Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1922-01-11
IOWA BORN AFTER.
LONG STRUGGLE.
Bitter Fight Waged Over Constitu.
ton by Territorial Settlers.
Iowa Was Is Years Old
On December %.
MUCH TIME REQUIRED IN
CONGRESS TO FIX LINES
People Wanted Much of Present
Southern Minnesota Included
Congress Had Plans for
Much Smaller
Area.

Des Moines, Iowa-The state OF
Iowa mad a hard time being born, ac-
cording to records in the archives OF
the state historical department here
1T managed to grow up all right
however, and Wednesday, Dec. 2S
was its seventy-ffth birthday.
1t is recorded that there was a
fight among the settlers over the
proposed constitution of Iowa, a
heated debate in congress. over the
admission of the state, controversy
between congress and the settlers
over the boundaries of the Hawkeye
member of the union, and a battle
between Iowa cities for the state
capital.
Included in the district of
Louisiana in 1904 and into the dis.
trict of Wisconsin in 1886, Iowa for
mally became separate territory in
1888. The first Legislature convened
in small frame building in Front
street in Burlington, known as the
"Old Zion Church" Robert Lucas
was appointed governor.
In 1889 Governor Lucas started
agitation in favor of statehood, and
the next year the territorial legisla-
ture submitted the question to the
people. The result was al decisive
majority against statehood. Two
years later the people again de-
feated the propo sitfon to form a
state government, but in 1874 they
had changed their minds.
A constitutional convention, LAST
ing from Oct. 7 % Nov. /, 1874;
adopted constitution which was
submitted to congress in 1S45. There
was strong fight in congress to adj
NIT Iowa to the union. 1t was argued
that Iowa could be of great influence
in national affairs. Florida was at
that time applying for admission as a
slave state; and it was felt that an
other free state was. needed9to keep
the balance between the slave and
free states In the union. III
The ambitious denizens of the in
choate state wanted an area that
would include the mouth of the st
Peters river and take In the pres
ent Winona, st. Paul and perhaps
Minneapolis. The line that the set
tiers wanted while including all of
the present Iowa as far west as the
Mississippi river, would have defect
ed therefrom at about where Sioux
City is now seated, and going in a
northeasterly direction, would have
reached the Mississippi river about
where is now the city of ST. Paul.
Congress, dissatisfied with so much
territory being embraced in the new
province, and wanting room to make
a state to the westward of Iowa, and
yet in part at least to the eastward
of the Missouri, proposed new lines,
which would have left the state
without the Missouri slope"
For the first time in the history OF
the country the people were asked to
vote on the proposed boundary. Al
ways prior to that time, when
congress fixed the boundary of a
state. that boundary was adhered to,
the wishes of the people not being
directly consulted in respect there
of. The settlers refused to ratify the
constitution with the reduced boun-
DIARIES. The vote was 1926 for and
1856 against.
On Jan. 10, 1916, the legislature
again called for delegates for con-
stitutional convention. The election
took place April 6. On May the
convention met and fifteen days We're
occupied in framing the constitution.
Thirty-three counties were present
as against twenty-four in the first
convention.
On Aug. 8 the constitution was
ratified by a vote of the people
q 492 favoring the constitution out of
1888 votes cast. On Oct. rs an ell
ection was held and Ansel Briggs
was chosen first governor of the
state Of Iowa.
A. C. Dodge, territorial delegate
from Iowa, presented the new con-
stitution to the house of representa-
tives on Dec. Is, 1916. 1t was re-
ferred to the committee on terri
tories. and on Dec. II, Stephen A.
Douglas, of Illinois, from that COM
mittee reported bill for the admis-
sion of Iowa into the union.
On Dec. "a, it was taken up in the
senate, having been approved by the
Judiciary committee. After an at
tempt to amend it had failed, the bill
passed.
On Dec. 2S, 1916, President James
X. Polk, signed the bill which made
Iowa territory state and admitted