Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1908-01-02
Thursday, January 2, 1908.
The Webster World of two week


The Webster World of two weeks
ago called attention TO the fact that
the Reporter and Farmer had men.
toned Coe l.. Crawford without pre-
fixing the title Of governor. III the
editor of the World were as well
acquainted with Coe /. Crawford as
the writer he would not take any
pride in Haunting to the world that
South Dakota had been so unfortu-
nate as to elect such plated states
man for governor. Who is this man
Crawford that has grown so great
that he would he absolute dictator
of the politics of South Dakota
Let us go back few years and look
him up.
Coe |. Crawford came to Dakota
from Iowa and located in Pierre for
the practice of law. He was then, is
now and probably always will be a
good talker. That has always been
his fort He has been able TO talk
himself into positions he lacked
ability to fill, and in which he made
failure.
The people of Pierre and Hughes
county elected him to county offices
and finally brought him out as can
didate for attorney general, secured
for him the nomination and election.
Did he make goods 1t was during
his time that the Taylor defalcation
occurred and his management OF
that case brought disgrace upon him,
his party and his state. 1t was due
to the Taylor compromise" as
Crawford's management OF that case
was justly termed, that the populists
were able to secure control OF the
governors Office and attorney gen.
erals Office, besides electing two
congressman and railroad commits
sioner, and giving the presiden-
tial electors to Bryan. The people
would not stand by party which
would nominate for congress a man
who as attorney general for the
state would bring prosecution
against self-confessed defaulting
treasurer to the amount of about
half million, under statute which
would only permit sentence Of two
years in the penitentiary. Another
thing was, the people could not coun-
tenance Coe l. Crawford's handling
of the Kellam case which also came
while he was attorney general.
Kellam, while one of the supreme
judges of the state, committed
heinous crime right under the very
roof OF the state house. Did Craw-
ford, as attorney general, do any
things He did not But Charles
FL. Sheldon, who was then governor,
forced the judge to resign. Was he
afterwards prosecuted? Not by any
means. Crawford let him leave the
state without an effort at prosecu-
ton. The people held that up
against Crawford and the republican
party which, in spite Of these things.
had nominated this same Coe /.
Crawford for congress and showed
their condemnation by defeating the
party at the polls. Crawford was
not reformer those days.
1t was about the time of Craw-
lords defeat that William B. Ster-
ling had been promoted from the
position Of general attorney for the
Northwestern railroad company with
headquarters in Huron, to a more
lucrative and important position
with the same company at Omaha,
and attracted by Crawford's ability
Is an orator, they made him their
attorney and sppoinsed him as Mr..
Sterling's successor. He was not
reformer those days. He was pro
fessional and well paid lobbyist at
conventions, sessions Of the legisla-
tures and meetings Of the state beard
Of equalization and assessment. He
would do those things which he
now 90 loudly condemns since he
became reformer--for a great rail.
road corporation as lawyer for pay.
He did not experience this change
Of lie until be had grown financially
able after fattening at the crib Of 4
hated corpol> tion, to live q life Of
ease and comfo Was bis change
from "A unseen visitation, was III
49, 49, 4 - ~ ~ j. 4.