October is Archives Month, when archives around the country celebrate the records in their holdings and recognize the archivists who assess, collect, organize, preserve, and provide access to information of lasting value. The North Dakota State Archives is part of the State Historical Society of North Dakota.
In 1889, men met at the Constitutional Convention in North Dakota to work on framing the state’s foundational document. They met from July 4, 1889, until August 17. There were various topics of interest under discussion, and while they debated, the public watched and voiced their own opinions and concerns—such as in the case of the establishment and location of public buildings, including government offices, universities, and the state hospital.
In fact, on August 13, a report from Bismarck stated that the convention “held a short session” in the afternoon, where “the time was occupied almost exclusively with the reading of telegrams and other communications of approval and disapproval of the location of public institutions.” The report continued: “An attempt to have the reading at length dispensed with was voted down—someone said the convention had only a day or so ago adopted a bill of rights which reserved to the people the right to petition and that settled it; they were all read.”
Despite this, the people were more or less happy with what they were seeing.
As a more complete draft was provided to the public, the Bismarck Tribune commented that the constitution was “in the main, a good one,” which would “compare favorably with that of any in the Union.” Though it did also note that it was on the shorter side, stating, “the constitution loses little in point of verbosity when compared with the production of the assembled wisdom of other states.” The Griggs Courier wrote: “It is a very good document with the exception of the locating of the public buildings, and the people should have something to say in the matter. However it is hard work to get everything perfect and we must make the best of it.”
Under a heading urging the public to “Vote It Down,” The Jamestown Weekly Alert stated: “There seems to be a great deal of opposition in this city to certain clauses in the proposed constitution. … The Alert therefore suggests, that if the people don’t like the constitution which their delegates have framed for them, they don’t have to accept it.” The constitution did not win approval from all voters and did not even pass in all counties. Nonetheless, voters approved it, and overall, the constitution passed by a large margin across the state.
The original North Dakota State Constitution now resides at the State Archives. It has been digitized and can be viewed online.
Dakota Datebook by Sarah Walker
Sources:
- Jamestown Weekly Alert, November 7, 1889, p1
- Jamestown Weekly Alert, August 15, 1889, p1
- Jamestown Weekly Alert, July 18, 1889, p1
- Dickinson Press, August 10, 1889, p2
- Griggs Courier, August 23, 1889, p1
- Dickinson Press, October 19, 1889, p2
- Bismarck Weekly Tribune, August 23, 1889, p6
- https://news.prairiepublic.org/show/dakota-datebook-archive/2022-05-22/omnibus-billhttps://blog.statemuseum.nd.gov/remembering-july-4-1889 ND State Constitution: https://findhistory.nd.gov/proficiowebmodule/MADetailF.aspx?rID=31732/-PRIORITY&db=fileunit&list=parent&dir=SALSTATEhttps://news.prairiepublic.org/show/dakota-datebook-archive/2022-06-02/post-election-highlightshttps://www.history.nd.gov/archives/stateagencies/conscon1889.html
