Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-12

SHARP LETTERS WRITTEN TO SOUTH
DAkOTA's SENATOR.
Interesting Correspondence Growing
Out of His Campaign for
Reelection.

A sharp contest is in progress in South
Dakota between Senator Pettigrew and
those voters who refuse to follow his lead
out of the republican party. Recently Sem
ator Pettgrew addressed circular letters to
many voters asking them to work for his
reelection to the Senate and inclosing cam
palgn literature descriptive Of his position
Letters in answer to this appeal are now
being printed in the republican newspapers
of the state, indicating that those addressed
nave not unanimously accepted the invita-
tion. Inc fankton Gazette of recent
issue contains two of these replies. which
have an interest for the people of other
parts of the country. as indicating one of
the side drifts of the great campaign One
OF these letters was written by David
Q. kearns Of Washington Springs, S. D.
He says:
II thank you very much for the inclosed
platforms. Are they the ones used in the
recent North Carolina ection? OF course
the red shirt and Winchester plank is un-
derstood. You say you are a candidate for
reelection on these platforms and therefore
not a candidate for reelection as repub-
lican. 1t Is too bad you did not come to
TINS conclusion SIX years ago. You would
not have disgraced yourself and this state
OF ours by your actions in Congress.
You say that it is battle between the
man and the dollar. l admit that you must
have had hard fights when you tried to
get those Indian bills through, with their
$1UO,OD attorney fees, and no wonder when
you failed to get them through that you
shou feei, as you state in your letter,
owing to the pernicious system of the re-
publican party a person cannot enjoy that
which they produce or try to produce. But
Is 1t true that at present, under a republic
can administration. as you say we farmers
cannot enjoy what produce? You will
excuse me, senator, but If my memory
serves me right you are the man who four
years ago told us farmers that If Mckinley
was elected the price of wheat would drop
to 20 cents per bushel and all other farm
products would fall way below cost of pro-
duction. So you will excuse what l say
with grain of allowance. Permit me to
If 1 take what you now say with a grain
of allowance. Permit me to submit a few
figures for your benefit.
when / received my butter check last
week 1 noticed my butter Melted me 1TA
cents per pound for August. Wheat is
worth 60 cents per bushe. l can sell my
steers right at home for to AZ cents per
pound. My neighbor received 16 cents per
pound for his wool (the same grade of wool
brought on y cents per pound in the good
old democratic days.. Hogs are worth Az
cents per pound. Horses are double the
price they were a few years ago. So you
see, senator, that as far as we farmers
are concerned we rather enjoy this per-
nicious system
You say Tire republican party has been
captured by the evil elements. This is too
bad, but there is one consolation that after
November they win not try to capture you
Senator. one of the things you will be
held responsible for Is the disgrace you
have brought on our fair young state by