The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1908-06-05
YES, LET IT GO!

IN the present. shouted one OF Mr.
Crawford's newspaper apologists som
weeks after reading the famous In
dictment" issued against Mr.. Craw
ford some time ago.
The facts set forth in the indictment
were so fOrcible as to cause the cham
pions OF Crawford to pause. 1t re
CURED some time for them to recover
got to breathing again they rushed
about admonishing the people to for
get what occurred so long in the past
That, In effect, was the burden OF
Regent Ericson's virtual plea of guilty
and prayer for mercy. That was
twenty years ago when Crawford turn
ed his back pom his solemn pledge,
they said in substance. Why not let
matters as stale as that remain
buried?
Well, suppose we do! Suppose that
we admit, for arguments sake, that
man may reform in twenty years.
What then? Have we a right to eX-
pect that when a man makes that sort
OF a plea we Shall find his acts subse-
quent to those complained Of to be in
accordance with the rules Of honorable
transactions? Assuredly we have the
right TO assume such to be the case.
So let us pass On down the pathway
where we may get a glimpse of his
reformer's later life. What do we
find? Why, simply that from the year
1893 to the beginning of 1897 he was
USING his official p~osition-a position
to which be was elected by the people
TO prevent an increase Of railroad
valuations for the purpose of taxation.
And to this a~rraignment the re
former himself pleads that times
were so very hard thai the railroads
met with great difficulty in meeting
their operating expenses and that in
Justice to them their valuations should
have hpan rp1uppI This in 1ffart
Is the only explanation that Re
former" Crawford. has ever offered for
his official conduct i'll extending spe-
cial favors to the railroads.
1t is true that the farmers of South
Dakota were also experiencing troub.
louS times during the financial de-
preston that overlook the country in
1893. 1t is true, too, that the farmers
We're frequently unable to meet their
expenses. 1t is likewise true that
they often had to let their taxes run
until threatened with the sale of their
premises for delinquencies. We
haven't noticed that Mr.. Crawford
manifested any inclination to reduce
farm valuations during that period
when he was pleading for reduced
railroad assessments.
But let us pass a little further along
and then note what we find. We be-
hold Mr.. Crawford drawing a princeiy
salary from a great railway corporation
n We behold him a%nDearing time and
again before the state board of assess
ment, using his political and social
and personal influence to keep down
railroad valuations for the purpose of
taxation.
He admits the truth of this charge,
but pleads that he was in the employ
OF the railroad corporation n was
but doing its bidding. Let the past
bury It's dead, he says, in effect, why
censure him for doing what he was
paid to do?
True, he has severely arraigned
Senator k~ittredge for an occasional
appearance in court-be it remember
ed that Kittredge was never on the
regular pay rolls of any corporation
whatsoever-to represent a railroad
company. 1t was right and proper for
Crawford to draw a salary from rail-
roads as a lobbyist, but it was an evil
dence of wickedness for Kittredge to
touch a dollar Of railroad money for
trying lawsuits!
So let us pass down to 1901, when a
vacancy was created in the United
States senate by the death of Senator
]. H. Kyle. Mr.. Kyle's body had not
yet become cold when Mr.. Crawford
coed him. He used his position as the
state attorney for the Northwestern
railroad to ~inaugurate a system of
kilograms n communications be-
seeching the governor to appoint him.
Every lawyer in the state represent
Ing the Northwestern was urged to
get action-quick action. Every sher-
IN carrying a pass issued by Mr.. Craw-
ford, was asked to rush letters and tel
egramS and petitions to the governor,
praying for Crawford's appointment.
All the force, all the power, all the OPP
connections were brought into play
to boost Crawford into the senate.
While still on the salaried list of a
railroad he was good enough for a
senatorship! But that was seven
years ago!
away up in Walworth county. What?
What's this that we behold as late as
in 1905! Why. that's nothing to be,
come excited about! We merely find
Mr.. Crawford, who. since we last saw
trying to beat Uncle Sam out of five
quarters of land, using young men
scarcely out of their teens as tools
Tor the purpose. 1t isn't much-only
such little matters as the suborning
OF perjury! But inasmuch as Mr..
Crawford has really and truly re
formed" we suppose we shouldn't
mind a little thing like that.
Let us pass on. Now we are So
Journlng IN the capital of the great
state of South Dakota. We behold
Mr.. Crawford, who has attained to the
position of a reform governor, us
his personal and political infu-
ence to rehabilitate a petty CRATER
f1nd him %concocting a scheme for the
OF a committee to do a
little JOB OF W~hitewashing in order
that the aforesaid ~rafter may make
3 presentable annearance upon his re-
turn to Washington. 1t was q big fob
for so small a matter, but it was fairly
successful, SO far as it went. But this
more than a a ago. But let !
to August, 1907, when the state board I
pf assessment was laboring with itself
10 increase railroad valuations. let
10 not forget that Mr.. Crawford has
What do wo ohro.n@a 4