The enabling act required that among other things the question of the location of the temporary seat of government should be again submitted to the people. This brought on a hard-fought contest in the summer of 1889, in which Pierre, Huron, Watertown, Sioux Falls, Mitchell, and Chamberlain were contestants. This time Pierre was successful, winning the temporary capital by a large plurality.
The permanent seat of government was, under the constitution, to be determined at the election of 1890. At this election only Pierre and Huron were candidates. A campaign of intense interest was fought, in which Pierre succeeded by a very large majority.
Nevertheless, there continued a feeling that the capital should be located elsewhere, and ambitious towns clamored for a resubmission of the question. In legislature after legislature the question came up on a proposition to amend the constitution so as to make Huron the capital, but the promoters were unable to get the proposition submitted. Finally, in the legislature of 1901, a combination of all of the ambitious candidates and their friends was made, and it was agreed that a caucus should determine which town should be the candidate. Mitchell won in this caucus, and the attempt to secure the submission of the constitutional amendment brought about a remarkable legislative filibuster, but again the proposition failed. At the session of 1903 the caucus plan was again tried, Mitchell again securing the caucus nomination; and the resolutions submitting the constitutional amendment prevailed by a very large majority in both houses.
