Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-11-27
COLONEL J.. \. KING
RESENTS The CHARGES
In An cpen Letter to Senator Kyle
He Resents the Later's In
situations.
He IS WORKING IN GOOD FAITH
Opposition OF the Hanui'
caps the Sciicuue to Remove u
burden From settlers
on Coded Lands.

Chamberlain, Nov. 20.-The contro'
versy between Senator Kyle and Cor
oncl John II. King of this city, VINO
rpnresents the South Dakota land de-
partmcnt at Washington, is growing
decidedly bitter, and is beginning to
attract general attention throughout
the state. Mr.. king during the last
few weeks has been visiting the set
tiers on the ceded portions of the vari-
Gus Indian reservations which have
been opened to settlement in this state
during the past ten or fifteen years.
for the purpose of raising funds with
which to make "A fight in congress TINS
winter for the passage Of the free
homestead measure. Senator Kyle, N
a newspaper interview some days ago,
denounced MIR. Kings efforts as 4
scheme to defraud the settlers, term
ing il a confidence scheme. Mr., kih}
has prepared an open letter 10 the seI'
ator, which your correspondent mas
been permitted TO examine. Copies
of it will be sent to Senator Kye ana
other prominent men in the state, as
well as to q number of weekly news
papers in various portions al South
Dakota. The answer contains a bittea
personal assault on Senator Kyle. y
total of twenty questions are pro
pounded. many of them of an exceed
ingly personal character. For Noni
information" says the letter, 81 WI
state that sums of money were raisec
by Pierre, Rapid City and Chamber
lain TO secure the passage OF the NiouN
bill, and me selected TO go % Washing
ton to work for and urge lis passage;
and as one of the committee selected
that neither myself or any other mem
Der Of the committee so sent, even
even thought of or attempted TO use
money on any member Of congress
10 make him do his duty, as You inti
mate we are now planning 10 do, anc
that we got the bill through congress
without it. and that the aggregate eN
penses were many thousands OF dol
lars.
Il viii state TO YOU further that |
am q working any confidence game.
pure and simple. bat that certain set
tiers desiring to employ my services,
| told Them frankly the task Ia pass
lillN nm Was a. ~ blIt ~ III '''' '
that the interior department had re.
ported against IT.; and that We we're
asking the eastern people To take Una
load of S3j. 100000 of rs and vote IL
onto themselves; that many people i'll
the east did not understand the ques.
ton nor the h%arlShips these SETTLERS
had to undergo. nor the justice OF
their cause nOr the policies heretofore
pursued by the government contrary
10 this policy; that it would take IN
organized concentrated effort. with
the O efficient, painstaking Wori!
possible: and that if enough 10 nllk'
il an object would sign an agreement
10 contribute TO the expense. and then,
II successful. 10 pay me Il reas0habl!
small fee therefor. out of the money
'aNed-onlN about / cents on The dol,
ar would undertake the task. OF
so,iec,tng thc facts. the law. u poll
cies of the government. plead the JUS
tice md equity of their cause, and
,e~ ,,as~ ~~a an.o.ia,. .na SO I ha~...s.
tered upon the task, and will not siirk
it.
Only Il small sum was to he contrib.
uted-from 50 to SIN cash by those
subscribed, and no more paid un,es,
they were 10 be relieved of this bur
den, aud then only about 1 per cent
of the money saved TO come To me. y,
notes were taken but a simple agree
men all could understand. ] plainly
stated publicly ] could not. and woul,
not, sue on harrass a man for the cash
subscription, that | wanted every man
who signed Ia pay il if they could. and
as soon as they conveniently could,
but allowed no on 10 pay until | had
sufficient names to justify me to un-
dertakc it; that many do o sign fOr
various reasons-some think the hi
will go through without this extra eff
fort, others do not feel able to con
tribute. some have only filed recently
and have plenty of time. and some are
not living on the land.
Thus far only about 200 have signed
and only $50 advanced on the expense.
With your opposition and the oppo-
sition of others, many will not sign
who otherwise would, and not moro
than three or four hundred viii sign,
There is no misunderstanding, there
are 10 false representations. The
members from South Dakota will do
their duty, and do il hard and strong
and faithfully. | resent for Mess S
Knowles and Kelley, as well as for my.
self. that any money is needed to make
them do their duty. and resent the
thought that any decent man would
have the lack of principle to offer them
money, or intimate any such thing &c
them"