Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1906-04-27

made by the bosses and their snbor-
dinates showed concert of purpose
to kill the petition. The Aberdeen
News, a Machine" organ, a few
months ago in disclaiming that the
entire responsibility for the defeat of
the primary bill rested upon S nator
Lawson, stated that ii was killed at
the instance of the state committee
men, the state and congressional Of
ficers. These powers were greater
than the constitution and the peoples
petition. The Machine" does not
and dare not discuss the issues. Their
manner of attempted concealment of
the issues and diversion of public
attention from them by the discussion
of immaterial matters is an insult to
the intelligence of the voting popula-
ton. They malign and traduce the
characters and impugn the motives of
those candidates who are opposed to
the Machine" thus showing the
Machines" policy to rule or ruin"
They talk of Senator Pettigrew being
allied with the "Insurgent" forces and
then in a few months forgatfully as
sert that Mr.. Pettigrew is in favor of
Senator Kittredge and against Sena-
tor Gamble. They discuss the rate
bill question and oppose it, then they
turn around and favor ii. Some of
the Machine" newspapers hypocrit-
ically claim to favor the primary cleo
ton system. Anything to deceive
the public and TO frighten Republi-
cans by the use Of political scare
crows from adhering TO the principles
of the Republican party because
those principles may be advocated
by Others than Republicans.
We believe that it will be better to
determine these questions right in our
party now than it will be to deceive
ourselves longer and take chances
of being compelled to hold inquest
over the remains of our party in No
yember. If we do not correct these
abuses ourselves a righteously indig
nant voting population will take the
reins and in the name of some other
party defeat our party nominees as
they did the Machine" made can
didate for governor in Minnesota two
years ago, as they did Cox in Ohio.
We are not alone in this condition of
things. Other states, including our
sister states, Iowa and North Dakota,
are laboring in the throes of a similar
conflict between the bosses and cor
porate interests on one hand and the
people On the other. Our noble pres
ident for owe a year has been man
fully waging war for the people
against this same combinations. Every
good citizen, regardless of party and
location, feels a deep interest in the
contest.
The Machine in addition to its
corporate alliances has also entrench-
ed itself against public opinion by
means of the power of patronage,
state and federal, each appointee be-
ing carefully selected and called up
ON to maintain the bosses in power.
Further, it a lamentable fact that
there are some publishers of newspa-
pers upon whom the responsibility of
citizenship and an honorable profess
sion rests so lightly, who are so venal
and unpatriotic, who have SO slight
appreciation of their obligations to
the commonwealth that supports them
that their editorial attitude on public
questions is a subject of barter and
The System has the means to
obtain the advocacy of such newspa-
pers, and were it not for the fact of
the general intelligence of the COM
munity, knowing as it does the in
source of these editorials, great
damage would be done as the press
Is a powerful factor In politics and
commercial life. The people, how
ever, are aware of this SYSTEM
Of prostitution Of the press and give
such efforts TO control public opinion
the weight only to which they are en-
titled An article by Ray Stannard
Barker in the March number of Nc
Clnres concerning the method pur-
sued by railways in controlling pub
lie opinion through the press should
be read by every citizen as it throws
. side light upon conditions here from
unprejudiced and reliable source.
TT ~ - III