Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-01-11
THOSE GAMBLE CHARGES.

With "a great blare of trumpets the
machine press of this state attempted
a sensation by stating that Senator
Gamble vas a CRATER. The sensa-
tian was to be based on the fact that
Candles son was an employee of
the senate in the capacity of messen-
ger for a certain committee, and that
while drawing his salary he was en-
rolled as a student at the Tome Uni
v%ersity 100 miles distant from Wash
ington.
Without any further statement of
the facts it was hoped and expected
to take the people of this state un
awares and make them believe that
Gamble was a CRATER. 1t was what
they left unsaid that would cause the
damage, if any.
CANDLES son did receive pay for
performing the duties of messenger
for a senate committee, and so far
the machine press has been careful
not to say that he did not perform
the duties for which he drew salary,
or that the duties were performed by
another and two salaries paid for one
service rendered. All the purported
records published in regard to the
matter fail to show that such was the
case, and without which there could
be no fraud or graft.
At first thought it would appear
impossible for a man to be employed
as a messenger and at the same time
attend anything but a night school
However, on second thought it would
appear reasonable to almost any
mind. In the first place, there are
a great many committees that meet
only once in a week or two, or at long
intervals. This is a necessityas near
ly every senator has an ASSIGNMENT
of half a dozen or more committees.
Second, Tome University, where
young Gamble was enrolled is only
one hundred miles from Washington.
Would it be at all impossible for a
student at that distance to attend to
the duties of messenger for a commit
tee which did not meet only at inter
walls of several days? Not at all!
There are plenty of young men who
would be glad to attend school even
at the loss of a few days now and then
and also attend to all the duties as
sigued to them in the capacity of
messenger Of a committee.
From all that we have been able to
discover, young Gamble performed
the duties assigned to him; the duties
were not performed by another, and
the government did not pay another
person the duties for which young
Gamble drew his salary. Wherein,
then, lies the foundation for all this
no Sc, and the implied charge of graft
our machine friends would have the
people believe?
Based on what a private institution
would expect in a way of service for
the amount of salary paid, zone of the
government clerks and minor en-
ployees earn what they receive. But
this is congressional extravaganza,
and not to be charged to one mem
Der. There should be a reform all
along the line.
That the view we take of this mat
ter is the view that is being quite
generally accepted we think is proven
to a great extent by the fact that
many of the so-called "stalwarts"
have dropped this matter during the
past few days and have declared they
would support Gamble. A notable
instance of this is the declaration of
the "stalwart" Legislative delegation
from Lawrence (Martin's home coun-
ty) that they will vote for Gamble.
This attack upon Gamble has been
like a few peas in a dried bladder
much noise and fury, but little in
it.