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OldWestMagazine.com presents "Dakota" January 23, 1886
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTITIVES-1886-THULSTRUP PRINT COURTESY MCLELLAND COLLECTION
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Harper's Weekly January 23, 1886
"Dakota"
"The Territory of Dakota has long asked for division and for the admission of South Dakota as a State. This is always an important demand, because the admission would at once give scanty Territorial population the same standing in the Senate with a State like New York or Illinois. It is always also a political question, because the admission of two Senators in an evenly balenced Senate may change its party character. The Senate is now Republican, and when Senator Butler, of South Carolina and Senator Vest, of Missouri, strongly oppose the admission of Dakota as a State-or, as a pernicious phrase expresses it, to "Statehood"- it may be justly assumed that Messrs, Butler and Vest are Democrats. Territories are generally accustomed to await the passage of an enabling act by Congress before proceeding to adopt a constitution and organize a government. But this has not been always the course. Michigan, Minnesota, Tennessee, and other States organized as such, and elected representitives in Congress before they were admitted to the Union.
The Territorial Legislature and the Conventions of both parties in Dakota have asked for admission, and a State institution has been adopted with virtual unanimity. South Dakota has a larger population than any other Territory had when admitted as a State, and no reason has been alleged for delaying the admission except that its course has been what is called "revolutionary." That is an ill-choosen word to express that it has been somewhat irregular, yet not without precedent. Revolutionary it certainly is not, for there is no intention ever announced of not obeying the decision of Congress or of breaking into the Union by force. If a Territory has a reasonably adequate population, and its settlement has taken the permanent forms of American society, if it is evidently a stable community and not for some sudden and temporary reason a mere incampment of settlers, if the expression of its desire to become a State is an honest expression of free public sentiment and the only objection really is that it is not as large as some other communities, and the division of the Territory, if it is to be divided, is the evident general desire - there is no sound objection to its admission.
It is naturally unpleasant for one party to see the strength of the other increased in either House of Congress, and its electorial vote probably enlarged. But these are not considerations which properly affect the decision. If the admission be in accordance with the general procedure in such cases, or if the Territorial action, although unusual, is not without good reason and precedent, and no harm can be shown as probably resulting either to the Union or to the proposed State form the admission, the question is really closed. Senator Harrison, of Indiana, has brought in the bill, and unless some better reason than "revolution" can be urged against it, it ought to pass. Yet as Democrats in the House have already defeated an enabling act for Dakota, they may defeat the admission now. It would be, however, an act of great impolicy. For party reasons the House would decide wrongly a question into which party politics can not rightfully enter, and the judgement of the country would be entered against it."
courtesy OldWestMagazine.com
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