Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1904-06-23

One of Mitchel1's Chief Knockers
Charge Iaiocy Against State
Officers and Legislators.
(To BE Continued

Charge Iaiocy Against State
Officers and Legislators.
An article in the last issue of the
Kimball Graphic is the climax Of
Mitchelrs campaign of knocking, and
it would be difficult to throw together a
greater number of Misrepresentation
than are contained therein regarding
the present statehouse and concerning
Pierre's supply of natural gas.
OF the present capitol building the
Graphic says:
You car throw a Cat through the
shack and not hurt the cat-a building
that by its draughts of cold air has
caused the death of several members of
the legislature, and laid a score or more
of them on sick beds at every session."
Such statements are absolutely false
in every particular. Whoever makes
them is guilty not only of an untruth,
but also is guilty of slandering every
member of the legislature for the past
nine sessions, and slandering every state
officer who at any time during the past
fifteen years has occupied a position at
the capital.
During all these years the state has
owned this building and its officers have
been in complete control thereof. The
allegations of the Graphic Ananias
charge these officers and the legislature
with sitting quietly down and never
protesting against conditions which
resulted in ''the death of several mem
bers and laid a score or more of them
on sick beds at every session."
If these allegations are not positive
falsehoods, then every officer or legisla-
tor who tolerated the conditions is a
cruel and heartless idiot.
How do these officers and legislators
like to be made the object of such men,
dacicus libel, merely to boost a knock
er's campaign.
Did ever any officer or legislator
demand an investigation of this alleged
source of sickness and death?
Such a thing never was heard Of. On
the other hand the state has been con-
graduated in official documents on hav-
ing such commodious quarters. In his
message to the Legislature of 1898 Gov.
Mellette had this to say of the present
capital building:
"The commission appointed to build
an addition to the state house has exc
cuted this trust, and comfortable cham
bers are now provided for the supreme
court judges and all other state officers,
as are also accommodations ample for
the state Libraries, besides accommoda-
tions for the officers and sittings of the
United States district court, at rental of
81, 500 per annum."
Gov. Sheldon in his public utterances
likewise spoke of the state house, say
ing that while it is not a superb struc-
ture, still it is ample for transaction of
the business of the state.
Does anybody suppose these officials
and their successors would have seen
members of the legislature dying or
sent to sick beds by the score through
faultiness of the capitol, and still have
Endorsed that same capital as they did?
Finally, did the Kimball Graphic or
any other organ of the Mitchell knock
ers, ever shout the alarm as to the
alleged condition of that capitol, result
ing in such sickness and death as it now
declares has prevailed?
1t never whimpered of this alleged
illness and fstility among the states
representatives until it enlisted in the
campaign of SANDER against Pierre and
half the entire state
-
Equally as false if not 50 dastardly as
its ISLANDERS of the members of the legis-
lature and the states officers, is the
Kimball Graphic's attack upon Pierre's
supply Of natural gas, and the PROPOSE
ton to use it for lighting and heating
the statehouse, thus saving thousands
of dollars to the taxpayers every year.
The article is to lengthy for %reproduc-
ton here, but its contents may be
inferred from the following replies to
some of its absolute untruths:
Instead Of ''the business concerns of
Pierre using kerosene, benzine and ace
tplene gasi in preference to natural gas"
there is mo- a single one using benzine
or acetylene. Only those use kerosene
who are outside the territory covered
by the city's pipes, or for special pur-
poses, as is frequently the case in com
munities supplied by coal gas. No
"user OF natural gas for lighting pur-