Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-18

South Dakota Nominee Tor eovexnc1
Takes Opponents Into Camp
One han has created q political revolution
In ecuth Dakota. turned out every state
officer but one and 10 arranged AFFAIRS In
the state that there h but little doubt that
he will succeed A. b. Kittredge In the
United States Senate. This man i Coo L
Crawford. who on June was nominated
at Sioux Falls by tho republicans for gov
ernor. and viii. without doubt, succeed
Gov. s. n. Elrod next January.
railroad attorney Of decided anti-rail-
road political views. Mr.. Crawford deter
mined to give up his attorneyship for the
Chicago and Northwestern railroad and at
tempt to eliminate the railroads from South
Dakota politics. This was over two years
without money. he went up and down the
state Mr.. Crawford has habit OF saying
things plainly. bluntiy. forcefuliy. We
want two things first here in South Da-
system and an anti-pass law. We want one
so that we can run this state ourselves;
We want the other 20 that we may know
the railroads are not running anything
When the convention met at Sioux Falls
two years ago this month, Crawford had
but 400 delegates out Of some LOO. He
withdrew, and s. III. Elrod. candidate OF the
old regime was nominated and elected. But
the leaven was working. The people OF the
state had been thinking about what the
railroad lawyer from Huron had been tell
ing them. So they took advantage OF the
initiative and referendum provided in South
Dakota's constitution, and they sent to the
legislature a petition having the number OF
names required by the constitution, asking
that primary election law be referred to
the people for ratification. But the stall
warts were alert. They had Gov. Elrod
declare against the primary In his message,
even before the petition was presented:
And then when the petition was presented
1t was ignored.
This played into Crawfords hands. The
people began to ask one another II 1t was
safe to trust the state government to men
who would not even obey the constitution,
and this was not the only blunder. The
people decided to build new state capitol
Plans were obtained and all preparations
were made for the construction. Inen II
developed that 1t was expected to use In
diana stone for the structure Now, In the
county of Minnehah. where Sioux Falls is
situated. is found an excellent quality or
granite.
sioux Falls is the home of Senator Kit
tredge, and Kittredge was considered by
many the leader of the stalwares, or the
faction opposed by Crawford. and he was
charged with catering to railroads that
wanted the long haul of stone. Then klt-
tredge made blunder himself. He either
devised or acceded to plan to unseal nis
colleague. Senator Gamble, and put IN ms
Deadwood. Kittredge wanted Gamble out
of the way because they were both from
one part OF the state and kittredge dldn
want to run the risk of other sections OF
the state growing dissatisfied. But the IN
surgents, as Crawford's followers were
called, promptly asked whether Kittredge
should be allowed to name the other man
to represent the state in the Senate.
So it happened that Crawford. Fronting
by the mistakes of his opponents, carried
the county of Minnehaha largely on the
stone question, and also carried the re-
n,ainder of the state. Last week 800 OF the
1900 delegates were for him, and he domi-
mated the convention. Every state ofhcer
except Secretary D. D. Wipf was turned
down; both congressman, Martin and
Burke, were defeated for denomination. ana
Philo Hall of Brookings and Coz. W. n.
Parker of Deadwood were chosen IN their
places. The platform declares for the PR,
mary. anti-pass, popular election OF Umteo
States senator's, revision of tarin. abontlon
of the tariff on lumber, a law against ion-
bying and law against corporation cam
paign gifts.
Crawford will undoubtedly have the pri-
mary law passed and go before the people
two years hence candidate TOT the
Senate 1t is being predicted by many tna1
Kittredge, who has been very popular
man, will not even be candidate 70 sue
ceed himself,