Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1907-06-27

almost crime TO 90 outside Of the
state when there was such excellent
building material right in Sioux
Falls and practically pledged his
administration were he successful
in securing the nomination and cleo
tion-to the construction OF the new
building from the quarries of Sioux
Falls. 1t was due to Crawford S
speeches and the pledges made in
them that the insurgents carried
Minnehaha county, and it was due
to the slump in Minnehaha county
that Mr.. Crawford was nominated
and elected as governor. After the
close Of the legislative session this
spring the new capitol commission
met and let the contracts for the
construction of the new building.
Was Sioux Falls stone used? Yes,
it was used for the foundation and
for the foundation alone. The stone
for the building itself was the same
stone selected by the Elrod capitol
commission-the Bedford, Ind,
stone. In other words the Crawford
administrationwas compelled to admit
that the investigation of the matter
proved that the former commission
was guided by the best interests of
the whole state, had worked for
economy, durability and cheapness
and secured the very best material
possible for the construction Of the
new building. The sop thrown out
to the people of Sioux Falls in the
selection OF stoue from their quarries
for the basement did not and does
not satisfy the people of that city
nor of Mihnehaha county, even
though the Crawford commission
was compelled in order to make the
concession to spend several thousand
dollars more Of the peoples money
for the construction of the basement
than would have been necessary had
the complete arrangements of the
Elrod capitol commission been fol-
lowed out. The people of the state
generally are kicking on the new
commission and upon the governor
because of the unnecessary expendi-
ture of the public money in an
attempt to keep Sioux Falls and
Minnehaha county in line for Craw-
fordism. The people believe that
the material selected by the Elrod
commission was just as durable, just
as handsome and a great deal
cheaper. The tax payers feel no
reason why they should 60 down
into their pockets to bolster up the
insurgent cause. The people of
Sioux Falls and Minnehaha county
feel-and justly so-that they were
lied to last year, that Crawford only
ma de the promise to secure their
votes and instead of Coe /. Craw-
ford being the political reformer
who was without guile that he posed
as when seeking the nomination,
they have been buncoed into NOM
mating and electing political trick
ster Of the worst kind. 1t is no
wonder with the sentiment of the
two confronting him that Coe /.
told Sioux Falls man the day of
Secretary Taft's visit in that city
that he was sorry that the commits
sion awarded Sioux Falls any of the
stone contract. He has reason to be.
In attempting to half keep prom
Use, in an effort to carry water on
both shoulders he has lost all. The
people want to know why thousands
of their dollars are to be unnecess-
arily squandered by the purchase of
Sioux Falls stone and are sore at the
prospect. The people Of Sioux
Falls are dissatisfied with the mere
remnant that they received and
openly condemn the administration
for bad faith. Crawford is trim
mer. He is one of those fellows
who pray good Lord and good
devil that the devil eventually gets
and Coe is getting the devil now
from the voters all over the state.
Congressman Burke, upon his
return from the east says: "The