Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1891-03-07
Letter from cy RobSins.

ed too late for publication last week, is
given space in this issue:
Pierre, s. ID. Feb. "a, 1891.
EDITOR CHRONICLE The legislature
Is making history pretty fast this week
and things are being brought TO focus.
After wandering in the wilderness for
forty days and forty nights, the demo
Gratis and independents have found their
Moses-they tished him Oh, of the bull
rushes and his other name is Kyle. The
democrats claim it as victory, but l
find it impossible TO enthuse over it to
any great extent, although did join in
the joliiication and ratification on the
night of the grand event. 1t proves to
my mind more than ever what | have
long contended, that senator should be
elected by the people direct. All con
tests should be settled in the courts in
the counties where they occur, so that
the law making power may be as free as
possible from partizan bias, and not be
influenced by considerations of party
advantage. Up to this time this can not
be properly called a legislature, it is
simply senator ial convention. Ii the
senator had been elected by the people
either Moody or Trip would be the man,
and it would have been the peoples
choice. But now the grand question all
over the state is, who is Kyle? | will
answer that question by saying he is a
Congregational preacher and prohibit
zionist. In appearance, tall. straight
and handsome, in complexion blonde,
age 81, and of Scotch descent. | have
had some talk with him, and so far as |
can Judge, he is well equipped for the
high position to which accident has
assigned him. He seems mentally, NOR
ally and physically all right, and does
not seem TO be crank on any subject,
and think will make a good public
servant. But after all it is not like hay
ing man you know.
Clark's fence bill has also become a
law, which | think is good one, and
will help TO settle up the reservation
with farmers and email cattle men,
farms along the streams, and cattle on
the high dry lands for which the reser
yation for the most part is well adapted.
Lon Goddard's bill for the prevention
of cattle stealing oil the range is good
law, and | was glad to see it pass e
There has, b.ii~vs.. sl,.sw.s s.s,...stt.is.x{
over three hundred bills introduced tnRS
session of which perhaps about twend'
will become laws, and that is enough, ~
| consider most of the bills introduced
were unwise at this time and unneces.
slry.
AS for myself, as you are doubtless
| aware, / was not permitted to take my
seat as a member of the senate, but was
voted the privilege Of the floor as an ex-
member without pay and without a vote,
an empty honor which | did not accept.
| For as knew my district to be entitled
to representation, and as / was elected
by large majority by an honest vote
and fair count--which was never dis.
puted-I resolved to have what was
entitled to or nothing So spent most
OF my time in the lower house, which is
less dignified, more sparring indulged
in, and more fun. | was knocked out
on strict party vote, % to %, though
most of the republican members ac.
knowledged 10 me privately that / was
entitled to the seat, but they added. you
see how it is, if we put you in, you might
reorganize the whole senate We have
the control and you see we can not af-
ford to give it up we need every vote
we have got in this senatorial fight, and
you must not expect that we will sur.
render any party advantage. Yes, the
republicans voted against me solid, and
yet one could see they done it reluctant.
| ly, for il was republican who moved to
reconsider, and my case was referred
| back to the committee on elections for
further investigation, where it has been
held through all this long drawn out
senatorial fight: The committee was
composed of four republicans, two indie.
pendents and one democrat. When the
senatorial fight was over, sent note
| to the chairman of the committee asking
for report. got his answer, it was
still against me, and then by the advice
of my friends in the committee gave il
up.
The sentiment Of the republican mem
bers Of the senate towards me person
ally seemed of the most friendly char
acter, and their words were generally
ICY. you are out Of luck this time, hope
you will have better luck next time. Sor-
| ry for you, ETC." The trip has cost me con-
siderable of time and money. which !
could i'll afford at this time, but do not
regret it. / have learned much in the
way of politics which / did not know
before / have met and become ac-
quainted with most OF the public men ol
| the state, men of whom we read and
hear so r,uch. Also the representative
men in the senate and in the house, and
many of them now reckon among my
most congenial friends, and that too
irrespective of party, and on the whole
have had good time.
As to my own behavior politically, ]
will be honest and say, i used my in.
| fiuence for that grand man Bartlett Trip
SO long rs he remained in the feld, but
when he withdrew and released the
boys, / saw 1t would not be very hard
job to elect Black Hills man, and real
izing how important it was TO have ouI
interests represented ia the National
senate, turned myself loose in that
direction. First for Mr.. II. G. Lake, who
was acceptable iii all respects except
that he was banker strange that that
should 60 against q man, but II seems
we have fallen upon strange times. W.
then sprung Mr.. James Fowler. and
perhaps il Is known only by the very
| few how near We came to electing him
We had the promise Of the republicans
that they would make him the straight
caucus nominee II we would furnish the
necessary votes to elect. 1t only need
ed six. rustled and got the promise
of three democrats, who we're opposed
to Mr.. Kyle on account of his prohibit
tion sentiments; other parties obtained
the promise of four more, and we hat
the votes TO elect Mr.. Fowleron the 18th
of Feb, which was as soon as we could
get in shape To do Ii. 10 must have go1
out, and that caused Mr.. Trip to call ths
democrats together, and he requested
them to 90 for Kyle, which they did
and Qlacfad fhaf Ueu nmau n nm thu ycth
\ also worked for the re-submission b
the prohibition question once more to
vote OF the people. had the salts
faction Of seeing II carry in the house
and ] hope 1t viii carry in the senate
but II u does, II will be Q very close vote