History of South Dakota, Vol. I, Part 45

Author: Robinson, Doane, 1856-1946. cn
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: [Logansport? IN] : B. F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 998

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The Republican territorial convention con- vened at Yankton, on September 22d and Oscar S. Gifford was renominated by acclamation for delegate. The platform uncompromisingly up- held the Sioux Falls constitution and the plea of the anti-divisionists for a submission of the ques- tion to the people of the whole territory was un- ceremoniously tabled. The matter had so long gone unchallenged, had been so frequently and unanimously supported by the people that it was felt to be but a temporary expedient to ask that it be submitted. Harrison Allen, of Fargo, was made chairman of the committee.

The Democrats met at Aberdeen on Septem- ber 29th. The anti-division Republicans of cen- tral Dakota held out strong inducements of sup- port to them if they would declare unequivocally for one state, but in spite of these inducements and the influence of the administration and of its representatives in the territory, the sentiment for division in the rank and file could not be over- come and Merritt H. Day, a strong divisionist, was nominated upon a platform that would con- cede no more than to favor submitting the ques- tion to the people. A. W. Bangs, of Grand Forks, was made chairman of the committee. The election in November returned Judge Gif-

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ford, the Republican, with a majority of thirty thousand, out of a total vote of one hundred five thousand, sixty-six thousand of which were cast in South Dakota.

In July Judge William E. Church, Repub- lican, who had been appointed three years before to succeed Judge Moody in the Black Hills dis- trict, resigned, and was succeeded by Charles M. Thomas, of Kentucky.

Governor Pierce tendered his resignation in the summer, but it was December before the president found a successor for him, at that time appointing Judge Louis K. Church, of the Cen- tral Dakota circuit, to the position, James Spen- cer, of New York, being after a lapse of some months sent out to succeed Judge Church on the bench.

Railroad building was revived during the season and a large amount constructed. The Northwestern built its line from Centerville to Yankton, from Redfield to Faulkton, from Do- land to Groton and from Columbia to Oakes. The Milwaukee extended from Ipswich to Bow- dle and from Roscoe south for a distance of thirty miles ; from Scotland to Mitchell and from Tripp to Armour, from Andover to Newark, and from

Madison north to near Lake Preston. The Oma- ha extended from Salem to Mitchell and the Elk- horn reached Rapid City in the Black Hills. This latter had cut off the cross country freighting and staging from Pierre some months before, as the end of the track approached the hills, and quite changed the commercial relations of the two ends of the state. The Great Northern, then called the Manitoba, built its lines from Benson to Watertown and from Hankinson to Aberdeen, and the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern built from Sibley to Sioux Falls.

A great drought accompanied by hot winds cut the crop in many sections and the price con- tinued very low, facts which tended to accel- erate the political movement among the farmers and a considerable number of Farmers' Alliance legislators were returned.

W. H. Lyon, of Sioux Falls, this year brought out a little book entitled "The People's Problem," a sociological study, and which is said to have been the first private bookmaking enterprise in Dakota.

The public health continued excellent and no death of any person who had acquired distinction in South Dakota is noted for the year.

CHAPTER LIX

THE FIRST DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR.

Dakota territory was twenty-six years old and for the first time a Democratic governor sat in the capitol. On February 5, 1887, Louis K. Church relieved Gilbert A. Pierce in the execu- tive office. Governor Church was a native of New York and as a member of the legislature during his incumbency of the gubernatorial chair Mr. Church had attracted the notice of President Cleveland and they had become fast friends. Church was an enthusiastic reformer in his New York legislative days, and was a colleague of Theodore Roosevelt in their first legislative ex- periences and they had worked hand in glove for a common purpose. When Cleveland became President he sought an early opportunity to re- ward his young friend and sent him to Dakota as a district judge. In this capacity Judge Church made a good name and won the approbation of his fair-minded political opponents. His district was extremely large, rendering it impossible to perform all of its duties, but he exerted himself to the utmost and the public was as well satis- fied as they could have been with the work of any one. He was a fair lawyer and his decisions were considered fair and wise by the bar. The bench provided the atmosphere to which he was best adapted. He was somewhat dictatorial in temperament and also very nervous, but these traits were not often exhibited in the performance of judicial functions. But as governor he was frequently provoked into violent outbursts, which detracted from his dignity and usefulness. His honesty was not seriously questioned. It must

in fairness be admitted that there was little ef- fort upon the part of his constituents to make his pathway easy or pleasant. In the first instance, the Republican politicians flattered him with a view to using him, but finding that policy was not likely to bear fruit, they turned against him with virulence. The legislature as well as the public were overwhelmingly opposed to his political views, and to add to the difficulties of his admin- istration a large element of his party turned against him, with even greater hostility than was shown by the Republicans. Probably the worst that can be said of him was that he was impol- itic. Through it all President Cleveland stead- fastly supported him, and he drew to himself a cabinet of the strongest Democrats in Dakota who sustained him loyally.

President Cleveland appointed to succeed Judge Church upon the third district bench James Spencer, also a young New Yorker and a reformer of the Church school. Spencer ar- rived and took up the work in May. Up to this time it had been the general policy of President Cleveland to fill Dakota offices with Dakotans, but at this date he changed his methods. Dele- gate Gifford, a Republican, called upon the Pres- ident to urge him to appoint Dakota Democrats to the home offices, but the President replied : "Mr. Gifford, every Democrat in your territory, who amounts to anything, is arrayed on one side or the other of your territorial fight, or is charged with being in some corrupt transaction. They are mixed up in your quarrels and are not fit to

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hold office." Judge Spencer created a great sen- sation almost immediately. There was of course an intense feeling among the Dakotans against the importation of office seekers. Judge Spencer, though considered a fair lawyer, possessed an irascible temper and was rather arbitrary upon the bench. On the 17th of June he was hold- ing court in Watertown when a man named James Harkness was upon trial for the forgery of a real estate mortgage. He had confessed his fault to the sheriff and other witnesses, but upon the trial his counsel, at the close of the testimony for the prosecution, moved a dismissal upon the ground that the body of the crime was not proven. Judge Spencer advised the jury that a prima facia case had not been made and that they might find for the defendant. The jury, however, asked to re- tire and remained out for a long time when the Judge ordered them brought into court, where the foreman reported that they had not agreed, whereupon they were dismissed. Hon. Frank Crane, then a resident of Watertown, tele- graphed the fact to the Huronite newspaper. The next day, after Judge Spencer had dis- missed the Watertown term and his court was not in session, the Huronite published the news item under the head "God Bless the Jury. A Water- town Jury Defies the Carpetbagger." A few days later. upon the affidavit of George Cooper, a young Democratic lawyer of Huron, the pub- lishers of the Huronite, Augustine Davis, Her- bert Crouch and John Longstaff, and the edito- rial writer, Junius W. Shannon, were arrested for contempt of court in the matter of said pub- lication.

The case was tried before Judge Spencer himself on July 12th, the prosecution being con- ducted by A. B. Melville and A. W. Burtt, and the defense by Hugh J. Campbell and Robert B. Tripp, of Yankton, and Josiah Mellette, of Wa- tertown. The testimony was taken from a large number of witnesses and the court was mani- festly convinced that the state had a good case. While the case was pending the Fourth of July celebration took place and this case was made the subject of comment in very many public ad-

dresses as an attempt to throttle free speech and popular liberty in Dakota. There was gen- uine indignation everywhere, and, groundless as it appears from this distance of time, there was some unfeigned alarm. At the conclusion of the testimony Judge Spencer summed up the matter by reciting the facts in the case, dwelling upon the point that the jury had not defied the court. and then gave the Huronite an opportunity to cor- rect the false impression occasioned by its head- lines. This the Huronite did and the matter ended there. The entire matter was rather puer- ile and unworthy, at another time, of the atten- tion which it attracted, but in the tense situation which already existed in Dakota affairs it was magnified into an incident of the first importance and furnished matter for oratory and editorial fulminations for weeks.

The legislature convened at Bismarck on the 11th of January, and elected George A. Mat- thews, of Brookings, president of the council, and T. A. Kingsbury, of Watertown, clerk. George G. Crose, of Highmore, was elected speaker and W. G. Eakins, of Gary, chief clerk. Jolın Cain, Melvin Grigsby, Charles H. Sheldon, A. W. Campbell, Frank Washabaugh, E. G. Smith, John D. Lawler, Jacob Schnaidt, Frank R. Aikin, E. C. Ericson, Frank A. Morris were some of the strong and well known South Dako- tans who were in that body.

After the nomination of Governor 'Church there was some delay pending his confirmation and the first of February having arrived. Gov- crnor Pierce desiring to enter into a business engagement, turned the office over to Secretary M. L. McCormack, who acted as governor until the confirmation of Mr. Church, on the 5th. During this time a bill which had passed both houses extending the time of residence before divorce proceedings could be commenced to one entire year was presented to him and he vetoed it. Much of the divorce scandal which has stained the good name of Dakota is attributable to that veto. The important features of the session were the passage of laws submitting the question of division of the territory to a vote, at the elec- tion in November, and a county option bill, to also

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be voted upon at the November election. Gov- crnor Church vetoed all bills for additional state institutions except the reform school at Plankin- ton. The most important of the additions con- templated by the legislature was the Central Da- kota University at Aberdeen. During the previ- ous winter the Madison Normal School burned and was rebuilt by the citizens ; Governor Church permitted the citizens to be reimbursed, but would not allow twenty-five thousand dollars for additions.

The total appropriations reached eleven hun- dred thousand dollars.

Governor Church appointed the following South Dakotans to leading territorial positions : Auditor, James A. Ward, of Sioux Falls ; treas- urer, John D. Lawler, of Mitchell; superinten- dent of schools, Eugene A. Dye, of Mellette ; pub- lic examiner, Charles N. Harris, of Aberdeen ; railway commissioners, Abraham Boynton, of Lennox, and N. T. Smith, of Huron ; emigration commissioner. P. F. McClure, of Pierre. He re- posed great confidence in these appointees and advised with them constantly. No other gov- ernor has called to his assistance such a cabinet of advisors.

During this season a line now owned by the Sault Railway, then known as the Aberdeen, Bismarck & Northwestern, graded a road from

Aberdeen to Bismarck, and the Great Northern was located and graded from Watertown to Huron. The Illinois Central built into Sioux Falls.

On July Ist the first free delivery of mail in Dakota was established by the postoffice depart- ment at Sioux Falls.

The cornerstone of Redfield College was laid on July 4th.

On July 12th, at a special election, the county seat of Brown county was removed from Colum- bia to Aberdeen.

In July natural gas was struck on the Rath- man farm, five miles from Pierre, but its value was not apprehended.

A lively campaign was made for division and for local option. The former prevailed at the election in November by twenty thousand ma- jority and a majority of the counties voted liquor selling out.

On the 15th of December a "one state" con- vention was held at Aberdeen by the anti-divi- sionists. There was a fair attendance and strong one-state resolutions passed, but it was not the purpose of congress to make either one or two Dakotas at that time.

Hon. Frank I. Fisher, of Frankfort, a strong man and a member of the constitutional conven- tion of 1885, died this autumn.

CHAPTER LX

THE GREAT BLIZZARD OF JANUARY 12, 1888.

The year 1888 will always be borne in mind by Dakotans as well as by the people of the entire west as the year of the great blizzard. It fell unannounced on January 12th with a ferocity before undreamed of by the denizens of the plain. In the northern portion of the territory it began early in the morning, but in the central and southern portions it did not arrive until later in the day when people were scattered in their avo- cations, children were in school, farmers out with their stock, or enroute to or from market, and the resulting fatalities were fearful. It was a beautiful winter morning, warm and gracious, with soft, variable breezes -- just such a morning as was calculated to draw the people into the open. One moment it was bright, warm. glori- ous ; the next moment, and without the slightest premonitory warning, the terror fell with unex- ampled rage. All attempt at description must be weak and inadequate. For fifteen hours it con- tinued, blinding, impenetrable, intensely cold. the atmosphere filled with needles of ice driven by a furious gale, accompanied by a deafening roar ; then it was gone and nature smiled out again as bright and innocent as a morning in May. One hundred twelve citizens of South Dakota perished in the storm and many others suffered extreme peril. Minnesota, Nebraska and western Iowa suffered equally.

Notwithstanding the gathering of a good crop, a fair growth in population and the con- struction of the Elkhorn to Whitewood, the Great Northern into Sioux Falls and Huron and

the great Sioux Falls boom, which eclipsed any- thing which had yet come to the new west in the way of town booming, the year was essen- tially a year of politics. General Harrison had, above all others, been a friend of Dakota in con- gress and the leading men of South Dakota de- sired to show their appreciation for his efforts in our behalf, by giving him Dakota's support in the national convention, and in consequence a Harrison propaganda was undertaken in January. Colonel Moody of Deadwood, and Governor Mel- lette, of Watertown, were entrusted with the management of affairs by the Harrison mana- gers, for Dakota as well as in adjacent states, and their work bore most effectively upon the re- sult. The Republican territorial convention for the election of delegates to Chicago was held at Jamestown, North Dakota, on May 16th. The divisionists dominated the convention absolutely. It was argued that if Dakota had her rights South Dakota would have two senators and two representatives, entitling her to eight votes in the national convention, and that North Dakota would be a territory with two votes, and it was therefore determined to elect ten delegates and send them to the Chicago convention and make a fight for their recognition. Ten delegates were therefore selected, whom it was known among the initiated would be for Harrison when wanted, but lest antagonism to their recognition be cre- ated by other candidates no reference to their views was made, nor was it possible to get an expression upon the subject prior to the ballot-

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ing at Chicago. The South Dakota men upon this delegation were Gideon C. Moody, J. M. Bailey, T. C. Bogart, B. H. Sullivan, George W. Hopp and Colonel Plummer, then a resident of Brown county. They were promptly recognized at Chi- cago and ten votes accorded to Dakota, where but two were anticipated in the call. The national platform also declared unequivocally for the di- vision of Dakota and the admission of both sec- tions. Pursuant to the non-committal policy pre- viously arranged, the Dakotans divided their vote equally among the candidates in the earlier bal- lots, but at the opportune moment united upon Harrison and gave weight to the impulse which soon resulted in his choice. Governor Mellette was chosen national committeeman. The sec- tion of the national Republican platform relating to the Dakota question was its most extended expression upon any topic, and among other things said: "South Dakota should of right be immediately admitted as a state in the Union un- der the constitution framed and adopted by her people."

The action of the Chicago convention put an end to all one-state talk from any source. That utterance that "Dakota should be divided" was accepted as the inevitable and early action.

The Democratic convention for the election of delegates to the national convention at St. Louis was held at Watertown on May 3d. It was the conclusion of a campaign for suprem- acy between Governor Church and his friends and Merritt H. Day, the representative of the old-line Democracy of the territory. It was the most intense of all the political movements Da- kota had known and was as furious in its way as was the January blizzard. With all of the territorial and federal patronage at his control, Governor Church possessed an advantage which rendered him invulnerable, but the Day people did not give up the fight until repudiated by the national convention. At Watertown there were so many contesting delegations that it is even now impossible to determine which faction had the legitimate organization. Prior to the con- vention the central committee met and while Judge Bangs, the chairman, sided with Day, the

majority of the committee favored the Gover- nor's cause. The committee resolved to make a roll of the delegates and to pass upon the prima facia qualifications of contestants for seats. This would place the control of the convention abso- lutely in the hands of the Church men. The call for the convention provided that the meeting should be held at Watertown, but did not an- nounce where the convention should be held at Watertown. The local committee had arranged to meet in the Armory. Promptly at the hour the Church men assembled at the Armory, but Day had passed the word around among his friends and they met at Music Hall, where they were called to order by Chairman Bangs. An- other member of the committee called the Ar- mory convention to order. Intense excitement pervaded both meetings, crimination, and recrim- ination, villification and personal abuse filled the air; for hours chaos reigned. The address to the people issued by the Day meeting, an ar- raignment of Governor Church and his admin- istration, was a philippic which may be regarded a classic in political literature. Aside from pat- ronage, the dividing principle between the faction was the question of the division of Dakota, but in the excitement both factions left all reference to that vital subject out of their platforms. The Church convention sent Col. William R. Steele, of Deadwood, and George H. Megguire, of North Dakota, as delegates and the Day faction chose Mr. Day and Judge Bangs. At St. Louis the Church men were admitted, as a matter of course.

The Democrats held their congressional con- vention at Jamestown on July 11th. The Day faction, by this time thoroughly humbled, made no disturbance and James W. Harden, of Jerauld county, South Dakota, was nominated for dele- gate practically without opposition.

The Republican congressional convention met at Watertown on August 22d. Judge Gifford was a candidate for renomination. At Sioux Falls, Melvin Grigsby and Cornelius S. Palmer were candidates. Senator Pettigrew favored Grigsby and he secured the support of Minne- haha county. Hugh J. Campbell was the candi- date of the radical "We are a state" element and

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George A. Mathews, of Brookings, was the can- didate of the element in the party who had been lukewarm in support of division. North Dako- ta supported Harrison Allen, of Fargo. Judge Palmer, having a few votes outside of Minne- haha county, continued in the race. Judge Gif- ford was much the strongest of any single can- didate and in a way the situation resolved itself into Gifford against the field. There was a con- test from Lawrence county between what were known as the Moody faction and the VanCise- Bullock faction, and the organization of the convention was dependent upon the settlement of this contest. After the temporary organiza- tion two days were occupied by the credentials committee in taking testimony in this contest and their report was finally made favorable to the Moody faction, but the VanCise people carried the fight upon the floor of the convention where, after a long session, occupied by the most excited and eloquent speech making which ever enter- tained a Dakota convention, the result was ren- dered in favor of Moody's delegation. Seven- teen ballots were required to make the nomina- tion, which fell to George A. Mathews by a con- solidation of the central and north Dakota strength. In the campaign which followed the moral influence of the Farmers' Alliance was thrown to Mr. Harden, upon the tariff issue, nev- ertheless Mr. Mathews was elected by more than thirty-five thousand majority.

The result of the national election was a source of great rejoicing in Dakota and was her- alded with fireworks, booming cannon and gen- eral jollification. Dakota had been one of the issues in the nation, discussed from every stump and the people at home realized that the end of serfdom, as it was called, was near at hand.

During the year, a bill having passed con- gress to give South Dakota an additional judge, L. W. Crofoot, of Aberdeen, was appointed to the position and John E. Carland, of Bismarck, was chosen to succeed Cornelius S. Palmer.

In the month of March a sensation was cre- ated by the marriage of Cora Belle Fellows, a young lady of good family from Washington, D. C., to a half-blood Indian named Chaska, at the Cheyenne river agency. Chaska, or Sam Campbell, was uneducated and bore a not very good character and the marriage was a seven- days' wonder throughout the land. The yellow journals of the cities gave up columns of space to it. As might have been expected, no happi- ness came of it and Mrs. Campbell died, heart- broken, a few years later, Chaska having for- saken her to take up with a dusky belle of the tribe.

In February a vein of natural gas was opened at a depth of one hundred feet at Ashton. It was piped into the hotel owned by Samuel W. Bowman there and it gave a satisfactory heat and attracted wide attention, yet the possibilities of it were not realized and no effort made to further utilize it. Presently the hole caved in and no attempt was made to reopen it, but in the light of later developments in the state it is probable that supplies sufficient for heating and lighting pur- poses exist there.

The crop was very good and, all things con- sidered, 1888 was one of the good years which the territory enjoyed. Prices were improved and the people were contented and prosperous, and the prospect for division and immediate admis- sion to statehood made them feel as if a new lease of life had been given them.

In December President Olson, who had made a grand success of the State University at Ver- milion, came to his death in the fire which de- stroyed the Minneapolis Tribune building. He was calling upon the editor in the fifth story when the alarm of fire was given and found egress by the stairs or elevator cut off. With others, he hastened to the fire escape at the end of the hall and while descending it was struck by the falling body of another victim and hurled to the pavement.

CHAPTER LXI

STATEHOOD AT LAST, WITH DIVISION.

The new year dawned with statehood near at hand. The country had spoken in unmistakable terms upon this topic and congress hastened to do tardy justice. On the 14th of February the omnibus bill passed, granting enabling acts to South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana and Washington. South Dakota was to adopt the Sioux Falls constitution, with such changes as the progress of time had rendered necessary, but it was not to be altered in any vital part. Prohibi- tion, minority representation and capital location were to be resubmitted to the people at an elec- tion to be held October Ist. The protection pro- vided for the school lands were not only kept in- tact, but the South Dakota idea was enjoined upon each of the other proposed states. The passage of the enabling act, while received with great satisfaction by the people, was not the oc- casion of much celebration. It came as a matter of course and the fireworks had been expended when the result of the election was known the previous autumn.

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History of South Dakota, Vol. I, Part 45

Author: Robinson, Doane, 1856-1946. cn Publication date: 1904 Publisher: [Logansport? IN] : B. F. Bowen Number of Pages: 998

Author: Robinson, Doane, 1856-1946. cn
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: [Logansport? IN] : B. F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 998