Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1902-08-29

that Gen. McCOOk deserted his Or1g1.
nal political friends and became Z
champion and leader Of the govern
ment Official wing Of the party, and 1t
is not difficult to realize McC C0Ok' 8 un.
fortunate position. His former friends
were very bitter towards him, and his
new friends had no use for him be
yond his patronage, because they real
lied the uncomfortable ambition and
dictatorial spirit Of the general.
DR.. Burleigh, Ex-Governor Faulk,
Ex-G Governor Emunds, Col. Moody,
Col. John Lawrence, Capt. Brauch,
and others represented the Broadway
faction, while the Capitol street wing
had for its leaders, Gov. Burbank,
United States Judges French and
and Brookings, United States AttOr-
ney Pound, the Internal Revenue Of
ficials and Others Of less note in the Of
fetal wing Of the party.
The desertion by General McC Of
his former friends and his jumping In
to the wherlpool Of territorial politics
made him q conspicuous figure for .
time. He had been appointed secre-
tary through the influence of Dr. Bur-.
leigh In the interest Of the "Uni0n
and Dakotian," the Broadway organ,
which he deserted after getting the
writer to purchase a power press and
otherwise prepare to do the territorial
printing for the legislative session Of
1928. ..4
In writing Of this lamentable trage-
dy, it is only necessary to give such
facts as are required to show how Nc
Cooks trouble and his determination
to rule led him on into that fatal
night in September.
The secretary Of the territory in
those days controlled the territorial
printing which amounted to some
thing like $4,000 each session Of the
legislature, and the Capitol street fac
tion were determined that McCook
should not give his patronage to q
Broadway paper. This, then was the
rock on which McCook's ambition
went to pieces. He was given social
and political power and leadership
among his new friends, and nothing
was too good for the man with the
patronage. Governor Burbank, the
most corrupt official the territory ever
had, was frequently, and often cOnven-
iently, absent from his post of duty,
in order that the new champion Of
Capitol street could sign his name,
''acting governor.
To make the deserti0n Of his first
friends seem reasonable to himself and
justifable in the eyes Of the public he
assumed the leadership Of the federal
office holding crowd and showed his
contempt in every way possible for
those he was under obligations to
when he first came to Yankt0n. He
carried his opposition to extremes be-
cause he was extreme in everything.
When the legislature Of 1928 met, he.I
was acting governor and made things
as disagreeable as possible for all who
did not recognize his greatness, and
tried in every way to bulldoze and
browbeat those who had opinions OF
their own. Two Of the federal judges
and United States Attorney Pound
were backing him in his fatal and fool
ish course. He ordered the sergeant
alarms Of the house, Byron r. Pay,
now OF Brookings county, to remove
Frank Pettigrew from the house, al
ter his memorable contest with DR..
Roberts, when he was unseated be-
cause Of the reported irregularities In
the vote at Flandreau, which was IA
vorable to Pettigrew. Pay gave Nc
Cook sharp and fighting answer.