Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1906-05-04

ton through the personality of one
man when they think it dangerous to
discuss the existing issues. 1t is the
same plan that has been used by all
machines-it is the plan used by, and
what has has madet, he corruptionists
OF the country, Read the story OF
graft exposed in all the great cities as
written by the best writers of to-day
and you have this same principle
the delivery of delegations into the
hands of machine men through one
pretense and another. But to return
to the local situation. There are four
machine candidates for superinten-
dent of public instruction in this
state. Kramer, the present incumbent
and candidate for second term, land
ed the appointment through the ma
chine, and it is fair to suppose has
the promise of the nomination. He
has stumpped the state in company
with the machine governor. Every
indication points to him as being
slated for the place. The appeal for
a home candidate is always a strong
one. But by what right does this ma
chine approach a voter and ask him
to abandon principles for a mess of
political pottage-the voter don't even
get the pottagef Further, we would
like to ask by what authority does
the local machine make this appeal
to voters and this promise that the
machine will turn down three other
men and deliver a nomination to
this county, We are convinced
that it is a bluff pure and simple.
If they have the contract for the
goods executed by the state bosses,
let them produce it. We call the
bluff. Further, we are convinced
that the machine does not intend to
place that nomination in this county.
In the last six years Kingsbury has
had a four-years term of one of the
best appointive offices, and a four
years term of one of the best elective
offices In the state. 1t has not been
the policy of the machine to continu-
ally place the best state offices in any
one county. And, according to the
precedent established by the machine,
they are bound to give Ramer the
nomination. This precedent is strict
ly adhered to by the machine, even
when a candidate for second term has
failed to deliver his own county.
Ii the machine has dropped Ramer,
why do they not inform him, and not
allow him to stump the state under
false pretensesi And, again. if the
machine has played Ramer false, is it
not probable that they are doing the
same thing with Nh. Swanson7 The
voter approached in this manner has
the right to ask by what authority
this promise is made, who presumes
to give out state offices with such lib
eral hand, and where is the guaran-
tee of good faithi The truth is that
the machine launched Mr.. Swanson's
candidacy not in good faith, but as a
last resort for use in Kingsbury coun-
ty alone. The same is being done in
Sphinx county where the machine has
a candidate for state treasurer, and
also in Brookings county where the
machine has another candidate for
state treasurer. In every doubtful
county there is a machine candidate
who has a promise of a nomina-
ton If he can deliver" his county.
After the state convention is over
nine out of ten of these gentlemen
who have a promise of Office will be
found holding an empty sack. No
real friend of Swanson can have an
additional reason for supporting the
machine on account of his candidacy.
This is no opposition to him in this
county. Should the insurgents carry
the county, Mr.. Swanson will have an
instructed delegation, and for him
but it will be a delegation that
will not misrepresent the county on
state issues. As we have stated before
Swanson can expect nothing at
the hands of the state machine, and
his only chance of securing the nom
nation to a state Office is through an
anti-machine delegation.