The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1908-05-08
ION UlS \. BURKrS
ECORD IN CONGRESS

more fofceful. In promoting ieGtalaAto0
In tho interests q the Western people
In the lower branch Of tho American
congress than was Hon. ChaA- H.
Burke during the latter part of his
service q Washingtoo. where he rep
resented the state q South Dakota
for . period OF eight years.
Mr. Burke's friends do mot claim
Cor him that he II N orator. IN the
general acceptance az the term, but
they do with confidence. borne
GU BY the facts. that Is . worker.
- n effective public speaker. who
marshals his facts inteiiigentiy and
sets them forth 30 succinctiy that no
q can miaunderstand. and ~ . man
who commands the respect Of his -
SCctates. Mr.. Burke hAs few peers
from the west in congress-
One Of the most p.vs ,inent national
legislators. said OF Mr.. Burke more
than . year aso:
~ regret thst Mr.. 0urke vas retired
from congress. Always attentive 20
his duties, Of good Judgment. indus
trtous. independent, acting from con-
viction and = thoroughly loyal repuo.
liean. he advanced @ the very front
ment was . loss to his state and 70
the country. HE sincerity and ability
Prev upon the house. and HE juoQ-
ment WAs relied upon BY hts COT
ieApuss IN both sides Of the chamber"
Indeed. Mr.. Burke 10 . man who
grows with acquaintance. Those who
have been most intimately associated
with him IN years past are his best
friends and wArmest champions. be-
cause they have learned. ~ hts asso
ciates In congress have learned. that
he Ia true to his convictions and has
the courage to maintain them.
The press representatives Of South
Dakota have added to these marks ot
esteem and confidence. the substance Of
which are summed up In the following
from he Aberdeen American tone OF
the insurgent papers OF the stated Inn.
mediately following the speech deliv-
cred by Mr.. Burke upon the railroad
rate bill.
"conpressman ourke's speech In the
house last Friday was one o. the best
90 Tar made In that body on the much
t~alked-about railroad regulation y
was concise, yet comprehensive. and
that we arc unable to reproduce u in
full. However, the closing paragraph
will show whore Mr.. ourke stands,
which we believe 10 In accord with
the great majority of the people, not
only Of South Dakota. but Of the y
try ut large"
Mr.. Burke said. In concluding his
speech upon the rate bill:
Speaking for myself, ! want 60 cay
that am Tor this bill because ! be-
tieve Il 10 honest, because ! believe IL
10 right, because believe h . twenty
years ago congress thought they had
conveyed to the commission the power
that 10 sought to be given by this bill.
Il not only gives that power, but Il
goes further, and regulates many
abuses that are now being INDUCED In
BY the railroads."
Mr.. Burke retired from congress A.
ter eight years service, on March 4,
1907. Before his election to congress
he had served with distinction In the
state legislature. where he was al
| important factor in legislative af-
fairs. For twenty years he has been
among the foremost citizens Of the
Missouri yelley section OF he state,
and when he was elevated to congress
he at once began to impress those
with whom he came into contaft with
his wonderful energy, his sincerity Of
purpose. and his commanding lablal
BY .p~dfels<yering industry, slsS
os so.,.s omm sasssr - +.
terstate and foreign commerce, to
which the railroad bill was referred.
In addition to membership upon this
important committee. he was also q
member Of the public lands committee
and the committee on Indian affairs,
both Of which are important po-
sitions which afforded him an oppor-
A.-s4, An Isrnlau hIr fulnrfu and ~
, show his grasp OF business matters.
In this work his training as q lawyer
(although he has no Dracticed law
since his election to congress) was Of
| inestimable service.
No man within the present genera
| ton has been more effective In pro-
| noting laws and amendments to exist.
| ing statutes with regard to free homes
than has Mr.. Burke, his imprint being
| upon substantially every measu re-
| lating TO homesteads and Indian al
| lotments that has passed congress
within the last ten years. He Is he
author Of various laws governing
| these matters. q OF which. known
as THE Burke Law" deals with In
| dian affairs upon the basis OF expert
| ence and practical business methods.
Among the principal measures that
| received MIR. Burke's cordial support,
| some of the bills for which we're ma
| terially strengthened upon the initia.
| tive OF Mr.. Burke during the discus
sions in the house. are the railroad
| rate bill, the pure food act, the meat
inspection law, the free homes Law.
the establishment OF the department
of comm erce and labor. the provision
! for surveying the reservation coun-
! tries In South Dakota west Of the Mis-
| souri, river. the Improvement of the
waterways tand PARTICULARLY the i'm
} movement OF the Missouri river, $780,
900 having g Q appropriated for
work ct Pierre and Fort Pierre), and
all or the numerous measures relating
to Indian affairs.
In addition To these laws Of q EN-
erai character. Mr.. Burke paid special
attention to propositions affecting the
interests Of the state. Thousands Of
acres of Indian lands were opened to
settlement In South Dakota under the
provisions OF bills OF which he was
the joint or sole author; new Indian
schools were constructed and old ones
enlarged: he rendered valuable assist
ance In passing the bill establishing
the Battle Mountain sanitarium at
Hot Springs, and he ID entitled TO his
share Of the re1.s for the erection Of
public buildings In Aberdeen, Dead
wood, Pierre. Yankt0n, WAtertOwn.
Mitchell and Lead.
Another provision Of special interest