Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1908-02-08
THE RoosEvELT-TAFr MEETING.

M q.
Wednesday afternoon the delegates
from the various counties assembled at
the Gale theatre where Ex- Congressman
L. w. Martin of Deadwood, was elected
temporary chairman and on taking the
chair made one of his enthusiastically
interesting speeches which was we'll re-
ceived by the large audience present. J.
l.. Browne, of Aberdeen was elected
permanent chairman, and vice presi.
dents were selected, one from each
county, after which a Roose evelt- Taft
Kittredge organization was perfected.
Another meeting was held in the
evening which was presided over by the
permanent chairman of the organiza-
ton, ]. l.. Brown, and addressed by
Senator A, b. Kittredge of Sioux Falls.
The capacious theatre which holds about
1900 people was filled to its capacity.
When the senator was presented he was
enthusiastically greeted. In opening
his address he paid high tribute to
Secretary Taft stating that for the past
year he has favored the nomination of
Mr.. Taft for president. He said it had
always been customary for South Dakota
to send delegation to the national con-
vention under definite instructions and
those instructions should be for Secre-
tary Taft. He then reviewed his record
as senator from the time of his appoint
ment down TO the present time and said
that there was nothing in that record of
which he was ashamed or that be desir.
ed to cover up.
lie went into detail as to his record in
the Bristol case and expressed mis- will
lngness to assume all responsibility for
the results in that case. Speaking of
the question of land frauds he said that
during his residence of twenty-three
years in South Dakota and the terri.
tory of Dakota it had never occurred to
him that he might make use of his
right to make an entry upon govern
ment land, while practicng law in
Sioux Falls, nor of getting young men
to file upon adjacent quarters to pre-
vent having undesirable citizens as
neighbors.
He explained his vote in the Reed
Smoot case and said he had no apologies
to make for it.
He said he had been criticised for his
attitude upon the railroad rate but that
he had no apologies to make. He said
he had always stood and voted with SEN
ator Nelson, of Minnesota, on all ques-
tlons pertaining to railroad rate legisa-
ton and amendments TO the bill and
that Senator Nelson had the endorse
ment of President Roosevelt commend
ing bis attitude and praising his ser
vices.
He said he had been criticised for not
working in the interests of the state
during the six years he had been in the |
senate, but explained that he thought he
had enough TO attend to there without
meddling in state affairs, but there were
two matters of state importance which |
he favored. One was the enactment OF
a law requiring depositaries holding |
state funds to give boud to the state for !
the safe keeping of said funds to pay i'm !
terest on same into the general fund of I
the state, and that penalty should at
tach to said law for violation thereof. |
The other was that be favored two
cent passenger rate on all railroads, a
reduction in freight rates by legislative
enactment without shifting the respon-
sibiity to the railroad commission.
lie closed his splendid address with a
defense of his attitude on the sea level
canal, quoting the president as favor
ing it and insisting that he still believ-
ed he was right notwithstanding the
fact that congress had favored the lock
type. He contends that the sea level
could have been constructed at less ex-
pense and in less time than the lock
canal.
He held the attention of his audience
from start TO finish. Everybody seemed
deeply interested in what he had to say.
His address was splendid one and was
enthusiastically received. So far as we
have heard his address commented up
on even his bitter opponents speak Of
it in the highest term. He says he
knows now that he can make speech
and that hereafter the name "Silent Sem
ator" will be a misnomer.-
Clarion.