Jerauld County, SD News.....County Convention April 5, 1889 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/sd/sdfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com May 6, 2005, 4:21 pm Wessington Springs Herald April 5, 1889 County Convention The Sioux Falls Constitution Sustained And Prohibition Demanded Delegates and representatives from every township, except two, in Jerauld county met at Wessington Springs on Thursday last to organize and form plans for the endorsement and election of the Sioux Falls constitution, on the 14th day of May next. Albert Gunderson, Committee-man appointed by the Huron convention called the meeting to order, and a temporary organization was effected by the selection of Geo. Bateman as chairman and Fred K. Luke as Secretary. A committee consisting of Mrs. Spears, Messrs. Underwood, A. Converse, C. Vessey and E. C. Nordyke was appointed to report at the afternoon session, names for a permanent organization. AFTERNOON SESSION. The committee on permanent organization reported. E. C. Nordyke for President, Rev. S. F. Huntley for Vice-President, George Bateman Secretary and Nettie C. Hall, Treasurer. They also recommended that the officers of the general county organization constitute an executive committee and that a vice president be chosen from each township. The report was adopted. The convention decided to work and vote for the Sioux Falls constitution, and completed the organization by selecting the following vice presidents with instruction that they should receive plans for work from the executive committee. For Alpena Twp. Rev. Underwood " Dale " Judge Woodruff " Chery " C. M. Chery " Harmony " C. Brown " Marlar " J. M. Corbin " Crow " E. S. Waterbury " Pleasant " I. S. Binford " Media " T. Linus Blank " Wes. Spgs. " Dr. A. M. Mathias " Franklin " W. Brownell " Blaine " C. C. Wright " Viola " L. G. Wilson " Anina " V. I. Converse " Crow Lake " S. H. Melcher " Logan " J. A. Reigel The duty of these Vice Presidents is the organization of their townships. A campaign committee consisting of Mesdames Hall, Spears and Huntley and Messrs Phillips, A. Converse and Rich, were selected to assist the vice Presidents in the organization of their township when needed. PROGRAM The program was opened by Mr. E. C. Nordyke, who made a few remarks by way of introduction to the discussion of the Omnibus bill. He believed the document to be one that would afford Dakota the relief sought. It was our Organic act upon which to erect our constitution. Mr. J. F. Wicks, showed by figures the princely endowment that the Omnibus bill gave South Dakota school fund in the shape of a land grant. Beside sections 16 and 36 given for the common schools 150,000 acres are appropriated for the other educational institutions in the state, and none of this land can be sold for less than $10.00 per acre. Mr. I. N. Rich thought that congress was too particular in some of the provisions of the Omnibus bill. They ought to have allowed us to come into the Union without a new vote upon the constitution. Mr. N. J. Dunham made the first speech upon the Sioux Falls constitution, although Prof. Freeland was advertised to make the opening address. Mr. Dunham said at the end of five years oppression, that had crushed the rights of American citizens, we were about to enter upon an era of prosperity and guaranteed rights. The Sioux Falls Constitution was replete with these rights and he thought that it ought to be sustained if it contained no other merit, than its plain provisions against corporations and trusts. This short synopsis can not do the speaker justice. Prof. Freeland said that he had voted for the constitution once because he thought it a good document and the more he studied it the better he thought of it. One of its commendable features was the fact that it had been framed by men sent to the convention without the influence of political wire pulling and that the work of the convention had been carried on without the pernicious influence of the lobbies of corporations and monied men. The convention had sought to draft an instrument not in the interest of the monopolist but one that would afford the greatest good to the greatest number. It is a constitution of reforms. Mrs. Huntley made a brief and pithy speech favoring the constitution because it had been framed in the interest of the people and not of the individual. Mrs. Hall who had been asked to speak on the constitution from a womans standpoint did so in her inimical and happy style. She showed the inconsistency and partiality of the bill of rights and the constitution. Women were considered people under every condition and consderation of law until she approached the ballot box. And if the men were not satisfied with the salaries provided by the constitution the woman would relieve them. Mr. O. P. Hull said Miss Dakota had gone to Uncle Sam and asked admission. But when Uncle Sam saw the declaration of principles, he says there is one thing wrong, you are coming in sober. Go back and correct this fault. Vote again upon these declaration of principles. If you had a whiskey glass in one hand and a keg of beer under the other arm all would be well. He read from an article by Bishop Merrill of the M. E. church, showing that that gentleman, was leaving the ground of prohibition and going over to high license because the sentiment of the east demanded it. Rev. Underwood had voted for the constitution and should do so again, and he supports it from the pulpits which he occupies. He referred to the article of Bishop Merrill, and said he had remarked, upon reading it that if Bishop Merrill ever presided over a Dakota conference, he would not accept an appointment from him, and will not if I continue to feel as I do today. Mr. L. G. Wilson said he would let his township make his speech. It should be remembered that he is Vice President and we should expect a rousing vote for the constitution. Mr. C. W. Hill loved the constitution because the first legislature was required to submit at the first general election thereafter the question should the word "male" be striken from the constitution. The Question box was then opened and Mr. Thayer asked Judge Converse to give his views as to the election of Judges under the constitution. Mr. Converse said it was all right. If people were intelligent let them elect their Judges if not appoint them. Dakota has but 3 percent of ignorance, hence there was no danger. The appointive power of the executive is the greatest danger of our republican institutions. We must not forget to mention the excellent music furnished by the glee club, consisting of Misses Floy Tofflemire, Eva Hawthorne and Messrs A. La Point and Ed Campbell, Miss Effie Crow presiding at the organ. The music was good, well rendered and cheered by everybody. The club was made by vote the Campaign Glee Club. There was some discussion as to whether the prohibition clause as adopted in 1885 was part of the constitution under the meaning of the Omnibus bill. There was a difference of opinion. The meeting was adjourned, with every body enthused in favor of the Sioux Falls constitution. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/sd/jerauld/newspapers/countyco187gnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/sdfiles/ File size: 7.9 Kb