The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1907-12-05
Gov. CRAWFORD
IS A CANDIDATE
FOR THE SENATE
IN interview He Announces In
tention to Enter Race
Against kittredge.

Wow noTe lOu8yS SoNeIHoE SOo l. SEdW-
ford announced that he would be a
candidate for the office of United States
senator to succeed Senator Kittredge.
He said:
II shall appeal directly to the voters
and accept their decision under the new
Z primary election Law held e June.
If the majority OF the votes cast at the
republican primaries held throughout
the state under that law favors the re-
election of Senator Kittredge, that will
end the matter so far as l am con-
cerned. If, on the other hand, that
majority Is expressed in my favor, the
members of the legislature nominated
throughout the state at the republican
, primaries will be thereby instructed to
vote for and in good faith to support
me as their party candidate for this
high office, at the following session OF
the legislature; the obligation to re-
| spect the popular vote being as bind
ing in this case as II is in the case of
presidential electors. / am sure the
republicans of the state win expect
q public pledge from Senator Kilt
redge that he will accept the decision
OF the majority at the primaries as
binding upon him.
THE real issue In the coming con
test Is not personal. 1t goes far be-
yond the mere claims of candidates
and involves a difference of attitude
and conviction concerning certain prin-
ciples and certain political methods
and practices.
kittredge for Corporations.
Neither Senator Kittredge nor my
self has any inherent right to the Of
flee of United States senator or any
other office. Those who insist hat l
shall be. q candidate are not satisfied
with the attitude of Senator Kittredge
and his partisans toward the reform
measures that have been involved in
political contentious in this state for
several years. In the sharply defined
issues that have arisen between the
people n corporations, they believe
that the senator and his special po-
litical friends and lieutenants have
been on the side Of the corporations.
They are not satisfied with the posi-
ton taken by the senator and his fol-
lowers upon the measures urged by
President Roosevelt, granting power
n the Interstate Commerce commission
- fix maximum rates for railway cor
Soratlons in cases where the existing
rates are show to be excessive and
providing that the orders Of the COM
mission become effective at one and
remain in force until reversed upon
appeal to the courts, Ind upon other
measures urged by the president for
the supervision n control of great
corporations n trusts engaged in in
terstate commerce.
"They are not satisfied with the sem
acor's action IN opposing the proposal
that the physical valuation of the rail-
way properties be ascertained by the
government for use in determining the
reasonablenesS OF rates charged by
them. They hold h senator and his
Iieutenants responsible for the abuse
of the power which they acquired in
the party organization and which they
made subservient to the public service
corporations doing business In the
state.
They believe hat if Senator Kilt
redge is reelected and with his old
l~ieutenants is placed In control Of the
republican party, we shall go back TO
the old political methods; the railway
influence will again dominate the legis-
lature and party conventions; the re-
form laws passed last winter will be
destroyed by repeal or amendment.
The Senator'S Record.
"They do not believe that the senator
Is in sympathy with the aroused senti-
ment of the people which has checked
the political power Of corporations by
means Of primary election laws, anti
pass laws, laws making secret lobby
ing for corporations n special inter-
ests a crime; requiring campaign COM
mIttees and candidates to make a pub
lie statement Of campaign expenses;
prohibiting corporations from making
contributions for political purposes; de-
stroytng the power of the boss n
divorcing railway companies from poll
tics. Can 1t be successfully main
tanned that they have no substantial
ground for these objections to Mr..
Kittredge as a candidate? A brief ref
erence to the record is not out Of place
here. 1t discloses:
az That nm Anrfl DC 1907 n Sooraf
compact was entered into between Ma
tional Committeeman Mark Hanna and
MIR. Kittredge, attorney for the Mil
waukee railroad company, and A. c..
Johnson, the general agent of he Chi
Cago and Northwestern Railway COM
pany, by which Mr.. Kittredge and Mr..
johnson controlled the federal patron
age In this state, n that Mr.. Hanna,
pursuant to this agreement, fled writ
ten notice IN washington recognizing
these two men as above.
"2. That during practically all the
time intervening n until the Sioux
Falls convention last year. Mr.. Kilt
redge, first as national committeeman
and later as United States senator, was
the recognized head of the republican
organization in this state and, with his
personal friends and political lieuten-
ants, controlled the party organization.
the state conventions and the legisla-
ture, and that during all these years not
n single resolution affecting the pub
lie service corporations was adopted by
q republican state convention in South
Dakota. Resolutions favoring q change
in the law for the assessment OF cor
porations, for the correction Of the pass
evil, n for a state primary were in
PRODUCED, but were promptly sup
pressed.
"3. That during all these years not
n single statute opposed by public ser
vice corporations was enacted by q
South Dakota legislature.
a. The legislature of 1906 was in the
hands OF the political friends of Senator
Kittredge and was controlled by lieu
tenants who stood for the things that
he stood for. That Legislature convened
Immediately after President Roose welt
presented his ringing message to con-
gress in favor of rate regulation. II
Senator Kittredge was In sympathy