The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1908-06-26


Dakota for the next two years was in
volved In it's first capital fight. AS we
have seen, when the territory w;,s cree
ated and the officers actually appointed
the Sioux Falls men were without in
fluence with the powers that be- and
they were compelled to surrender the
capital to the new regime.
The Shober-Phinney Affair.
Lincoln appointed William Jayne Of
Springfield. Ill.,. governor and sent him
out to organize the territory. instant
ly new capital location contest was
precipitated, and vernilion, Tankton
and Bonhomme each clamored for rec
ognitlon. Jayne looked the situation
over, established his temporary quar-
ters at Yankt0n and convened the first
legislature to meet there March II,
1862 The first business Of this legis-
lature was to establish the permanent
seat Of government. The legislature
was almost equally divided among
the three aspirants, but the shrewder
politicians were connected with the
federal officials and were interested
in Yankton. Bonhomme had intrust-
ed her fortunes to two prominent citi-
sens. John H. Shober, elected to the
council. and George NJ Phinney, rep
resentative in the house When these
worthless arrived ut Yapkton they were
graciously received by the denizens of
the mother city, who shrewdly offered
to make Shober president of the coun-
| ~ lxor nf N
They took the bait and in consideru-
tion Of these honors agreed in writing
to support Yankton for the capital.
This action apparently eliminated Bon
homme from the contest and gave
Yankton n walkaway, but it created
such furore in the "land of the good
man" and Shober and Phinney were so
roundly berated for their treacieryr to
their home town that the latter weak
ened. and when the capital location
bill, which had already passed the
council, reached the house Phinney
called confederate to the chair and.
taking the floor, moved t. substitute
Bonho,nmc for Yankton in the bin.
His substitute failed, whereupon be
moved to substitute vermilion fc,'
Yankton This motion prevailed and
the two houses stood deadlocked on
cnpit;li iocatioii.
The conduct of Phinney, who thus at
the beginning had departed from that
Fundamental. p.opositionAin in Dakota poll
itics and demonstrated that "he would
not stand without hitchng, was so ex-
nsperating to the patriots at Yankton
that they resolved to administer to him
q chastisement that would prove les
son for the guidance of politicians In
all the days to come. conspiracy
was entered into by which 1t was
agreed that upon the reassembling Of
the house Jim Somers. the noted des-
perado. who had hcen elected sergeant
at arms of the body. was to seize the
speaker. carry him bodily from the
chair and throw him forcibly through
a nearby window into the cold outer
world News of the conspiracy reach
ed the ears of Phinney. who appealed
to Governor Jayne for protection. The
latter ordered squad of soldiers into
the house Of representatives for the
protection Of the speaker, and Somers
was deprived of the joyous opportunity
in prospect The Yankton brethren,
however made the situation for Phln-
ney so warm that he was compelled to
resign. The action of the house was
reconsidercd, and Yankton was made
the permanent seatof government. But
1t might be added that out Of this ar
rangement Vermilion secured the loca-
ton of the State university. which has
proved vastly more valuable to her
than the capital ever could have been.
Yankton's Five Year Joy.
Yankton continued undisturbrd in the
enjoyment of her treasure ] or Eve
years. In 1867 General Todd, having
been defeated for congress, became a
candidate for and was elected to the
territorial council Attributing his de-
feat for congress to the action of the
citizens Of Yankton. he set about to
square accounts with them. EARLY In
the session he introduced bill remov-
ing the capital Of the territory from
Yankton to Bonhomme. Despite a
most frantic nlibuster conducted by
the late Downer T. Bramble, council
mon frnyp Vankton bo r,,ooaodo5 a.