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Let Her Come In The Union

Let Her Come In The Union image
Parent Issue
Day
4
Month
January
Year
1888
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The St. Paul Pioneer-Press, of Dec. 24th, had a long list of opinions of congressmen UpOn the question of admitting Dakota as a state, whlch were nearly unanimous In its favor. Among thcm was the following froni Hon. E. P. Allen, of this district: The territory, in my judgroent, ought __ to be divided, and admittcd as two states, and that forthwith. It is altogether too large for one state, and wUl cnake two magniücent commonwealths. I was In Mitchell in the fall and addressed the territorial fair. No more intelligent people can be found in the United States than you find in the Territory of Dakota. It has been a wrong that they have been kepf out of the Union so long, and to further continue this wrong will bring disasterto the party responsible for it. The people of the territory are as intelligent and as deserving of citizenship as are the people of Massachusetts or Michigan; and when you say this, you say they are as capable of citizenship as any people in the United States. No consideration whatevershould . be allowed to keep them longer out ot the Union. Ae to the second question: I cannot now believe it best that that great territory shall come in as one state, even if the present congress refuses to adniit itin any other manner. They can better allord to wait than thus to be admitted. It is altogether too large for one state. If her population were made up, as are some of the states, Arkansas or Texas, for instance, it would be different, but she has a most intelligent population, and her people will always be interested In local and state governrnenr, keeping a watchful eye on what pertains to the political welfare of the state. For this reason the capital should not be far removed from the people. If admitted as one state, and one capital, thousands and tens of thousands of lier people would be so far awny that they would scarcely ever come to the capital; but with two states, the capitals would be convenient of access to the people, and as a result the lawmakers would be more dlrectly under theeyesof tlieir constltuents, and better legislation would be the inevitable result. My observation is that smaller states with an intelligent coustituency are the best governed, and this largely for the reason that the people can, so to speak, touch elbows with the lawmakers, andthelatter are under their supervisión and criticisin.