Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1898-10-07

thOAo cSAucstCo IL udS Uc6u OomO0Stc8C-
ted by thorough and fair tests that the
hot water at Hot Springs, s. OAK,
cures more than 60 per cent of such
cases, and
"Whereas an effort is being made to
secure the location of such a sauitari-
um ut Hot Springs, S. OAK; and
"Whereas we are satisfied from infor-
nation furnished that no better place
has yet been discovered; Therefore,
be it
Resolved, that we favor the location
of sanitarium at Hot Springs, S. D.,
and urge our Representatives in Con-
gress to support and aid in the passage
of such bills as may be presented for
that purpose"
That alone would have been some
defence for Congressman Knowles, or
Kelley, to make, and would have been
better than not word said in behalf
of the measure that the old soldiers
generally and the whole west particu-
larly is interested in, and for which
Hot Springs people have so nobly
spent their energies and money. But
not soul peeped in behalf of Hot
Springs.
Then Congressman McRae. demo-
cratic congressman from Arkansas, in
working for the interests CT
his own state, had the
following to say, according to the Con-
gressional Record, page $3.50:
"If it is good hot-water sanitarium
| that you want for the soldiers. in nv
judgment Hot Springs, (Arkansas) is
the only place for such an institutions"
Now there was another chance for
our Congressman Knowles, or Kelley,
to at least let Congress know where
they lived-to defend the popular hot
water springs of their own state-but
never word of defence or resentment
did they utter-not Il word for our Sol
dier's Sanitarium. Why did not South
Dakota's representatives Knowles or
Kelley answer the miserable slur
made by Congressman McRae against
our Hot Springs 10y referring him to
the elaborate and unanswerable report
and argument made by the Senate Mil
itary committee regarding the curative
effects of these hot waters of South
Dakota, and prove to the House men,
bers that Mr.. McRae didn't know what
he was talking about when he said that
Hot Springs, Arkansas, is "the ONLY
place for such an institution" That
report by the senate committee, con-
tanning US it did the strongest possible
endorsements for the waters of our
own Hot Springs, by tests made by old
soldiers through the direction of the
government, would have effectually
disproved Mr.. McRae's statement.
Therefore, why in the name of common
sense, and in the name of the people of
South Dakota, did not Congressman
knowles-or Kelley-say something?
But worse than all this, when the
House came to vote upon whether they
should insist upon the senate an end
ment favoring the sanitarium, a rising
vote was called for, and the Congress
sional Record, page 1853, says there
were "ayes III, noes o.
Where were our congressman then?
Did not even vote for the proposition.
1t died then and there, apparently
without a friend, when if it had had
someone to defend it, it would at least
have been remembered. And in fact it
did have large number of warm
friends from various states, but they
did not think it their duty to repre-
sent South Dakota. There was inter-
est enough in the bill to attract the re.
porters for the daily newspapers, and
1 the next morning the Associated Press
gave the following explanation of the
matter:
"By the absence of South Dakota,s
congressman from the floor of the
House, the appropriation for the Hot
Springs National hospital, with Il mum
Der OF other amendments in the civil
sundry bill were disagreed to by q
vote OF ll. ayes to no nays, voting to
stand by the conferees. While it NAV
hot have availed much to demand u
division of the question on the disa-
greeting vote, it would have brought to
the attention of the House question
which has been uppermost in the
minds of South Dakotans for years.
namely, the establishment of u branch
hospital for the disabled soldiers at
Hot Springs"
Now then we want to know what
Congressman Knowles-and Kelley
have to offer to the people of Hot
Springs, of South Dakota, and to the
old soldiers in particular, in explaua-
tion Of their conduct toward this bill
u mersure that they knew, or ought to
have known, was on for u final decision
at that particular time. South Dakota
needs to have representatives that will
represent when the critical time comes.
And do Congressman Knowles and
Kelley pretend to have been especial
friends, while in congress, to old
soldiers ?