The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-10-30
r OF SUBSCRIPTION.
TO ADVERTISERS.
REPUBLICAN TICKET.
For Commissioner First District
l.. T. CROW.

A Pioneer Press correspondent has ln-
terviewed Attorney General Crawford on
the merits or dement's, as the case may
be, of the Taylor prosecution and that
officer has gwen a full statement of the
case from beginning to end as it appears
of record and fact and to say that it is a
"scorcher" as regards those who have
wantonly and mallciously befculcd the
good name OF the state Is putting 1T mild
AS regards the false reports and state
ments concerning the whole affair sent
broadcast over the country MIR. Craw-
ford holds the Argus Leader of Sioux
Falls directly responsible and says its
editor did this dirty, lying work for
partizan purposes and the few dollors OF
money he vas paid for dong it. Speak
ing of the compromise alleged by the
Argus Leader to have taken place be-
tween Taylor or his friends and the state
officials MIR. Crawford says: "A more
wantonly wicked and untruthful state
lei vas never published. In behalf OF
the good people of this state, in behalf Of
the fair name OF the state itself and Of
it's bench and bar, | denounce this state
ment as a wilfully and maliciously false
and wicked lie, and it's author az an
enemy to the state in which he lives, for
he has wantonly and knowingly placed
it in Ii false light before the world in
order that he might pocket a few paltry
dollars for creating "a sensation, or per-
chance gain a little partisan advantage.
These reports were false in every par
ticular. Every step in the case subse-
quently occurring shows this to be true
After minutely explaining every de,
tail where official dereliction or III
competency was charged, showing the
falsity OF the charges against the state
officers, the Attorney General concludes:
1.-The entire trouble is, that the state
officials have pushed their way through
this trying and complicated case with
the editor OF the Argus-Leader attempt
ing to obstruct every step and every
effort. No more sincere and honest at
tempt was ever n ade to enforce the law.
What law we have to enforce That we
We have a defective law is unfortunate
aud to be regretted.
But this is not the first time a law has
been found invalid when put to the test
of we'll established rules. Accidents fire.
quently occur In Legislative bodies in
Minnesota and illinois, in New York and
Nebraska, as well as in South Dakota.
But it is not fair TO charge the RESPONSE
bility for such accidents upon the courts
Or the public prosecutor"
81 say that the good name of South
Dakota has been slandered by "a citizen
within her boarders who has dissemiu-
ated falsehOods every where about her,
and the criticisms made in outside news
papers have Oeen based upon these will
full misstatements from within"
"What can be done to prevent the cir
culatlon OF such false reports?"
"Well, the editor OF the Argus Leader
wants me to make a martyr OF him by
prosecuting him for libel. | might retort
by extending a counter invitation to him
to prosecute me, because | am making
these statements to you knowing they
will be reported. So far as | am con-
cerned, | prefer TO submit the facts to
fair minded people to decide. The man
who WINS IL libel suit is not to be envied
as 4 rule. But such men ought to 0e
punished for injuring the name Of the
state"