Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1908-05-21
That "Secret Compact"

To the Editor of the News.
If Mr.. Crawford were not still
exploiting that secret compact" /
would consider the subject outlawed
but inasmuch as he appears still to
think it is an tissue" let me very
briefly refer to it again for the pur-
pose of exposing his studied decep-
ton.
simultaneously with his announce
ment of his candidacy for United
States senator, Mr.. Crawford pub
lished the declaration that in 1897
wicked "secret compact" was entered
into by and between Mr.. Hanna,
Mr.. Kittredge and Mr.. A. G. John
son for the control of federal pat
ronage in this state and that Mr..
Hanna pursuant to his agreement
filed written notice in Washington
recognizing these two gentlemen as
above" The language quoted is
found in Mr.. Crawford's state ment
carefully prepared for publication
as it appeared in the Sioux City
Journal under a Huron date line OF
November q, 1907.
In a letter to Mr.. Crawford dated
February l., 1908, | denied his
allegation and challenged him to
produce the proof of the "secret
compact" which he had stated in a
public speech had been found
recently in department at Wash
ington by his "friend Senator Gam
ble."
What is the result of this denial
and challenger The production of
the proof? No. Not even cor
roborating statement by Senator
Gamble has been made. The declar
alton was false and Mr.. Crawford
knows it. He carefully cancelled
the connection of his "friend j. d..
Elliott" with the subject. He also
attempted, with equal care, to con-
ceal Mr.. Kittredge's official relations
with the Mckinley administration,
Not until after his duplicity was
exposed did he mention the fact that
either Elliott or Ringsrud or Gam
BILE or himself had any voice in mat
tiers OF federal patronage. When
the search light was turned on him
he straightway abandoned his orig
inal declaration, shifted his position
and issued new batch of fabrica-
tions. He has added to his first
deception by telling his audiences
that have admitted ignorance con-
corning one thing by challenging
proof concerning quite another.
1t is not often that this arttuJ
dodger makes specific declaration
upon which issue can be joined, but
in this case, unfortunately for him,
he put his declaration regarding the
"secret compact" in cold type.
However, Notwithstanding the fact
that l have quoted his own carefully
chosen language, have been unable
to get him to join issue on his
declaration or to tell the truth about
federal appointments ten years ago.
If the trnth is in him it does not
come out.
| have before me stenographic
report of his speeches at Oacoma, in
January, and at Hartford in April,
AT Tacoma, speaking OF the inarshal
ship, he said:
FINALLY, / took up the endorse
ment for the candidate the four OF
us agreed on and presented it to
President Mckinley and told him
what had been decided-expected
he would receive the appointment
but our friend, the di tinguished
senator, then national committeeman
went down, Senator Gamble with
him; twenty-four hours after he
arrived in Washington his man was
appointed"
Speaking on the same subject at
Hartford, in April, he said:
ga recommendation was drawn