so sau
catas 70 the iGoldea Hause,A the Fsasi-
dant's official residence, An imposing villa
at whita stone with q gilt stataa az An
rsataiand, a fetnaia figure sitting an a
pisashshs re, and ho}aiag q sword IN the
sight hand and q e~araueapia IN tha left,
81 her feet lay what was apparently q
badly planned eannen ball this, ! learned,
was q Rnsset, aud fFem lis presence and
abe aame 81 the palace, | satherea that
tha President had anee keped 70 base
ms PFpsIBvFtSI NJ MS I1aSs sTTaSl.sT- -
the soild foundation OF mineral wealth.
Ihis hope had bean lens abandoned,
naFa siWSys Ratsd AeSaisy 50 iasi
no time IA hacking ieaaa fer lodgings
suitable "a nav means, and Was fortunate
snonsh 4 obtain q eoapse of ra2gas n tas
house occupied by q PRIEST EstheI
jacques Beaehretian. Tie VAS q yesy gael
fellow. aud thqugh We did net heeegaa in
timate, I could aiNays rety an his ceNr
sss5 and friendly services vice. Here liyeq
Ia great comfort at an expense OF nfty