Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1907-07-18
NO UNCERTAIN SOUND
Governor Crawford Made Strong
Speech at Canton.

1850 1uoA0uuSOu uC oONioSSOO lllLAoClA
briefly 60 the children, who were present
in large numbers. He said in part:
"The older we grow, the more fond
we become of children, and | desire to
congratulate the parents of the children
whose bright young faces see before
me- If it were not for your children
your struggle in life would have no
hope and no inspiration to impel you
to continue it.
eve never know whom we are ad-
dressing. There may be a future chief
justice of the United States or presi-
dent of the United States among the
children here this afternoon"
He said that the most interesting
study before the American people to-
day is the study Of the conditions which
surround human life. That study goes
further than any other in determining
the sum of human happiness or human
misery in this life.
Attic foundation of those conditions
is the individual, who and what and
whence he is, what is he doing and who
is looking after his interests,
Governor Crawford then slipped
nearer the heart of his subject. He
contrasted the rights of the individual
with those of the corporation. He said
that legislation had created an artificial
condition and throw about it the same
protection that it had thrown about
the individual which legislation is
wrong. In the eyes of the present law,
a corporation is citizen as we'll as a
person.
"a corporation can take your prop
erty," he said, "if it is needed in the do
ing of public service profit from the
use of that property.
He then told the story of Franken-
stein, applied it to his theme, said he
die not believe in indiscriminate at
tacks upon corporations, because of
their work in pioneering Said he did
not think it would be wise to pass laws
intended to wipe out corporations, be.
cause they answer useful purpose
but when they become a menace to the
welfare of the individual, they are in
error and threaten the safety and we'll
being of the average man.
He said that municipal corruption is
a future of the present conditions in
the United States, that will be as long
as the artificial person and citizen cor.
poration" is allowed to exist, to violate
the law and corrupt city councils and
legislatures.
"Is this demagoguery 2" asked the
governor, elevating his voice. ave
have no different conditions in South
Dakota than exist in other sta ties.
Therefore it is my duty to be frank
with my constituents. Why should
| not be frank. l am your servant and
why should [ not take you into my
confidence and call to your attention
some of the work done by the last leg
islature in the Way of regulating the
corporations which do business in this
state?
81 will talk frankly, not caring any
thing about my own political future.
do not have to be a public officer if my
tenure OF office depends upon my ability
to peddle out few peanut offices, then
send me to the demnit;on bow-wows !,
There is something far more important
at stake here
- Governor Crawford then took up the
discussion Of the work of the last
South Dakota legislature. He said
thatin ten years the party in power had
done nothing to correct conditions.
That the corporations had controlled
the legislatures. That the railroad
and party bosses had worked together
to prevent the legislation demanded by
the people.
He then enumerated the recently
adopted pledges of the republican plat.
form and told OF the laws passed by the
last legislature in fulfillment Of tho Sc
pledges.
And then in defense of his own ad-
ministration should have a hearing.
He said that it had demanded that the
statehouse be erected with South Dako-
ia material and that one Of his prede-
scessors had secured the plans and en-
ployed supervising architect for the
building.
The last legislature passed the law
which made it impossible for us to pay 5
per GENT more for South Dakota material
for the building than material from
other states would cost We could not
use soathDakota material if it was to
cost more than per cent in excess of
outside material. saw George II.
Perry proprietor Of stone quarries at
Sioux Falls and sought bids and es.
Inmates from him. He never offered to
undertakes 10 furnish the stone for the
building 81 tiRs.re required Is the law.
For that reas0n We would have besa