Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1908-04-25
KIrTREDaH IN CUSTER.
The Senator Addresses the People in be-
half of His Candidacy for
Reelection.


Senator Kittredge spoke to the people
of Custer Thursday evening on the Is.
sues of the present campaign in this
state. Owing to the fact that heavy
rain set in during the afternoon and
continued until late into the night the
attendance was not as large as it would
have been, but few people coming in
from the country on that account.
Senator Kittredge was introduced by
State Committeeman /. NJ. Donaldson
and at once went into discussion of
the questions in which the voters are
interested in this campaign. He talked
for more than two hours and his speech
was listened to with the closest atten-
tion. Senator Kittredge kept his audi
ence interested from the start. 1t was not
an oratorial effort, but plain statement
of facts and every word uttered by the
senator was the truth and a matter Of
record and history. He told of the ac-
tion taken by congress on the most i'm
por tsnt legislation, and went into details
on such measures as the work of build
ing the Panama canal, copy right law,
reclaim alton act, Allen. contract law,
oleomargarine bill, bureau of corpora
tions, employers liability act, sixteen
hour law, meat bill, poor food law, in all
of which he took most important part.
He referred in detail to his record
and challenged its inspection by the
public, and then proceeded to shatter a
few of the charges that have been made
against him by his opponent. During
the course of his talk he never used
Craw ford's name and referred to him
only indirectly.
At some length the senator explained
his position on the canal question, stat
ing his reason why he favored sea
level canal instead of the lock type. He
reviewed the early reports of the engn-
eers favoring the sea level canal, but
stated that congress adopted the lock
type because it was thought that it
could be constructed in less time and
with less expenditure of money.
Concerning the charge that he had
been a railroad attorney, he said that
never in is life had he been salaried
railroad or accepted corporation retain
ers. True" said the senator, l have
tried law suits for railroads, but just the
same way that did for any other clieut
Each case was separate and | rendered
a separate bill at the end of each case.
The senator condemned the present
state administration for using stone and
labor from outside the state in the con.
struction of the new state building, and
read from reports of the state treasurer
with reference to the present financial
condition of the state as compared to
when Governor Elrod went out of Office.
He charged that the taxes had been in
creased by an increase in the valuation
Of the property of the state.
The Bristol case was discussed and
his action explained, which he stated
had in all matters been with President
Roosevelt and his policies.
Senator Kittredge made a most force
ful talk upon the Mormon question and
the Smoot controversy, and said, 81
voted against Reed Smoot because of the
polygamous practices of the Mormon
chGrch, and l say to you that as long as
1 live will vote and work for the puri
ty of the American home"