Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-09-08
A Caustic Arraignment.

One of the most caustic arraignments
of Pettigrew which has SO far appeared
in the campaign is written by G. E.
Bartlett of Watertown, this state. A
short time ago Pettigrew wrote to Mr..
Bartlett appealing for his support in
carrying the state for Pettigrew and
Bryan. Following is Mr.. Bartlett's reply:
Dear Sir:--I haye the honor to &C
knowledge the receipt ofyours ofAugust
Is asking me to support you for re-elec-
tion to the United States senate. In
answer to your first request l will say
that expect to take a very active 'in-
terest in carrying the state Of South Da-
kota' this year. but it will not be in the
interest OF Pettigrew and the Bryan
party. You have said that you were
ashamed Of your country and its flag.
and it may as we'll be understood at the
outset of this communication that put
in some of the Lest years of my life in
the civil war, fighting men of that same
persuasion. What reason have you to
suggest why should change now2 You
say you are candidate for reelection,
and / say l hope you will be defeated,
and shall do all In my power to bring
about that result. You seem to fear
that the republicans are going to send
money into the state to defeat you, but
am OF the opinion that it is wholly un-
necessary, as The sentiment of the far.
mers and business men of this locality
is overwhelmingly opposed to you and
your methods, not only as politician,
but as statesman, and believe it TO
be a charitable and patriotic thing to
encourage that feeling. Aside from this
feature of the money matter, permit me
TO inquire whether there is to be more
money sent into the state by the repu.
blican party than you are to spend from
the funds contributed from the insur-
gents under Aguinaldo and from the
silver trust whose interests you have so
ably championed.
"You ask for the active assistance of
your friends to overcome the efforts cf
the republicans to defeat you. Your
friends are mostly in the leland of
Luzon, and one of my sons is now suf.
fering from the tortures of a Mauser
bullet sent into his chest by one ofthem.
Your boasted friends are the enemies of
our country, and are thriving on the en-
couragement and support received from
you as senator from South Dakota. |
had two sons in the Philippine rebellion
and your political cohart, Judge Moore,
prayed that the god of battles would
strengthen the arm of their opponents
that they might drive those sons and
their comrades into the sea this senti.
ment you have countenanced and en-
couraged by your every public act, and
it is because of your having countenanc-
ed and encouraged such treason that the
rebellion now on in the Philippines
still hangs on. Your party rewards men
like Judge Moore for giving utterance to
such thoughts by nominating them for
congress. In congress he would follow
your footsteps and denounce his coun-
try and support its enemies.
You ask for the names of three of
my nelghbors who are in sympathy
with you in politics, and l give you the
names of the Hon. J. 3. Hanten, the
Hon. A Foley and the Hon. Ole Olson.
These men have been nominated by
your party for the legislature from this
county, and would undoubtedly greatly
appreciate your 'literature.' Send it to
them. They need it. and | doubt not
can give you the names of others who
are similarly situated. For myself l am
well provided with literature that you
sent into this county four years ago. If
your this years crop is no more reliable
than that it will hare little historic
value in the years to come. You said if
the republican party should succeed we
would get 25-cent wheat; you said there
would be misery and suffering and want
in the land; you told US we would be in
the clutches of the money sharks of
Wall Street that we could never pay
off our mortgages and that the money
power would get US sure. You need
only visit our section of the state to
come to realize that every prophecy you
made was false.
ut is unnecessary for me to state that
I am opposed to you. Your scare of
imperialism frightens more of us up this
way, but we l0ok upon it as in keeping
with your bugaboo of 1896, the dread
money power Fanatirism and frenzy
has had it's run in South Dakota. and I
predict and confidently hope you will
discover it before the next legislature
conyenes. Very truly yours,
&c. Z. BARTLETT"