Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-11-20
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Loucks Warns Populists.

A recent Aberdeen special says: III.
l.. Loucks, the middle Of the road pop
Mist leader. has issued a sensational
letter on the causes of the defeat of the
populist party in the recent election. 1t
is published in the Dakota Ruralist, of
which paper Loucks is editor and pub
Usher. He says:
The republicans may we'll feel elated
over the result Of the election in South
Dakota. With the fearful record the
party had made in the past, with the
scandals still developing in connection
with republican state officials, with a
populist majority one year ago, it GER
tainly looked rs though the republicans
would be badly beaten in the judicial
elections this year. Instead of which
they score magnificent victory. There
must be reason for this. What is il
1t will not do to remain silent for fear
of offending some one.
There is something wrong when VIC
torious party, new party just given the
reins OF government, is reversed at the
first opportunity. The blame is not
with the populist governor. Every body
comedies chat he is making a good OF.
fetal. 1t is not with the railroad COM
missioners; they have made, and are
making, a splendid record. The treach-
cry of the attorney general has not been
sufficient to offset the good work of the
governor and railroad commissioners.
The popu!ists in the last legislature for
minority party made q creditable
record.
Why, II en, this great reverse at this
time? We say great reverse, for as far
as We have seen the returns the repub-
licans made gains in every county i'm the
state except Deuel. and Codington, and
there were special reason in these two
counties for the exception.
In our judgment the rerson for the re-
verse is that the management of the
pnrty in the state has fallen into thor
oughly incompetent hands. The last
state campaign was bungled from start
to finish. II il had not been for Senator
Pettigrsw and his friends, who were
forced because of Chairman Estabrook's
laundering to make separate campaign
Of their own, We would not haye carried
the state last year.
Gen. Blunderbuss is still state chair
man, 10 still in control. True, he has
done nothing, absolutely nothing, dur
ing the campaign just passed. With
one United States senator (Pettigrsw).
two congressman, one governor and
three railroad commissioners, surely
something of campaign might have
been made. Instead the campaign went
by default. The splendid campaign
cry. Against government by ;njunc-
tion," which could have been brought
home to voters Of this state In a pecul
iarly effective manner because of Judge
Carlands injunction, was lost on the
prairies. Another one. and we believe
the major one, Is that large number OF
! earnest reformers in this as we'll as
every other state are thoroughly dis
hsartened and discouraged by the semi
fusion Of one year ago. They see plain
~ now that IL was great conspiracy 10
destroy the people's party. They realize
that IL the incubus is not thrown Of
there is no future for the party that it
will inevitably be swallowed up BY the
democrgtic party. They did not leave
the republican party to become demo.
Gratis. They are not going to play tho
Jonah act just yet. Discouraged and
disheartened. they took no part in the
campaign. except perhaps the perfume.
tory one Of voting.
We have pointed out for years that