The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1912-03-21
STATE HAMPERED TO
HELP ENTERPRISE
MOVEMENT IS ON FOOT TO RE-
PEAL SECTION WHICH sTANES
AS AN EMBARGO AGAINST
STATE AID.

Pierre, s. D.-John Nipple, editor
OF the Pierre Capital-Journal, is in
stituting a campaign of agitation
for the repeal of section /, article
10. of the constitution, which pro-
vides:
Neither the state nor any
county, township Or municipality
shall loan or give its credit or make
donations to or in aid of any in
dividual association or corporation,
except for the necessary support of
the poor, o subscribe to or become
responsible for the debt or liability
OF any individual, association or
corporation; Nor shall the
state engage in any work of internal
Improvement"
BY this constitutional prohibition
the state of South Dakota is pre-
vented from carrying on by the use
OF the states credit and
many needed lines of internal i'm
provement, as good roads, possible
railroads, irrigation and water pow
er projects and the mining of coal.
A similar clause Is found in the con-
stitutional of practically all western
states, and as Mr.. Nipple argues, at
the time of its adoption was prob
ably q necessary ~expedient to pre-
vent the waste of the peoples mon
ey by e~xtravagant legislatures. 1t
wal incorporated in these later con-
stitutions because of the experiences
of Illinois, Michigan, and other CEN
trail states in the '4O's, when their
assemblies bound them for great
sums for turnpike, canal and rail-
W ay promotion. Today in South
Dakota, with the initiative and ref
erendum, whereby any ~eNtravagant
appropriation would likely be bought
before he people for approval. this
danger no longer exists, and with it's
removal, there is no longer valid
reason for the existence of this pro-
hibitory constitutional provision.
A few years g a special consti-
tutional amendment enabled the
state to construct and operate a
Irvine and shirt factory at the Sioux
Falls ~penitentiary. This is the only
industrial enterprise carried on by
the state, but there is a long list of
internal improvements which are
vitally important to the development
OF South Dakota, many of which
have been proposed to, and would
likely have been enacted by the leg
1slature If not unconstitutional.
Among these is state aid for the
construction of improved highways.
Last session some important mem
bers, including Speaker Morris, con-
sidered the introduction II such a
bill until they thought of the con-
stitutional difficulty. BY such a law
the state could build model roads
where they would be object lesson
to all. For a long period of years
the railways refused to invade the
trans-Missouri country, leaving it
for two decades ar ~undeyeloped In
dian reservation. At that time some
public spirited citizens contemplate
ed Q Estate railway from the Wis
souri, to the Hills, but were prevent
ed from taking any octive steps be-
cause Of the constitution. There are
vast, tracts OF easily irrigated land
in the state, the development of
which will likely be delayed for
years because Of the impossibility of
state assistance. The several hun
dred miles of Missouri river through
the state cry out for improvement
In order to enable the people of
South Dakota to take advantage of
4 great natural resource.
Resources Suppressed.
Here again it's hands are tied. On
the Missouri there are two water
powers, the development of which
would produc, hundreds of thous-
ands Of horsepower which could be
transmitted throughout the state,