- The Convention
The Convention
South Dakota State Constitutional Convention 1889
Following the rejected 'Sioux Falls' Convention of 1885, the South Dakota Convention met and began the drafting process in July of 1889. They used the articles of the Sioux Falls Convention as starting propositions to begin the amendment process. The South Dakota Constitution was ratified in October 1889.
To see the full record of a committee, click on the corresponding committee on the map below.
Membership (74 members):
- Valentine T. McGillicuddy ( 01. First District ) Visualize
- Sanford Parker ( 01. First District ) Visualize
- Chauncey L. Wood ( 01. First District ) Visualize
- Dighton Corson ( 02. Second District ) Visualize
- William S. O'Brien ( 02. Second District ) Visualize
- John Scollard ( 03. Third District ) Visualize
- Thomas W. Thompson ( 03. Third District ) Visualize
- S. A. Wheeler ( 03. Third District ) Visualize
- William McCusick ( 04. Fourth District ) Visualize
- Henry Neill ( 04. Fourth District ) Visualize
- C. R. Wescott ( 04. Fourth District ) Visualize
- William Cook ( 05. Fifth District ) Visualize
- George H. Culver ( 05. Fifth District ) Visualize
- W. G. Dickinson ( 05. Fifth District ) Visualize
- Lyman T. Boucher ( 06. Sixth District ) Visualize
- Harry T. Craig ( 06. Sixth District ) Visualize
- Martin R. Heninger ( 06. Sixth District ) Visualize
- S. F. Brott ( 07. Seventh District ) Visualize
- William Stoddard ( 07. Seventh District ) Visualize
- M. P. Stroupe ( 07. Seventh District ) Visualize
- Peter Couchman ( 08. Eighth District ) Visualize
- J. G. Davies ( 08. Eighth District ) Visualize
- H. A. Humphrey ( 08. Eighth District ) Visualize
- T. W. P. Lee ( 09. Ninth District ) Visualize
- Thomas Sterling ( 09. Ninth District ) Visualize
- J. F. Wood ( 09. Ninth District ) Visualize
- David Hall ( 10. Tenth District ) Visualize
- Chas. H. Price ( 10. Tenth District ) Visualize
- John F. Whitlock ( 10. Tenth District ) Visualize
- R. C. Anderson ( 11. Eleventh District ) Visualize
- C. G. Hartley ( 11. Eleventh District ) Visualize
- S. F. Huntley ( 11. Eleventh District ) Visualize
- H. F. Fellows ( 12. Twelfth District ) Visualize
- A. G. Kellam ( 12. Twelfth District ) Visualize
- J. V. Willis ( 12. Twelfth District ) Visualize
- George C. Cooper ( 13. Thirteenth District ) Visualize
- L. H. Hole ( 13. Thirteenth District ) Visualize
- C. H. Van Tassel ( 13. Thirteenth District ) Visualize
- S. D. Jeffries ( 14. Fourteenth District ) Visualize
- W. H. Matson ( 14. Fourteenth District ) Visualize
- Carl G. Sherwood ( 14. Fourteenth District ) Visualize
- E. E. Clough ( 15. Fifteenth District ) Visualize
- S. S. Peck ( 15. Fifteenth District ) Visualize
- S. B. VanBuskirk ( 15. Fifteenth District ) Visualize
- I. Atkinson ( 16. Sixteenth District ) Visualize
- Joshua Downing ( 16. Sixteenth District ) Visualize
- I. R. Spooner ( 16. Sixteenth District ) Visualize
- H. W. Eddy ( 17. Seventeenth District ) Visualize
- R. F. Lyons ( 17. Seventeenth District ) Visualize
- F. G. Young ( 17. Seventeenth District ) Visualize
- Andrew J. Berdahl ( 18. Eighteenth District ) Visualize
- C. S. Gifford ( 18. Eighteenth District ) Visualize
- H. M. Williamson ( 18. Eighteenth District ) Visualize
- E. W. Caldwell ( 19. Nineteenth District ) Visualize
- Clark G. Coats ( 19. Nineteenth District ) Visualize
- William VanEps ( 19. Nineteenth District ) Visualize
- William Elliot ( 20. Twentieth District ) Visualize
- J. A. Fowles ( 20. Twentieth District ) Visualize
- A. B. McFarland ( 20. Twentieth District ) Visualize
- John L. Jolley ( 21. Twenty-first District ) Visualize
- J. Kimball ( 21. Twenty-first District ) Visualize
- A. O. Ringsrud ( 21. Twenty-first District ) Visualize
- Christian Buechler ( 22. Twenty-second District ) Visualize
- Edward G. Edgerton ( 22. Twenty-second District ) Visualize
- C. J. B. Harris ( 22. Twenty-second District ) Visualize
- Robert A. Smith ( 23. Twenty-third Delegation ) Visualize
- William T. Williams ( 23. Twenty-third Delegation ) Visualize
- Joseph Zitka ( 23. Twenty-third Delegation ) Visualize
- A. J. Edgerton ( 24. Twenty-fourth District ) Visualize
- Charles A. Houlton ( 24. Twenty-fourth District ) Visualize
- S. A. Ramsey ( 24. Twenty-fourth District ) Visualize
- T. F. Diefendorf ( 25. Twenty-fifth District ) Visualize
- W. H. Goddard ( 25. Twenty-fifth District ) Visualize
- W. H. Murphy ( 25. Twenty-fifth District ) Visualize
Resources (0):
Resource Collections (0):
None
Resource Items (0):
None
Sessions (30)
Members of the Convention assembled and swore the Oath of Office. The President and temporary officers of the Convention were elected. The rules of the 1885 Convention then were temporarily adopted before adjournment.
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70, 10,
1
7, 1,
14, 2, 3,
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20, 2
Mr. Kellam acted as President pro tem as the President was absent. There was an administration of the Oath of Office for delegates who were absent the previous day. The Convention then moved on to hear and discuss communications and petitions and the election of Convention Officers. The delegates proceeded to adopt the Constitution of the United States and discussed a report from the Committee on Rules. The Convention then adjourned.
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3, 9,
1
5, 11, 3,
6,
42, 1,
4,
42, 9
The Convention reviews the report from the Committee on Rules. The report includes the list of standing committee and the rules of the Convention. The Convention sends a message to North Dakota to determine the boundary line.
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1, 2,
4, 4, 3,
5,
17, 2, 2,
1, 1
26, 9
The Committee on Rules presented a Report on Rule 43. A motion from the previous day to print 500 copies of the journal was adopted.
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4, 4, 1,
3,
13, 1,
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16, 3
The President of the Convention submitted the List of the Committees. Motion regarding the number of copies of the journal furnished daily was reconsidered and changed. The Constitution of 1885 was read and referred to the appropriate committees.
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10, 4,
4,
18, 2, 5,
1,
27, 4
The Convention reads the 1885 Constitution then refers each article to the appropriate committee for approval.
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5,
36, 4, 1,
6,
16, 3, 27,
2,
24, 12
The report of the Committee on Education and School Lands was taken up and adopted. The Convention then proceeded to continue the reading of the Articles of the 1885 Constitutional Convention and referred them to their respective committees. Resolutions were then submitted before adjournment.
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9, 2,
9,
13, 2, 5,
3,
23, 6
After the Call to Order, Prayer and reading of the Journal, the Convention reconsidered the Report from the Committee on Education and School Lands and read a communication from the Committee on Expenditures. The Convention then granted leave for multiple officers and adjourned.
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1, 1, 1,
1,
6,
9, 1
Judge Corson acted as President pro tem. The delegates then received a design on the Great Seal of South Dakota. Then the Convention adjourned as there was no quorum present.
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The Convention read and adopted a Resolution on Standing Committees as proposed by Mr. Humphrey then adjourned.
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5,
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The Convention elected Mr. Wescott to take Mr. McCusicks place on the Committee on Apportionment. Then a resolution requesting the Judiciary Committee to examine appropriations for elections, a report from the Committee on Executive and Administrative, and a report from the Committee on Amendments and Revision were discussed. The Convention then adjourned.
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2, 4,
7, 1,
9, 1
Communications were read and referred to the appropriate committees. An invitation from the State Penitentiary was received. The Committee on Rules and Order of Business presented a form on committee reports. The Committee on Judiciary and the Committee on Rights of Married Women presented their reports which were read and made special order for tomorrow. It was moved the committee reports of the previous day be recommitted. Resolutions were then presented and referred to the Committee on Judiciary before adjournment.
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6, 4,
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5, 3,
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11, 4
The Convention continues reading the reports from the standing committees. The remaining reports are made a special order for the following session. The reports from the Committee on Rights of Married Women is discussed and referred.
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2, 5, 11,
1,
6,
1,
9, 2
Multiple articles from the standing committees were made a special order for Tuesday afternoon. S.B. van Buskirk was elected as Chairman. The Committee of Judiciary presented a resolution pertaining to the signing of the Constitution, which was then adopted by the Convention.
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2, 11, 30,
5,
21, 1, 5,
2,
28, 4
The Convention was called to order and read a communication from A. J. Edgerton before adjourning.
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1,
1,
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The Convention was presented with reports of Standing Committees and a Resolution offered by Mr. Goddard. After a discussion and an amendment, the Convention adjourned.
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2, 3, 3,
1,
6, 1,
1,
6,
The reports of committees and articles as they were amended were referred to the Convention and laid on the table. The reports and articles of the previous day were then taken up for discussion, amended, and agreed upon.
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6,
4, 10, 7,
9,
43, 1, 1,
1,
47, 3
The Convention read and approved the Journal of the preceding day. The reports of standing committees along with a communication from L. K. Church were then read. The Report of the Committee on Judiciary was heard, debated and made a special order for the next day.
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3, 8, 9,
4,
12, 2,
15, 4
Report from the Special Committee of Five regarding the communication from the officers of the American Sabbath Union was adopted. The Resolution to clarify the rules of the Convention was then read and referred to the Committee on Rules.
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2, 6, 8,
6,
17, 3, 3,
22, 7
Considerations of the Minority and Majority report from the Committee on Judiciary were postponed until the afternoon. A petition from Kingsbury County to modify the voting system was presented. Various reports of the standing committees were adopted and referred.
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2, 2, 3,
7,
13, 2,
18, 3
The Schedule and Ordinance were brought up for discussion and amended.
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1, 11,
6,
12, 3,
1,
15, 5
John L. Jolley was elected to the Chair. Sections 7-22 of the Schedule and Ordinance were brought up for discussion and amended.
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5, 4,
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8, 1
Dighton Corson served as President Pro Tem by the request of A. J. Edgerton. The Journal of the preceeding day was amended and adopted.
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2, 2,
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The Convention approved the Journal of the preceeding day and adjourned.
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The Convention met in pursuance of adjournment.
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2,
The Journal of July 29 and July 30 were read and approved. A communication from G. A. R. and reports from standing committees were presented. After Mr. Parker was given permission to sign the Report of the Committee on Apportionment and Schedule, the Convention adjourned.
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3, 2, 4,
6, 3,
6, 1
Communications were presented and referred to the appropriate committees. The members of the Committee on Printing the Constitution were elected. Section 8-18, 21, and 22 of the Schedule and Ordinance was adopted.
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7, 19, 1,
2,
22, 1, 2,
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31, 6
The members of the Convention accepted an invitation from the Burlington Railway Co. for Saturday evening. The members of the Committee to meet the senatorial committee were elected. A.J. Edgerton was elected as president
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7, 2,
9,
24, 1,
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36, 11
A Report from the Committee on State, County and Municipal Indebtedness on Article XIII was adopted. A Resolution on Bond Refunding was adopted. Report of the Committee on Printing regarding the printing of certificate of indebtedness was adopted.
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2, 18, 4,
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16, 4, 1,
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22, 11
Various resolutions were presented and adopted. The President raised an order of business regarding the settlements of the accounts with the Secretary. The President addressed the Convention, thanking them for the portrait. The Convention adjourned sine die.
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9, 3, 4,
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25, 1,
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33, 4