Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-06-09
SOUTH DAKOTA VOTES TODAY
Statewide Primary to Settle Senator.
ship Fight.
CONVENTION ONLY PRELIMINARY
victory OF Insurgents Then Declared
60 BE only Temporary by
Friends of senator
KittredEe.


SIOUX FALLS s. o.. June s-Cspecial)-
republican factionsi fight, second only
IN interest and Importance to the factional
fight between Iowa republicans which ter
minated last Tuesday in the victory OF
Senator Allison. will eliminate in primaries
which are to be held in South Dakota to-
morrow.
The principal bone of contention between
the republican factions which for weeks
have been striving for a victory tomorrow
is the United States senstorship now held
by Senator Kittredge, who is a candidate
for reelection.
The opponent Of Senator Kittredge In
his fight for reelection to the senate is
Governor Coe I. Crawford, the leader OF
what is known as the insurgent faction OF
South Dakota republicans. The fight be-
tween the factions has been in progress for
about five years Two years ago the In
surgent faction won its first victory, elect
ing Mr.. Crawford governor and also elect
ing a full state and congressional ticket.
The victory was brought about as the re-
suit of an alliance between the Crawford
forces and \the forces OF United States
Senator Gamble. whom Senator Kittredge
and the stalwart faction sought to defeat
for reelection.
the victory two years ago of the insur-
gent republicans enabled them to re-elect
| Senator Gamble at session OF the legisla-
! ture a year ago last winter In return Tor
the aid OF the original insurgents in the
campaign of two years ago Senator Gamble
and his friends IN the campaign which will
culminate in the primaries tomorrow are
actively aiding Governor Crawford in his
candidacy for election TO the senate as the
successor Of Senator Kittredge.
The campaign has been the hottest in the
state since the free silver contest Of 1885,
when the South Dakota republicans were
solidIy arrayed against fusion of the
democrats and populists. In the contest
which will be determined at the primaries
tomorrow the two republican factions have
fought each other with a fury never dis
played in straight out fights between the
republicans and democrats Personalities
and charges Of all sorts against the leaders
of the two factions have been distinguish
| ing feature OF the campaign.
The insurgents claim they represent the
| anti-corporation element, and that they Will
never cease their warfare against the stall
warts until the domination Of the railroads
and other corporations Is ended TN the state
| forever. The stalwarts. on the other hand,
charge that the insurgents are mock re-
! formers, who have taken advantage of the
anti-corporation sentiment stirred up by
| President Roosevelt to secure a grasp on
| the state and federal offices in South
Dakota,
During, the campaign each faction has
had small army OF speakers travelling
| through the state, while Senator Kittredge
and Governor Crawford have personally
visited practically every one OF the fifty
three counties in the state and delivered
from one 10 three or four addresses to the
voters Of each county. Senator Kittredge
In particular has been making addresses
in the state almost continually since the
closing days Of last January. when he re-
turned from Washington and actively en-
tered the fight for reelection.
While the stalwarts yet control a large
majority of the republican newspapers of
South Dakota and have had their active
| support in the present contest the insur-
gents have double or three times as many
newspapers throughout the state as they
had two years ago when they for the first
time administered a defeat to their stall
wart opponents.
The first test Of strength between the
factions this year was In the contest for
control of the state convention. which
elected eight delegates to represent the re-
publlcans of South Dakota in the republi-
can national convention at Chicago. After a
lively fight the insurgents secured control
Of the convention. which was held on April
7. they having a majority of between forty
and fifty in the convention.
Both the stalwarts and insurgents express
confidence in their particular faction win
ming a decided victory In the primaries to-
morrow. The insurgents confidently expect
to carry the state by a majority Of not
less than 1900 and which may run as
high as 10000. Some of the more enthu-
siastic insurgents claim their faction will
have as much as $1,000 majority over the
stalwarts.