Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1916-03-17
Selfridge Boosters
Gets Double Cross
Morris.own Meeting Injected New Fac
tor in Proposed County Seat Re-
moval from Fort Yates

AT a meeting held at Morristown
i $. d., last week by the promoters
of the movement to move the county
seat of Sioux county from Fort va.
tes, the delegates from the country
tributary to Morristown-at the in.
stigation of the business interests ol
Morristown properthrew a mon.
key wrench into the machinery ol
the newly organized Sioux County
Voters League, and created wreck
that bids fair to ruin the scheme OF
the Selfridge boosters.
The opposition to Fort Yates
which was organized by the Mil
waukee railroad interests, and care.
fully nursed by townsite promoters
and spectators owning lands tribu-
tary to the Cannonball branch, has
ever since the organization of the
county was first broached had an
ambition to make Selfridge the seat
of government of Sioux county. To
bring this about an organization Of
the Sclfridge supporters was recently
formed and upon invitation Of the
business men a meeting called for
Morristowh which was held March
z. When the meeting convened
the South Dakotans handed the
Selfridgc boosters this double cross,
according the Morristown World:
1.-THE proposition of voting the
location of the county seat directly
north Of Morristown has been quiet
ly discussed the past few months
and every indication is shaping it's
self to that effect, and will have the
unanimous support of the voters in
the western part of the county. The
C. M. & st. Paul railroad official
was here Tuesday to consider the
matter of lending their aid in a
county seat fight and he was taken
out to the proposed county seat size
which is located about 60 rods north
of the main street Of Morristown in
Sioux county, and expressed him-
self more in favor Of the county seat
here than at Selfridge.''
From the above it can be seen
that the Milwaukee Railroad Com
pany canpet-baggers are not very
reliable gang to train with. They
have been selling lots at Selfridge
and inducing settlers to locate in
that locality by giving positive as
surances that in due time the county
seat would be located there. Now
their authorized attorney announces
the company is ready to flop, and
throw their support to a location
that will materially benefit a South
Dakota community.
In the meantime the county seat
location contest will not be voted on
until the general election in Novem-
ber. Fort Yates is the county seat
and the people here will use every
legitimate means to retain it. Near
ly three-fourths of the population
of Sioux county is located north of
the Cannonball branch of the Mill
waukee railroad and is tributary to
the Northern Pacific road. Fort
Yates is the most convenient and
easiest accessible point for over two
thirds of the people of the county.
As it takes two-third majority
vote to move the county seat from
Fort Yates it looks to the Pioneer
as though an attempt is being made
by selfish interests to mislead the
voters who are not familiar with
the true conditions.
Better let the removal campaign
rest few years until the popula-
ton increases and the valuation Of
the county will bear the additional
tax necessary to be raised for per-
manent county buildings.