Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1898-10-28
GEMS FROM sHELDoN's SPEECH
AT DEADwooD.

AT DEADW0oD.
''It is shame to accuse Kirk
Phillips of having taken interest on
state funds I do not know wheth-
er he took it or not, but if he did he
and his bondsmen will Iuake it
good.
s'The railroads are go powerful
that they will pay no more taxes in
South Dakota than they see fit, and
if the board of equalization should
undertake to raise their taxes they
would refuse to pay any taxes at
all"
Deadwood independent: The Inde-
pendent has scrupulously refrained
from any ATTACK on Kirk G.. Phillips
personally.
Nothing has been published by the
Independent in regard to Mr. Phillips
conduct that has been denied by Mr..
Phillips, or any one authorized to speak
for him.
The Independent has published moth
ing about Mr. Phillips in any way that
it didn't know to be absolutely true.
Is Mr.. Phillips the right man to elect
governor of South Dakota?
The Argus-Leader, the recognized
organ Of Mr.. Kittredge, said in its issue
of September 7, that if Mr.. Phillips had
been guilty Of taking interest on state
deposits he should get off the Republi-
can ticket. While Mr.. Tomlinson has
no conscientious scruples about any
thing, he has brains enough to know
the seriousness of Mr.. Phillips offense
as state treasurer and the criticism to
which it would subject any party that
might elect candidate for governor
under such circumstances. Now comes
the Canton News, edited by N. G. Nash,
the leader Of the Republican stalwarts
Of Lincoln county, which says:
'"The charge that Mr.. Phillips re-
ceived interest on the state deposits
should not be lodged by Mr.. Phillips
or the Republican party. He knows
whether he has received any interest on
the state funds or not, and if he has
not he can surely prove it. If he can
prove it, he should promptly challenge
the production Of the proof by those
making the charge. If he is guilty he
should promptly resign or withdraw
from the ticket so that the state com
mittee can substitute some one in his
place as the party's candidate for gov
ernor. Attempted dust throwing will
not serve any good purpose. Mr.. Phil
lips owes it to the party, and should
promptly deny the charge and chal'
lenge its proof as we have but little
doubt he is able to do. Deny the &C.
cusation Kirk and challenge proof Of
the charge, or the Republicans down
this way who will vote for you will be
''few and far between" In case you
fail to take this straightforward course,
the Republicans of this section demand
of Chairman Herried the immediate Q
assembling of the state committee, and
the substitution of clean man, free
from all suspicion of corrupt or unlaw-
full practices to head the ticket
There is no doubt that the Republi-
cans thought seriously of having both
Phillips and Roddle resign, but now
they have sinned away their day of
grace. It is too late to make change
The voters of this state have to choose
between Phillips and Lee for governor
and Roddle and Sparkling for secretary
of state.
Almost from the inception of South
Dakota's statehood, there have been
scandals, thefts and peculations at the
capitol. Lees administration was the
first clean one. He was the first COVER
nor who went after corrupt men in
Office and turned them out. Will the
voters endorse his course by re-electing
him governor? Or do they prefer to
elect man governor who now stands
proven to have violated the law in his
official conduct as state treasurer?
Will the voters re-elect Roddle who
has appropriated state money to his
own use? Or will they elect honest
George Sparkling as secretary of state?
It is question of good government
and of good morals which confronts
every voter.