Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1901-10-04
n. SOUTH DAKOTA FRIDAY. OCTOBER 4. 1901.
IA VERY MODEST CITIZEN.
A Pioneer Lawyer and a Pioneer
Republican.
He Loyeth Not Convention Strife and
Has Only Attended Two County
Conventions in 30 Years.

About month ago I saw an item in
the Vermillion ublican which stat
ed that Col. John L. Jolley Of Vermil
lion, had only attended two politica'
conventions in thirty years. Having
been mixed up WITH Col. Jolley in poll
tical strife, in 1870, and in 1872. ! wrote
him note asking for information, be-
lieving that such genial gentleman,
such prominent citizen. influential in
politics and a leading lawyer-could
not escape formative political action in
such lively town as Vermillion for SO
long time. His answer was;
Vermillion, s. u, Sept. 90, 1901.
Friend Linn:-The only county Re-
publican convention, prior to the con-
yention of August II, 1901, that I ever
was delegate in was the county con-
yention held here to elect delegates to
the famous Canton convention of 1879.
There was nothing remarkable about
either convention, except that We had
a nice fight in each convention. There
is nothing strange except that I have
lived here 35 years and only saw two
county conventions in session during
that time. Future generations will
only wonder that there ever lived in
this western county a person so lifeless
that he only attend two county con-
ventions in his life time.
Your Friend,
JOHN L. JoLLEY.
He gives no reason for his political
modesty, but believe he got enough
politics out of the famous contest of
1872 to last him for the many years be-
tween conventions. Col. Jolley was a
lively supporter Of Salmon L. Sphinx in
1870, and have yet destinct recollec-
tion of famous speech he made in the
old U. S. court room in Burleigh's
block in Yankton, during which he,
fguratively speaking, skinned the fam
GUS Burleigh and drew picture of
Sphinx as political angel. I was sup
porting Burleigh, the regular Republi-
can nominee, while Sphinx bolted the
regular convention and was nominated
in the famous old school house at Yer
million. I disagreed with the Colonel
and said something about hisq shoe
leather, in the old Dakotan which I
was publishing at the time. The cam
paign was hummer from beginning
to end, and the Burleigh and Sphinx
cohorts were literally plowing the vir-
gin soil for voters and giving away the
product of every grist mill in the terri
tory. Old Father Turner and Jim Nc
Henry owned grist mill on the Yer
million river, and every sack of flour
turned out by them Burleigh bought
and gave to the poor. One Bohemian
farmer above Yankton. got 100 sacks
to divide up, but he didn't believe in
division or subtraction. He kept it all,
and on election he was found out and he
got licked for his refusal to divide, and
the boys took every sack from him.
Nineteen days before election, Moses
K. Armstrong, a successful govern
ment surveyor, was induced by DR..
vanvelsor and Bartlett Trip to accept
democratic nomination for delegate
to congress, and the political atmos-
phere grew actually hot from that
time until a week after election, as il
took week to find out how the south.
ern part of the territory went, and
nearly month before we could here
from the Pembina county, and nobody
ever found out the actual vote cast ir
the far north. It was returned fol
Armstrong however, who had plenty
money and spent it like prince. Th'
writer was told by one of Mr.. Arm
strong's intimate friends that it cos
him s19, 600 for the nineteen days cam
paign. Every saloon was doing a lant
Office business. and every livery team
in the territory was employed. Ever!
voter, not after Office, was gentleman
and every man with influence" wa
prince. In 1870 the population of tn
territory was given at IA, 500, and tina
included what is now North and Soutl
Dakota.
Sphinx didn't have much money, bu
he had loyal friends, and was at tina
/ time delegate in congress. Burleigl
was considered the richest man in tn
territory, and he spent more none.
i than Armstrong, but a source of troubl
to the political chiefs, was that some o
the "boys' wouldn't stay bought, AM
election day came on with everybod.
claiming victory. The night befor
election in Yankton was a wild one
Burleigh had band and his follower
made headquarters in Wambold {
Cambells saloon on Broadway. I
cost Burleigh $500 for red liquor an
cigars that night The jamboree last
ed from to o'clock and it cost Bul
leigh $10O for every half hour.
The returns, such as they were, CAV
Armstrong The election, and Burleig
contested the election because the sole
iers at most Of the forts along the Nil
Isour borrowed citizens clothes and vo
ed. Armstrong was declared elected b
congress, by seventy-five votes, an
white winged peace hovered over tt
| t,o tt1n Eo1d ,1pti1 Juno 1870
i Such was the campaign that our ol