The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-07-26
SOUTH DAKOTA POLITICS


was dominated by old time populists Of
the Andy Lee stripe, e. S. and Homer
Johnson, Harry Sawyer and Lee were
ST. eng behind the scenes, WhereNt real.
work was done. Had Pettigrew been
present he would of course have been a
factor with them
Crlll, the candidate for governor was a.
lieutenant OF Lee when populism was in.
CONTROL He was a state senator in '93
and 81, and man after the governors
own heart. Populism was never too rad
ical for him. Like volcano" Jones, of
charles Mix, he accepted all the i'sms''
and rarely lost an opportunity. to pro-
claim, f1cm the house tops if necessary
where he stood. Unlike Jones, he had bet
ter control, to use baseball Smile His
| nomination is regarded by the republican
leaders as a good one. He is interested
In flour mills%and elevators and is man
OF means. He Is good platform speaker
aad a ready mixer" In those qualities
that attract and hold he is a better man
than the former governor, his old chief.
Attic Parker and his gold standard at
titude were Endorsed by these old-time
p"pulists. in :heir heart of hearts they are
1r'le to R.yap. TheN believe with him
that the battle has not been lost-only
postponed. Bryan is still their pole star,
their idol. The same, thing is true, of
many Of the old-line democrats who left
goldEto go to Bryan and silver and have
| noWsssgon back again. They are i'm
pressedgSwith Bryan's brilliancy and say
IN the language fairly wrung firm Bel
mont, This man is a giant
All the Parker cheering at Aberdeen
| was perfunctory compared with the APP
plause at mere mention of the Nebras-
kan's name Former populists, while
processing satisfaction with Parker per-
sonally and socially and the platform
adopted at st. Louis, seem to feel that
the present campaign is only an incident
| in the grand march of events that at
some time and in some manner will re-
habilitate their "matchess leader
The old cry of anything to beat Grant"
| has given way to anything to beat the
republican party" These populists are
| loyal enough in spite of their personal
love for Bryan. They can forswear tenn
! .porarily free silver principles, if by SO
doing they can strike blow at the re-
| publican party.
T. The platform adopted at Aberdeen also
shows what element was in control. Pop
ulism runs tru 1t all. Government owner
l!ship of railroads and all other public
utilities is a cardinal principle Almost
every plank on state issues is populistic.
The enactment of a primary election law,
the separate election Of judicial officers,
the repeal Of the present law under which
county commissioners are elected and the
thoro revision Of revenue laws are planks
| designed to line former supporters of
| populism up for the state and national
tickets.
| The most interesting feature of the
! convention was the debate started by for
mer Senator John B. Hanten of Water
town who, in a lucid address, sought to
incorporate in the platform planks rela-
| tiveHto the liability of railroads for set
ting fires, killing stock and injuring en-
ployees. Repulsed by the committee
| Iianten made his plea on the floor Of the
convention itself and, ably assisted by A.
E. Chamberlain an attorney of Howard,
made successful fight. His address and
I his plank appealed to the ex-populists and
were regarded by some Of the more rad
| ical element as a concession that could be
made advantageousy to the newer re-
| cruits.
| One former popu1ist Of considerable rep
| utation-W. T. La Toilette, a railroad
commissioner under the Lee administra
ton and "a member #of the committee on
resolutiOns--spoke against the proposed
amendment taking the ground that all
antirailroad legislation was worthless as
| the courts Of the state are now consti-
| tuted. He thought the Eanten resolution
buncombe His remarks had little effect.
the convention apparently feeling that his
| criticism of the courts contained more
buncombe than the amendment offered by
| the Watertown delegate. Dowdell, also a
| populist Wheelhorse, took opposite ground
| from La Toilette. A ringing, sIedge-
| hammer speech would have defeated the
Hanten amendment and appeased the rail-
road interests, but it was lacking, and on
| a fIa =,
| by about two to one A
% A young delegate from Kingsbury co,1n-
ty, who was a member Of the committee
on platform. felt impel1ed to address the
convention in defense of the action taken
by himself and his colleagues, and soon
| had the delegates and spectators in. an
uproar To clear his own skirts Of any
bias for the railways. he asseverated that
1 he had never received any favors from,
| the companies, excepting this one pass. -
referring to the free transportation he
| had enjoyed in coming to the convention.
For Two or three minutes the proceed
ings were suspended. while the delegates
howled their appreciation and delight at
the naive confession. Most of them had
come to the convention on passes like
the gentleman from Kingsbury, and could
appreciate the humor of the remark.
! y The movement to depose Chairman
| Martin of the state central committee
| was regarded as poor politics, and he,was
re- elected at meeting of the new COM
| mittee Immediately after the convention
Had the former populists carried out thei1
| threat to dismiss the chairman it Wou}f
1 have shown a disposition to rub 1t in
that would have no doubt been keenl,
resented by the old Line men.
/ It was a "talky" convention, anothe,
! populistic trait. All the speakers bu1
one predicted a great and glorious victor,
in the state and nation That one was
stuart of Sturgis, one of the nominees
for congress- who said with refreshing
candor, 1--WE may not elect ali Of o,,1
i ticket from top to bottom
Notwithstanding these expressions O,
| confidence and the splendid jollies O,
4 Chairman "Taz' Simmons there was nc
4 rush for the nominations. Twice the or.
i DER OF the nominations was broken while
/ a. still hunt was made for candidates. In
4 only one instance were two names pre-.
4 sented for the same place, and one OF
| these was withdrawn at once Chairman
summons himself could have had, a fore
most place on the ticket had he said the
/ word. but instead accepted nomination
] for county office in Beadle county
/ Where, owing to division among repub-
licans, he is believed to have a fair
prospect Of election.
! a Grill, the nominee for governor. made
the most taking off hand speech. He
charged the republicans with extrava
| gance, and so Intervene his remarks with
story and sirnile that he caught the gal
leries and was Justify cheered. He prom
/ ised to make an active campaign.
/ - /. 81 Il i