The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1906-05-03

as the legislature assembled in Pierre.
the order was promulgated by the ma
chine n passed around to all the
faithful, that the game was to turn
down the petition, end LA. all friends
OF the machine must play BALI. You
and | saw the ~wickedest and most cor
rupt and most indefensible corporate
machine lobby work carried on in the
rooms n corridors of the capitol. and
in the lobbies of the hotels, to saw
nothing OF what transpired behind
locked doors, That was ever before wit
messed in our capital city, in full blast
for weeks; railway passes were
sprinkled like hail throughout the
state, to bring anyone whose influence
could sway a vote in favor of turning
down the petition; prominent agents
and attorneys of railway, express and
telegraph companies, and of the coal
Oil abomination, and of grain buying
associations, besides hundreds of farm
ers "~hoodooed" by county agents of the
machine until they would "stay hitch
ed" swarmed in Pierre to assist by any
means, no matter how disreputable, in
seducing sufficient members of the sem
ate and the house to defeat unlawfully
The petition of over 5000 citizens of
The state, lawfully presented to them
for action.
The turning down of that petition
last winter was the most villainous
example OF political piracy, that ever
came to my knowledge; "the most
nauseating compound of political smell {.
that ever offended nOStrils." The men
who aided in the consumation of that
crime against the constitutional rights
of those petitioners, if they did not
know any better, should never be sent
to the legislature again; and those who
ild know better and wilfully violated
the constitution Of the state, which
they had sworn to support, should
never be permitted to cross the thresh-
DID OF any state institution again, for
state service, except the workshop
which the state has for all such ren
1t Sioux Falls.
TIE TURNING Down OF CAMILLE.
The last act of the corporate polit-
zeal machine | will notice was its con-
Vention last summer, when that bakers
dozen of conspirators met in secret SEES
sion bahind locked doors in Aberdeen;
met to assaSsinate the political charac-
ter, and fair political prospects of Hon.
Robert Gamble. What had he done,
~ left undOne as a United States SEN
ltOr, or citizen of the state, that
should lead TO such a dark lantern con-
spiracy to cut his political throat?
they could find no dirt On his political
linen, no dishonesty, no duplicity, no
Creachery, that they could urge in JUS
itication of their action; but he must
be turned down, he must not be re-
curned again to he United States SEN
ate. Every honest man in the state
mas been asking why such action by
The corporate political machine? Why
such conspiracy to destroy Gamble?
You and | know why; it was because
Gamble would not play BALI in an
unfair game, because in the graphic
but not very classic language of tho
powder monkey" of the machine, he
would not stay hitched.'
ROOSEVELT AFTER TIE CORPORATIONS
Corporate power in whatever form
1as had nothing to fear but restrictive
state or national legislation. That has
been the ghost that has haunted cor
Dorations from their beginning in this
state and nation. To provide as far as
possible for protection from such leg
~tslation they early proceeded to cap
ture political organizations, state and
national, and transform them into COR
porate political machines, securing per-
manent membership in such machines
tor their accredited representatives,
from time to time. Patriotic citizens
have been lanenting the curse of the
machine in politics for many years;
but 1t had become so universal and
great a power, that men feared to at
tack it; thousands OF men in every
machine ridden state were saying,
what shall we do to be saved from
the corporate political machine?"
Where was the nan OF such command
ing position in the nation, lowered
with the comprehensive craftsmanship
Of jefferson, and the fearless and in
domitable spirit of Jackson, and the
honest, patient and patriotic devotion
TO the rights and interests of the whole
people of Lincoln, who would dare to
confront and call a halt upon the
stupendous combinations, OF corpora
tons, possessing more than half the
entire wealth of the nation, standing
together as one man, when legislative
danger assails one or more Of their
number, and backed by the corporate
political machines OF state and nation?
Where was the man that would arise
% lead our state II all the states out
If corporate machine bondage? Where
Mas the man with a genius for such
work surprising that of Napoleon for
var, who Wouid undertake to restore
elf-gOvernment again to the people?
Tears OF waiting and hoping passed
~, but no answer came. no such help
vas pr0fferei until providence that
shapes our ends rough hew them as
we may" placed Theodore Roosevelt at
he head of the national government;
| change followed, the most marvellous
Il our history.
On the threshold of his assumption
Of the office of president of the United
States, he announced that he stood for
4 square deal" and the people were
lot long in doubt as to what he meant
by hat. The corporations that had
poured out their contributions by hun
ireds of thousands to the campaign
ind of six million dollars, used in 1900
~, political machines, were awakened
rom their dream of Immunity from