Year: 1876

AODAZAS AA9 - -


i JUDGE KIDDER's RECORD.
4 Mr.. Spink and his organs have asked
what Judge Kidder has accomplished du-
ring the first session of his term. Below
we give the record.
Judge Kidder went to Washington soon
after his election, and before he took his
seat, and labored for the division of Da-
kota, but political issues consumed the
time of the Senate which failed to reach
Mr.. Armstrong; bill which had already
passed the House. When the new Con-
5gress assembled Judge Kidder introduced
ia new bill for this purpose and made a
copy oft which being introduced by
Senator Window in the Senate has al
ready passed that body. How much IN
huence Mr.. Kidder may have had in Sc
curing this action, of course can never be
known, but he labored early and late for
the measure. lt MIR. Window informed
the writer that he had no faith in his
ability to carry the bill through the SEN
ate, as the creation of other northern and
western states, and this would lay the
foundation for one, was looked upon with
disfavor by the eastern and southern sem
ators. Judge Kidder convinced the COM
mittee that the measure was just one
and secured favorable report upon it.
About this time he made speech in
favor of his bill which has attracted great
attention throughout the country, and on
the heels Of this speech, which had been
printed in pamphlet form and placed on
the desks of all members OF the senate,
the bill passed very much to the surprise
of. Senator Window who introduced it.
During the debate, further information
being called for by Senator Edmonds,,
Senator Hitchcock referred to the report
made by Senator Boreman, when the bill
was reported at the previous session.
This report was read by the clerk. It
was an exhaustive one and embraced a
brief paragraph from Armstrong; speech,


and because Of this Mr.. Sphinx is mean
enough to assume that it was Armstrong;
influence which passed the bill If Arm
strong's influence was SO powerful why


did he not secure the passage of the bill


by Senate much more favorable to the
measure than the present. He tailed but
the bill has now passed the Senate again
and the House. committee has agreed to
report it favorably, in December, and it


will go through. This is certain beyond


a doubt. The Democratic house did not


want to pass it at,the last. session simply


because an appropriation of sixty thous-


and dollars would have been necessary to


provide for legislative and other expenses
and it was their special aim to keep ap-


preparations down to the lowest possible


limit, at the session previous to the Presi-


dental campaign, for reasons which all


will understand Mr.. Kidder has been


as faithful to this measure and as persist


ent in it's support as if he had been sent
by the citizens of Northern Dakota spe-
cially to secure the passag ge of this bill.


The work of gathering statistics embraced
IN his great speech on this question re-
quired much correspondence with the
several departments and with many per-
sons in northern Dakota, and many days
of hard labor. .. a,
| In relation to the opening of the Black


Hills he has been no less persistent and
it is due to his efforts that the commission
to negotiate for the Hills was created
and on that commission he secured the
appointment of two of Dakota's citizens
who are fully informed as to our necessl-
ties. Already this commission has secur-
ed the consent Of the Indians at Red
Cloud and Spotted Tail to the surrender
Of the Black Hills and it is now en- route
to Cheyenne, Standing Rock and other
agencies to complete the work. 1t will
only remain for Congress to ratify the
work of this commission when the Black
Hills will be thrown open to settlement,
service and ordered on the post
routes already established through the
work of Judge Kiddcr from Bismarck and
Fort Pierre, and the settlers located there