stitution to Congress with a prayer for admission. South Dakota was a strongly Republican community, while the national government at this time was dominated by the Democratic party, and Congress objected to the admission of a state which was certain to send Republican United States senators to cut down the narrow majority of the Democrats in that body. Consequently the prayer for admission was denied, the officers elected under the proposed constitution had no power, and the territorial government continued as before.
The Democratic leaders declared for admission of Dakota territory as a whole, and the federal government used its influence to oppose the division movement in Dakota; therefore, a considerable party grew up in Dakota in opposition to division, but at every test the people pronounced strongly for two states. The population of Dakota was increasing rapidly, there were nearly six hundred thousand white citizens in the territory, and, under the territorial form of government, they were denied many of the privileges of citizenship. Yet year after year passed without action for their relief.
The Republican national convention of 1888 made the division and admission of North and South Dakota a national issue and it was discussed from every platform in America. The Republican party prevailed in that election, and, before the close of the Congress then in existence, the bill for the division of Dakota territory and the admission of North and South Dakota was passed on St. Valentine's Day and approved on Washington's Birthday, 1889, and that bill provided that no acre of
