Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-04-18
PETTIGREW AND PALMER.
Some Plain Truths About
the Capital Commission
App0iDtee.
The Ev denoe of 0rdway and Mo
kenzie that Judge Palmer Vas
Pledged in Adyan ce.


few days ago by Judge Palmer and
Palmer's letter was in answer to Petit
CREWS interview and Pettigrew's inter-
view was in answer to Palmer's. inter-
view. all published in this paper, SO that
now it is Palmer's turn.
Sioux Falls, April 16, 1850. b. Pal
mer, Sioux Falls, Oak I'm the Argus.
Leader of the 18th inat. appears letter
signed by you, in which you say:
MIR Psttigrew please consider me a candi-
which you promise. Speak out-don't be a
guerrilla
trust tkat under these circumstances
you will not play the baby act nor ask
for 81 mpathy, particularly when in the
following extract from the, same letter
You are the first to. cast o stone regard i
Ing the matter OF how official duties in
this territory may have been performed:
He tFettigrewl did say he opposed me be-
cause WAS otficebolder, which may be a
good reason but the question ia not 40 much,
formed his duties, My official duties never led
me in the direction of the surveyor generals
Office, consequently never secured o govern
opportunity TO establish the land lines thr ,ugh
central Dakota while never leaving the shade
OF the trees on the shores of the Big Stone
|
preme court disclose was done by some gentle
men who now raise hands in holy horror TO-
ward government officials" /"
This statement made by yon is wholly
| false and malicious in every particular.
You strive to convey the impression that
the knowledge of the accusation made
above came to You through case argued
before the supreme court while you
| we're Judge OF said court. Now the TACT
is that there never was case before the
lsupreme coart or any other court that
| disclosed what is stated above, as to any
surveying ever done by me, and you
knew when you wrote the statement
| that " 1t was false and untrue In every
particular.
! However, the public have no interest
| in personal controversy between MS
| Gas / am not q candidate for any offioe)
except as the controversy throws light
| upon your character and conduct ae
man or an officer. OF course if IL is
shown that you are cold and deliberate
liar, you could not have been an honest
and upright Judge, and you are not fit
to represent Dakota in congress. Yon
state in your letter that about two years
ago came to your office Il quote) a'snd
after indulgiDg III the usual amount OF
tatfy," wanted you should understand
that was not to be in your way for
political preferment. will tell you why
L went to your Office and "gave You
taffy," as you call it, {aud am glad to
| know it was the usual amount.
| At the time you were candidate for
the place upon the supreme bench, left
vacant by the death OF Judge Kidder,
the people of Dakota were very much
interested in case before the court, the
decision of whicn involved the validity oil
the capital commission law. Il was gen.
orally believed that you had formed and
expressed an opinion upon all the gues-
tions involved in that case, and that il
you were appointed judge yon would
declare the law valid. For this reason
many prominent citizens OF Dakota op.
posed your appointment. was IN
Washington at the time, and ex- Govern.
or Ordway and Alex. Mckenzie were
there urging your appointment with
great yigor, and when You were finally
confirmed, they openly boasted that they,
the chief parties interested in the capi-
tai commission swludle, had gained q
victory. Your decision in that case in
their favor proved that their trip to
Washington to secure your appointment,
was profitable one to them. These
facts led me to be suspicious OF your in.
tegrity, and watched your conrse upon
the bench with some interest in order to
form true estimate Of your character
and i concluded that you were not q
pure end upright Judge, and that the
stories told about you we're true.
/ About two years ago, You perhaps re-
member, I was defendant in civil
cause before your court which involved
the title to property worth several hum
dred Thousand dollars. II is hardly
necessary for me to say that was inter-
eated ss you were Withholding your de-
cision. II seemed to me at such q
liuncture that it was proper to apply
''the usual amount Of taffy," and I viii
leave it to the attorneys who have prac
tieed before you whether 1t was not tht
wisest thing to do, That did the WISE
thing, events have proven, for two week
ago to-day, when you were trying SO
hard to persuade me to support you fol
lcongress, In % conversation We bad il
) my private Office on that date, yol
pleaded that ] ought to support you q
you had always been very friendly, ant
to prove your friendship you said to NJ
that you stretched the law and yot,
!. conscience to decide the above case il
my favor. How often have you stretch
ed your conscience while on the benc
to please people who apply the ssusua
s amount Df taffy ?' Suppose you ha
: stretched the other way, where would
have been Don't you think was wis
J. in applying the usual amount OF taffy ?
You say that 4 stated Ilwould seour
0 lyour removal because / was angerei q
2 lyour decision in certain law suit,
7 did say you ought to be removed, and
& think 80 yet, for deciding that the act I
: the Legislature authorizing the people {
= elect the clerks OF the court was uucou
9 ssitutionai. The people ought TO b
g lailowed to elect their clerks, and yor
!. decision declaring the law allowing thel
u TO do so unconstitutional Is the thinne,
I judicial opinion ever rendered. 70
t were either too ignorant to know viii
the law waa, or you we're 30 dishonel
Q thatiyou were Willing to defeat the wis
i OF the people In order to retain IL
! patronage, which you secured as iuda
81 by appointing the clerks in every couni
}. in four district.
Y But why do you attack die personsI
q and neglect to answer the charge mAs
d tagaipst ypn 10 10Y interview, thai 3r
or 1ates. to your position on cersa;a publ
2 question IN which the whole people q
l. interested 2 sls..
r. z. prarranrw.