Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-07-20
THE NEW u. S. SENATOR.
Brief Account OF Hon. a. b. Kittrodgo
and His Career.

and His Career.
Sioux Falls. S. D., July 1.-THE
new United States senator, Alfred -
Kittredge, is the Samson as well as the
silent man" OF South Dakota politics.
For years, owing to his strong person
atty, he has been considered the lead
ing republican of the state, inc ever
when his ~inclinations led him a year
or two ago to decline longer to partici-
pate actively in politics, IT was to Kit
as he is familarly known-that the
leading republicans went for advice
and counsel. His unpretentious law Of
flee in this city has been the mecca for
republicans from all parts OF the state
who wanted advice or assistance In
realizing cherished ambitions.
There have been none TO dispute the
| s%oundness Of his reasoning, and when
Kit gave "A decision II political mat
ters there was no appeal. Politically
he was the justice, circuit and SUI
preme courts for his party all in one.
While he was the active leader Of his
party his decisions sometimes were OF
such a character as to cause murmurs
Of disapproyal on the part Of disap-
pointed aspirants for Office, but none
questioned the wisdom of his action, or
limited that his decisions were based
upon any other grounds than the desire
TO benefit his party and strengthen its
tickets.
There have been those among his po-
litical opponents who ave declared his
sway of the republican hosts autocrat-
&c and arbitrary in the extreme. Per-
haps these assertions had some basis
In fact, for the successful political
leader must to n certain extent make
use OF these methods.
K%ittredge, while the active leader OF
the republican party of South Dakota,
doubtless made a few such mistakes,
but on the whole his political career
has been a remarkably successful one,
and the men selected by him for office,
have generally been satisfactory to the
rank and file of his party in the state,
A Political Hotbed.
Since the Indians were swept west
OF the Missouri river, this part OF the
country has had more politics to the
square inch than n other state or
territory in the union. The young law
yer, upon arriving in Sioux Falls in
1885 heard political discussions at
breakfast time, dinner and supper. as
we'll as between times, so perhaps IL
was not strange that he soon became
dtllNely luGlllllltu WIFI ollC VI Wv
great political parties. Always "a stall
wart republican, he participated ac-
lively In the affairs of that party.
Kittredge, with his bulldog courage
and tenacity Of purpose, was equal to
the occasion. He was always of an
unassuming nature, yet he could not
long conceal the admirable characters
tics OF which he was possessed. One
OF the first to be attracted by the silent
- .,I IL 49, a"1 49, 80 N,HAn , IL
Pettigrew. ex-senator from South Da-
kota, who was then the unquestioned
leader of the republicans of the state.
Pettigrew needed just such a man, and
II was not long until Kittredge became
Pettigrew's chief lieutenant in the
state. The duty Of manipulating Coun-
ty and state conventions for the pur-
pose Of seeing that the wishes Of the
leader were carried out devolved upon
Kittredge. He has never baeN an e.
flceseeker, but in 1889, in obedience to
the wishes of the members OF his par
ty, he accepted the nomination for state
senator from this (~Minnehahal county,
and at the election Of that year was
elected to the place. He was rcnom-
mated ami reelected in 1891.
KittredGe II Pettigrew worked to-
gether until the spring of 1896, when
the free silver question caused n split
II the republican ranks. Pettigrew
was manipulating things in such d way
as to have the republicans Of south
Dakota officially indorse free silver.
Kittredge aligned himself with the
gold wing Of the party. believ-
ing even that early that the
approaching republican national con-
.rention ~ st. Louis would declare for
the gold standard. and hat n
of free silver by the re-
rublicans of South Dakota would be
suicidal and place the state organiza-