Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-04-08
Purity and Reform
The Task of the "Deform
Press Bureau"
A List of the Killed Pop
Measures.

EVl luC nASt III kAO hictVAI
of South Dakota a political party
finds it necessary to establish and
support a press agency at the state
capital for the avowed purpose of
excusing and explaining the many
acts of omission and commission of
that party while in power IN the
legislative and executive depart
ments. And it is the pure, holy
and righteous populist p~arty-of
the purity and reform brand of
which so much was heard before
they came into power and so little
after, that has taken this step. TIE
silly explanation given is that it is
necessary on account of the I'M
reliable reports sent out by republi-
a correspondents during the ses-
sion. The true Inwardness is that
it IS 9 move in the hope of checking
the further disintegratlon of their
party by deluding aud befogging
their followers lnto the belief that
matters are not as bad as reported;
that everything was accomplished
that could be expected fr5p a
parliamentary body, and that the
%glittering motto of purity and re-
FORM is as yet untarnished and can
again oe raised to dazzle the imagl-
nation of the voters of this state.
Vain hope. They may edit and ie-
wise, revise and edit, the blot Of
corruption, ike Lady Macbeth's
ssdamned spot" will not "out."
The people have learned just how
much a populist promise is worth.
For seven long years did they
preach republican extravagance and
corruption; Tor seven years did they
beg to be placed in power to rectify
all wrongs, relieve the taxpayer,
institute reforms, abolish machine
politics, practice economy in genar-
al to work solely for the public
good. The voters, bedazzled By
the %glittering promises, placed
them 10 power, and 10! it takes but
9 short sixty days to strip them Of
their mask of reform aad exhibit
them In ell the hiieous deformity of
public plnnderers and ofice-seeking
vulfures. The battle cry of "re-
form" was soon lost in the yell for
''pie." All the fair promises we're
soon trampled under foot in the
rush for spoils. The legislature
became, instead of q deliberatiye
body, q factional horde. Treachery
to each other and a public trading
of party for self became. the order
of the day. This IN short is the
history of the late legislature. 1t
is not necessary 10 take the reports
of republican correspondents to
learn it, for the testimony of scores
of disgusted popul;sts can be ad-
duced to the same end. Now that
the mad rush for spoils is over the
leaders realize that the chance of
ever. regaining power is a slim one,
and it is to smooth over the dismal
failure of the first experiment of
the people of tins state with the
party OF fusion and reform as law
makers that this press bureau has
een,established. 0ne thing is GER
tain, the bureau has plenty of work
cut out forit. After it gets through
charging the republican minority
with the failures of the populist
majority. 1T can explain just how
many of Governor Lees recon
mendations embodied in the famous
inaugural message were carried out:
why they we're carried out and why
they ere not. IL caa furnish a.
reason for d~isposing Of SAL bills
tmostly promised pop measares) in
one motion to make way for plumber
bslls. Ii can 60 OF aud recite why
the speaker WAS allowed $500 more
sAan any other speaker in South
Dakota ever received; why there
were slysy four employees for Is6
why Attorney General
q ~ VS. allowed 5000 ex
ss Tor ais office; why new offices
we're creatsa IN the lace Of the