Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1908-05-21
PLEA OF GUILTY BY
ATTORNEY ERICSSON
Regent Erickson Virtually Pleads
Guilty to Indictment
Against Crawford
To the Argus-Leader:-


IN this mornings Press, Mr.. Er.
lcson pleads guilty to the charges
Contained in the indictment against
governor Crawford. He assumes the
r0le OF pleading for mercy for lis
cnent when asked by the court (the
vters) Have you any legal cause to
snow why the judgment OF the court
should not be passed upon you?" BIZ
saying, That others did the same.
The others who did the same are
NOT on trial. The public will take
care OF their cases when they come
before 1t. He does not cite a sinoIe
instance where one of ne others had
fessed client.
Mr.. Ericsson is a good man. He
is regent under the present admin
lstratlon. Nevertheless he is liable
70 mistakes the same as other men.
He says, Frank A. Morris, late sur
veyor general" changed his vote and
cites page 931 of the House Journal
sent and not voting: Messrs. Ben
nett, Lillibridge, Norris" While I
do not think this misstatement was
Intentional it is strange that Mr.. Err
ioson should have said Just before
his charge against General Morris:
"Of the two members from Craw-
ford's district Lillibridge of Sully did
nv WV, OClhS GAIuoSu
Morris absence is noted in the
same printed line. was a seatmate
of General Morris during both ses-
sions Of 1887 and 1889 and know
him and | know that he would have
had his right hand cut off before he
would have voted to exempt the land
of the Northern Pacific from taxa
ton.
Mr. Crawfords explanation for
changing his vote for law unconsti-
tutional, unfair, nefaricus, because
the board OF trade of Pierre asked It
is nc excuse, because, first: 1t was
against his express instructions con-
tanned in the Harold platform on
which he was elected second, it was
ar Lest but the expression of a very
few of his district men, and third;
because, he gave false reason when
he said that it was the only express
sion | have from my district on the
subject"
The board of trade of Pierre! A
great source upon which to justify a
vote against ones judgment, espe-
cially when that vote conferred up
on the most gigantic of corporations
a privilege that was unlawfgul.
Mr.. Ericsson complains of mud
singing" Who inaugurated it? Who
started in TO build upon possible ru-
inS caused by indiscrim.nate and in
definite charges? Was it the stall
wart wing or was it the man who has
never had recorded (save to change
it, but one vote on the side of the
people and against corporations?
Who has said that one man land he
his opponent) has controlled for the
corporations all the state legislatures
from 1897 to 1907? Anyone but
OF guilty and asked for reward upon
his bare statement of sanctfication
but Crawford? Who has said that
when others did what he has done
for years it was against the masses
but that his doing it was blameless?
No one but Crawford. Is this hy-
pocrisy?
] challenge an instance where Sem
ato- Kittredge has used mud TO ce-
ment his case. His addresses have
been uniformly courteous and dlgni-
fed. He has employed none of the
"muck-rake'' tactics of the sanctified
one. His friends have. simply un-
masked the slanderer VINO mas poseG
as a perfect man. He is proven when
naked to be tatooed from head to
foot and the voters realize this.
The stalwarts have reason to thank
Mr.. Ericsson for his plea OF guilty.
Crawfords silence has been SO con-
strued but now 1t is an open and pup
lie confession. Will the public re-
tire a good man to make room I9r
one whose extenuation for guilt Is
that Others were likewise guilty!'
The same plea was doubtless antlci-
pated in the "land grab" case. BUT
the governor escaped that although
a clergyman without political pun
is now serving time for a like OF
Tense The issue is hypocrisy against
trustworthiness. THE verdict Will
be rendered June 9. 1908.
A Legislator OF 'S9.