Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1908-01-02

erative to himself by gaining highe
position? Then let us look hin
over again. A government inspecto
was sent to South Dakota to investi
gate land frauds. The inspecto
found many instances where th,
United States iand laws had beef
hagrantly violated and many of til,
yiolators were indicted convicted anC
sentenced to fines and Imprisonment
This government Inspector founc
that several young men from Huron
had filed on lands located within th,
Crawford ranch in the new countr,
west OF Aberdeen. He found tina
these yorng men found claim shack,
on their quarters upon which they
had filed and were to prove up upon
He found that these young men gol
the description of their lands fol
filing purposes and the money tC
pay their expenses in Crawford q
Taylor's Office in Huron. Crawford
was not reformer when these filings
were made, he was attorney for the
Northwestern railway company
The inspector made report to the
department OF interior which
instructed the then United States
district attorney for South Dakota
James ID. Elliott, to bring the matter
to the attention of a United States
grand jury. Crawford had heard
some of this and when the United
States court met at Sioux Falls, he
was at the Cataract hotel and in
counsel and conference with the
members of that grand jury. And
before tae United States grand jury
met in Deadwood, Crawford had
experienced a change-he was a
reformer. And so was the United
States district attorney. Crawford
is reformer. He knows what
dependence to place in one of them
SO he and his lieutenants were also
in Deadwood to see the grand jury
and work upon its members. Court
set in Deadwood. The reformer
attorney presented the case against
the reformer candidate for governor
to a grand jury and no indictment
was returned. Strange, passing
strange, isn't il?
Crawford at this time was a
reformer, one without guile, can
didate for governor. He was max
ing his canvass for the nomination.
Here are few Of his promises to
the people:
Increased taxes for all corpora
tons.
To use other than Sioux Falls
stone for the state capitol would be
crime.
No good man should be turned
out of office for political preferment.
The rich should pay their share OF
the taxes that they now escape.
Two cent fare on all railroads.
Only good men, pure and true,
should hold office.
Bya campaign of oratory and mis-
representation he was able to secure
sufficient votes in close counties by
a combination with the democrats to
secure sufficient delegates to the last
republican state convention to NOM
mate him for governor. Not a
majority Of the popular votes repre-
sented in that convention, but
sufficient delegates.
He was elected and even before he
was inaugurated he set himself upon
throne in Huron and dictated the
politics Of the future to all corners.
The Legislature was organized to his
liking before it met. He named the
chairman of all commi ttees and die
tated their make up. For Candles
support in the prior convention fight
Crawford had promised he should
succeed himself as United States
senator. This is the one promise he
has kept. He worked night and day
and used the pressure of his posi-
ton as governor to force upon this
state self-confessed grafter-a man
who had a son on the pay rolls OF
the government, drawing salary for
services when he was attending COL
lege 100 miles from Washington
who had the unblushing gall to 60
before committee Of the state legis-
lature and admit the charge-as SEN