The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-03-04
MISUNDERSTANDING MITCHELL

MISUNDERSTANDING MITCHELL
The Pierre Board of Trade is send
ing out to the newspapers under its
control, by contract and otherwise.
an article from the Aberdeen
News, headed: "Mitchell VS.. South
Dakota. Mitchell a Knocker; Work.
ing Great Damage to State; Block
ing the Wheels of Progress" and a
whole lot more Of such rot, depend
ing somewhat on the disposition and
honesty and fairness of the editor
whom Pierre has for the time been
stultifed. This particular article
starts out by saying:
Without reference to the capital
question, but solely with regard
for the reputation and financial in
terests OF the state at large, the
News wants to protest once more
against the ISLANDERS upon the west
ern counties that are now being pub
iished in its sympathetic newspapers
in syndicate style by the Mitchell
capital committee. This weeks in
atalment of exchanges again contains
s%yndicated articles relative to condi-
tiOnS In the western counties that
are shamefully full OF misrepresen-
tations and perversion OF fact. The
counties are held up to scOrn as be-
ing uninhabitable except by cowboys
and coyotes and in all respects I'M
fruitful.
II anything has been promulgated
by Mitchell which is a more ''shame-
full perve1sion of fact'' than the fore
going quoted extract FROM the Aber-
deem News we would like to have
somebody point it out. The News
can't s%ubstantiate a word of it.
Why doesn't the News publish one OF
those syndicated articles 1T tells
about and let its readers judge
whether Mitchell is slandering any
part Of the state or whether the
editor Of the News is feeding them
falsehoods for a malicious purpose?
Why doesn't the News pick up
one of.these "syndicated articles"
publish 1T and pick it to pieces for
the ediication and information Of its
readers? 1t does not do so, because
it can't. 1t prefers to throw what
ever reputation for consistency and
reliability 1t eve possessed to the
four winds of heaven that it may dc
all it can to prejudice the people OF
the state against Mitchell. Not
that it loves Pierre or believes that
the capital should not be removed
but because 1T fears Mitchell and
some Of its institutions. Fortu-
nately for Aberdeen, its business
men and leading citizens are built
on broader lines.
1t is a striking fact that so far in
the capital campaign the News has
studiously avoided any argument
showing or attempting to show why
the capital should remain at Pierre.
Perhaps this is because it's editor,
after working so hard for resubmis-
sion, is ashamed to repudiate bis
W arguments or because even SO
resourceful writer as Mr.. Mcleod
hesitates to tackle so havd a subject.
But IN avoiding a valid Argument fol-
Pierre he takes a more despicable
method in misrepresenting Mitchell
and its campaign methods.
The elbow that killed fathers was
when 100 senators and representa-.
tives at Pierre last winter declared
that the people Of the state should
have an opportunity to locate their
state capital where it was convenient
and accessible to the great majority
Of the people OF the state and likely
to be for a hundred or more years 10
come. The reasons which prompted
this action by an Overwhelming ma
jority Of the legislature has been &C.
cumulated and growing for years.
These reasons the News now calls
ISLANDERS and a Shameful per
version Of fact"
The same arguments that are in
use today for capital removal are the
same as those that have been going
up and down and ac,oss the state
ever since the capital was located at
the geographical center" They
are as permissible by Mitchell and
her sympathetic" newspapers as
in the halls Of the legislature. These
same arguments were good enough
for the editor Of the Aberdeen News
when he was working for resubmis-
sion a year ago last January and
they are just as good for the CON-
mon run of folk now.
Fierre has taken the ground right
from the start that the removal OF
the capital means a black eye not
only to Pierre but to that all part OF
the state. Consequently every ar
gument put forth in favor Of capital
removal, from whatever source and
however worded, is a slam and a
SANDER on the western half Of the
state on the face Of 1T.
This is the position OF the Aber-
deem News exactly. And having
tol,oo chat ,oe;t;1, orl 90 = 1o,, e..