The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-23
BURKE is in DANGER
SOUTH DAKOTA REPUBLICANS ARE
HUNTING FOR HIM WITH SHARP
ENED SNICKERSNEES
HAS BEEN TOO DIcTAToRIAL
Men Who Have Fought the Fight in
His State Cannot Forget the In
suits He Has Heaped
Upon Them.
Special to The Globe.

| SIOUX FALLS, S. D.. Dec. 22.-Lhe
withdrawal of Coe I. Crawford, of Heron,
] from the contest for United States sena-
| sor for the term of six years, commence
| Ing on March f. 1903, greatly simplifies the
political situation in South Dakota, and
| in the event that the Republicans capture
| the legislature, to be elected in November
| of next year, insures the election of A.
| b. Kittredge, of this city.
| Now that the senatorial situation 10
| settled attention will be turned to the
| candidacy of those aspiring for renomina-
| ton and reelection to the lower house
| of congress. Congressman Martin appar-
| emily will have no difficulty in securing
| a denomination should he decide to seek
| it. He has held aloof from all fractional
| differences in the party, and as a result
| has strengthened himself with South Da-
| kota Republicans in general.
| With Congressman Burke it is dillerent.
| He is of a more aggressive disposition.
| and has made host of enemies in his
| own party. There are indications that
| an organized fight will be made against
| him, and if it is within the power Of
| those who oppose HIM, he will be pre-
vented from securing a denomination by
| the Republican state convention of next
year. The Republicans in this part of the
state in particular have number OF
grievances against him, and the leaders
/
7 not treat their wishes lightly
| The principal ennity toward Burke on
| the part of the Republicans of this jul
dicial circuit was occasioned by what
! they deem his arbitrary treatment of
| them during the last session of tse state
| legislature. Although this circuit con-
tains safe Republican majority of be-
tween 1900 and SO00, and is the most
populous in the state, Burke, who ruled
the last legislature with a rod of iron,
permitted only one appointment to a
clerkship to be made from the entre CIR
cult This was doubtless because he wish
ed to punish a few local leaders, who,
by the way, played an important part
in winning the overwhelming Republican
victory of 1900 which, among other
things, resulted in the retirement OF X.
+. Pettigrew from the United States sem
ate.
The brunt of the fighting in that men,
orable campaign was borne by the very
men whom Burke afterwards lost no op-
portunity to humiliate and insult, not
withstandng that they had for years
been a power in the councils of the party,
and had waged q successful fight in this,
the home county of r. e. PettigreW.
These men naturally resented such treat
ment, and In the next Republican state
convention it will be found that this
CMinnehaha) and other counties in the
circuit will be Sol1dly arrayeu against
Burke.
The feeling against the congressman,
not on the part of the leaders alone, but
on that of the rank and file as well, Is
really astonishing. Old and staid Re-
publicans who seldom permit themselves
to become worked up" or unduly excited
over political questions express them
selves as ready to take off their coats
and contribute their mite toward his
defeat.
A serious mistake will be made by the
men who are preparing the slate for
next years convention if they think the
enmity toward Burke is confined to what
they may term "a few sore-heads." Such
is not the case. The congressman has
bitter enemies all over the state. He has
been unfortunate in being forced into po-
sitions which could not possibly make
friends for himself, but which, on the
other hand, have made him bitter and
lifelong enemies. This was the case in
the capital removal fight during the clos
ing days of the last session of the legis-
lature Burke, having assumed the die
tatorship of the legislature, when matters
looked serious for his home town of
Pierre was required to head off any I'M
favorable action. He prevented the
capital question from being resubmitted,
but at the same time antagonized and
made enemies of influential members Of
his party who favored the resubmission
of the question. These men came from
all parts of the state, and are accus-
toned to controlling the Republican af-
fairs of their respective localities. 1t
is they who control county conventions
and have the chief say as to the charac-
ter Of the delegations which represent
their counties in the state conventions.
It Is possible that the anti-Burke senti-
ment will crystalline upon Coe /. Craw-
ford, of Huron, If he will consent to be-
come candidate for congress. He Is
popular throughout the state; he has
the happy faculty of making and retain
ing friends he is brilliant, level headed,
and has the ability to make record In
congress which would In time advance
him to the United States senate. He
once accepted nomination for congress
at the time when Populism was at high
tide in South Dakota. The fight was a
hopeless one from the start, yet, realiz-
ing that success was practically impoSSi-
BILE, Mr. Crawford needed the call of his
party and became one Of its nominees.
His friends urge that having withdrawn
from the senatorial contest, he now owes
it to himself, his friends and his party to
consent to become a candidate for con-
gress, and thus enable his host of
friends throughout the state to reward
him for his many years of energetic and
loyal work in behalf of the Republican
party of the state. Should Mr.. Crawford
become a candidate, Judge Campbell, OF ,
Aberdeen, who retires from the bench
Jan. by his own wishes, will be pushed
for congress by the anti-Burke Repub-
lcans.