Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1907-01-25
Thomas ThOrsOn, Original In
surgent.

Surk0nts
No man In the state enjoyed great
er satisfaction over the Inauguration
OF Governor Crawford than former
Secretary of State Thorson OF Can
ton. In that important event he
witnessed the glorious elimination OF
a long and strenuous contest with the
In II Governor Crawford and his able
executive staff marked the proudest
hour In Mr.. Thorson's political life In
this state.
The old gang vowed vengeance be-
cause Mr.. Thorson refused to violate
the constitution when he vas secre-
tary OF state and from that stirring
time away back i'm 1897 up to the
glorious triumph Of last June the
contest was waged necessarily by this
one determined citizen against a pow
erful machine, but right won against
might and the once powerful machine
is no more.
Thomas Thorson, the former secre-
tary, had friends all over the state
with whom he kept In constant COM
munication and he never faltered in
his magnificent purpose.
In 1904 his old and steadfast friend,
Coe 1. Crawford, announced his de.
termination to seek THE nomination
for governor in defiance Of the Kit
tredge machine, and In that memoir
able struggle Mr.. Thorson vas a very
prominent actor, and only for the
treachery and double dealing Of a con
gresham from the Black Hills, the
reform forces would have entered the
state convention on eve fooJing with
the arrogant and self appointed state
bosses who won the Black Hills man
back with promises they can never
make good. The reform forces, or in
surgents as the bosses called them,
accepted the situation like honest
men and went home and supported
the machine ticket without protest.
The battle Of 1904 and the gallant,
honorable contest waged by Mr..
NIX lOIu WOII Hill IlCW SuppOI dIld
staunch friends In every county and
Mr.. Thorson and his friends were
among the busiest men in that cam
paign.
The memorable legislative session
OF 1905 proved all that Mr.. Crawford
charged and the open and contemptu-
Gus refusal OF the Kittredge machine
to recognize the demands Of the peo-
pie gave the insurgents the opportuni-
ty to crush the bosses, and from the
opening of the campaign in January
1905, up to the browning victory at
Sioux Falls in June, MI. ThOrSon,
though not ON the stump, was n OF
the most active supporters Mr.. Craw-
ford had. and while giving to Mr..
Thorson the chief glory of being the
original insurgent, we do not forget
other equally energetic, able and faith
full insurgents who did glorious SER
vice for Mr.. Crawford In cooperation
with the man who began to fight ten
years before. There was Ringsrnd,
Erikson. Cassill, Brown, ustrud,
Price, Hanger, Elliott, Ellerman.
Cook, Wagner, Spangler, Wells, Rice,
Hall, Bentley. Mclaughlin. Basford,
Richards, Parker, Grow, Emrick and
many other noble hearts who stood
shoulder to shoulder In that splendid
battle that buried the machine for
ever, and that is why we claim that
In Mr.. Thorson's presence at the in
auguration OF Governor Crawford, he
witnessed al event In the political
history Of the state that afforded him
greater qualification than any other
man at Pierre because he had fought
for that magnificent victory for ten
years, and the glory Of it brought
conscious pride to an honest man who
believes In honest politics.
H Nt