Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1894-01-26
The Farmers Leader
ACTS LIKE A BOOMERANG.
AN OPEN LETTER TO EDITOR WILLIS
BENEDICT OF HERMOSA.
The Boomerang Boomerangeth.

The Boomerang BOomerangeth.
NV dear old friend, I take the liberty to reply
to an article which appeared in your paper,
that the editor OF the News copied and used as
a boomerang. The article as Bro. Nash set 1t
up, reads as follows:
s.Hermosa Pilot: Cornelius b. Kennedy, ex-
candidate for supreme judge on the Independo Ito
ent ticket in this state, and the editor OF the
Canton LEADER Ind) through the columns OF
that Journal are endeavoring to prove that
G. GA. A. R., r South Dakota, IS coward and in fact
generally disreputable citizen. The writer
has had the pleasure Of an intimate acqualn.
years, and that acquaintance warrants us In
saying that Gen. Nash is not coward-elthef
morally or physically. And further than that,
honor to any common wealth. The appeal OF
distress never finds quicker response than from
objects find no more ardent advocate than Gen.
Nash. The cause OF right finds a Jealous
champion in Gen Nash in short he is worthy,
christian gentleman, and the attempt OF those
men to blacken his character will only result
in smirching their own"
Bro. Willis: After carefully reading the
above, we must admit it is sumner to US old
timers that have known Bro. Nash for many
years. Yes, Willis, it is q settler or rather
takes down and fills our souls with several
kinds of emotions. It makes US laugh and
swear by turns; laugh at the supreme rldicu-
lousness Of the article, and swear at Nashs
exhibition of cheek, when he uses it fora boom
erang ;-"Gen. Nash.' ''The cause of right
finds Jealous champion in Gen. Nash.'' Well,
WELL it is funny isn't it, the most funny thing
that could be imagined; but then, Willis, we
can't believe you were in earnest. we are in
clined to believe you were only trying your
hand just to see what you could do at white
washing, and see if Nash could be whitewashed; :;
you never intended the boys in Lincoln county
would see it. You never thought of such a
thing as Nash setting it up in his paper and
using it for boomerang. Well, Willis, you
know US all, for you grew up among US. You
know Nash, Clifford and Pettigrew, and you
know all the old boys and girls out on the
praires, for you went up and down the lanes
for four years visiting school mans and in
quiring after the neighborhood generally and
you know pluckier lot Of old settlers cannot
be found than in old Lincoln. II w.
We have passed through many calamaties,
been eaten out by grasshoppers, drowned out
by rain, parched out BY drought, paid big inter
est and bonuses; we have lived through all
these terrible calnyn naties and never ~rrmhlnd
but there is one calamity we have suffered that
has been more terrible than all the rest, and
that is Gen. Nash. Why, Willis, the grass
hoppers and the drought and the banks have
been summer breeZes compared to this man
Nash. We farmers think we could have come
through swimmingly and with our heads up,
were it not for this man Nash. Yes, Willis, we
sometimes think he is more dreaded than the
billiards., for we have in u measure. learned
theircourse and time and prepare for them.
Not so with Mash. We can't tell when he is
going to blow, nor how he may be blowing like
blazes in one direction, and before we know it.
he has changed his bellows and is giving
back-action double-twister from another quar-
ter. Sometimes he says Pettigrew is bad. and
after while he writes him up nicely. Some
times he don't want Clifford, and then he wants
him bad. Sometimes he says there is some
thing seriously out ofjoint when 1t takes half
our grain to get the other half to market" then
he tells US everything is lovely and nobody
kicking but the Populists, anu they don't know
what they do want. He used to borrow phras
es and say. ''There is an irrepressble conflict
between labor and capital and then tell us
what the gop had done for the toiier. But you
will say am only writing. as you did, to see
| what can do
Well, Willis. let us have a chapter in Lincoln
county history and see how near we hit the
truth.
Away back in the early seventies. Nash came
among u.s. and like the rest took = Homestead.
moved onto it and made us all believe he was
going to be granger. He joined our grange
and we called him brother. In those days we
called every BODY who was granger brother.
Notwithstanding the grange has failed we still
call the old boys brothers. Well. Brother Nash
took a very deep interest in all rs brothers.
He talked long loud and easy. and made us
grangers believe that nearly everyone in town
was q scoundrel and robber; that an Infamous
ring was formed IN the little village Uf Canton
to gather in everything in sight and rob us
grangers. The grasshopper plague came on
and we appointed Bro. Nash q comniittee to
receive and Distribute contributions. AS re-
ceiver we believe him great success, but as a
distributor, we could not persuade ourselves |
that bis success WIS so great. This little doubt !
made the brothers feel that possibly Bro Nash
had Il little of the human nature in LiS makeup |
and number one was not forgotten. Bro
Nash was lively and clever with his pen. and
when the time came to send delegates to the
state grange we sent Bro. Nash and the grange
elected him secretary. an office he held during
the wear and he performed his duties in such y
way as TO satisfy us grangers that Nash never
forgot Bro. Nash. The next state grange was
held at Elk Point Bro. Nash and We're there.
The secretaryship for another year was what
worried Bro. Nash. as he needed it in connect
ion with his business. In order to secure this
plum, there were some transactions that had
to be explained. Bro. Nash had prepared for
this: he talked long and we'll. and told the
brothers that no crookedness abideth in him.
The grange commenced voting for secretary.
Nash sat in seat bolt upright with 4 smile of
victory on his face--certdin Of his election.
The vote was counted and only one vote in the
hat for Nash. and that was in Nash's well
known handwriting. Nashs head fell on the
seat in front of him and more for!orn looking
brother could not be imagined. Sick was no
name for it. The friend of the granger was
annihlated in the house of his friends. We all
pitied him and dead silence fell on the meet
ing. There was dog in the room and suddenly
we the dog assuming about the same atti
tude as Bro. Nash. and suddenly threw up his
dinner. This was supremely ridiculous, that
no one for few seconds knew how to breake
the spell. Quickly Brother Abe VanAusdel
arose, looking first at Nash and then at the