Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-09-22
BODY BLOWS BY
CO[ |. CRAWFORD
South Dakota's lnsurgent
Leader Lands Hard on the
kittredge Machine.
"HiGH-HANDED METHODS
he Recites the Manner in Which tho
Railroad Organization Has
Trampled the Rights of'the
People Under Foot.
HiGH-HANDED METHODS

Huron, s. D., Sept. 14.-Coe /. Craw-
ford addressed an immense audience at
the state fair here today. He dealt
some severe body blows TO the Kit
tredge machine and pointed the way to
cure the evil. He said in part:
l wish 10 discuss some specific issues
that are before the people of this state
and upon which they will ere long have
an opportunity TO take sides.
These questions are the following:
/. Shall South Dakota sustain President
Roosevelt in his demand that power shall
be given 10 the Interstate Commerce
commission TO fix a maximum freignt rate
in specific cases where after a full investi-
cation and hearing upon notice to a rail-,
way company, the commission has round
that the rate charged Is unreasonably
high?
3. Shall the men who voted to ignore
a constitutional petition of the citizens or
this state to have a primary election law
submitted to them at the next general
election for their approval, and the action
of the machine and the corporations IN
causing that petition to be suppressed ana
the constitution OF the state 10 DE Vlo-
lated. be approved continuing them In
3. Shall we not have a legislature
elected in this state which will either
enact or submit to the people Tor approvaI
under the constitution a primary election
law; also a law abolishing the free pass
SYSTEM?
= III We AlOl oIFtl AlC
party from machine and corporation con-
troll
| wish to discuss these propositions in
the order in which l have stated them.
Stand by the President.
1t Is the duty of progressive republicans
10 stand by the president and insist that
the next republican state convention snail
by a ringing resolution endorse his recon-
mendation that congress give to the COM
mission power to fix maximum rates IN
cases where excessive rates have been
proven TO exist, and that its order become
effective at once and remain in force until
reversed upon appeal TO the courts.
I desire to sound a note of warning here
because it is evident that a shrewd game Is
being played and Is in process of execu-
ton on the part of the state railroad ma
chine to entrap the people into a feeling
OF security by oft repeated declarations
that our delegation in congress is in favor
of the presidents recommendation; that
our house members voted for 1t last win
ter and are unjustly accused of being
against IL, while at the same time and In
the columns of the same machine papers
long editorials are published and press
bureau articles printed which attempt TO
convince the public that the president is
wrong IN the recommendation made by
him.
All the power of the machine viii be
used; vast sums Of money will be spent;
free transportation will be issued without
stint, to pack the caucuSeS and conVen-
tons to elect delegates who will suppress
a specific resolution endorsing the position
Of the president upon this vital point.
OF course he will be endorsed in the high
est general terms; rebates, discrimination
and private car lines will be denounced
general condemnation of trusts Will be
position in favor Of regulating abuses in
freight rates will not be endorsed, If the
machine controls.
Program Of the Railroads.
Indeed, If it is strong enough to do so, a
resolution condemning the proposition to
a1lnuy tho communication 70 nnrrGnf ClINh
abuses will be passed. Then our con-
gressional delegation will do, what many
people now suspect it is in the plot to To-
announce that the members were all IN
favor of the measure recommended by
the president; burt that the sentiment of
the people of the state %, as expressed
In the machine made platform, is against
1t; that they must stand on that platform
and hence are compelled to vote against
the proposition of the president.
Do you say that this statement is with
out foundation?
Let me ask why the Argus Leader,
which is the special advocate Of Senator
Kittredge; the Pierre Free Press, the
Deadwood Pioneer, the home organ of
Congressman Martin; The Aberdeen
News; the WATERFOWL Public Opinion, the
leading organs of the railroads and the
state machine and the cuckoo press every
where. are filled daily with articles, edi-
torial and otherwise, for the purpose of
influencing the public mind against the
position or the president?
Machines Work Last Winter.
Let me ask further why 1t was that the
machine representatives In the legislature
last winter attempted, and all but sue
ceeded, in suppressing the numerous reso-
lutions offered endorsing the position TAX
en- by the president upon this very point?
A ndmber of such resolutions were
offered but all found an obscure sleeping
place in the hands of the senate machine
committee on rules, until finally after a
desperate fight, led by a veteran of the
people, Senator Dillon of Yankton. during
the very last days Of the session, one of
these resolutions was forced out Of the
committee and passed.
tell you that the plot is on and was on
then TO defeat any expression by the re-
publican party in this state in favor OF
rate revising power.
Gagged the Convention.
Last year the machine and the political
managers of the railroads so completely
controlled the republican state convention
that the resolutions in relation to taxation
of railroad property could not be presented
to the open convention because of the gag
rules adopted, and Ii was impossible TO
present any resolution in the open con-
%vention, or to debate 1t there; you were
required TO hand IT In to the packed
committee which did not report or con-
slider 1t.
Mark my word. Unless you are vigilant
look after this matter very closely in
the caucuses and county conventions next
spring and make the delegates declare
themselves and bind them by Instructions,
1.-THE next convention VIII treat the propO-
sition of President Roosevelt the same
way as 1t did these resolutions last year.
Initiative and Referendum.
In South Dakota the people have voted
into their constitution a principle desig-
mated to protect them against the very
encroachments from which they are now
striving TO become free. 1t is a principle
as binding upon the legislature as any
other principle In that constitutions. i
refer to the following:
Section !, article 3, Of the constitution
provides:
That the people expressly reserve
n TO themselves the right to propose
measures, which measures the legisla-
tur@ shall enact and submit TO a vote
~ the electors of the state, and also
the right to require that any laws
which the legislature may have enacted
shall be submitted TO a vote OF the
electors of the state before going into
effect Except such laws as may be
necessary for the immediate preserva-
ton OF the public peace, or safety,
support OF the state government and its
existing Institutional.
Provided that no more than five per
centum OF the qualified electors OF the
state shall be required to invoke either
the Initiative or the referendum.
The veto of the executive shall not be
exercised as to measures referred to q
vote OF the people. . TIL enacting