The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-02-07
AS THE SENATOR SPOKE

WV SDA~V
the Roosevcit-Taft clubs Of the state
in this city, the citizens have had
something of an opportunity to read
what he said on that occasion and
the almost universal opinion seems
to be that the senator gave a very
good account Of himself.
During the summer when the sena-
tor was delivering his picture on the
Panama canal, the insurgent press
were continually referring to the
"declamation or essay that the sena-
tor was giving in school boy STYLE"
little realizing, perhaps, that the
subject needed little, IL any, orator
ical display. Could those insurgent
newspapermen have been 10 the
audience and listened to the senator
deliver a political speech they would
have wondered what ever lead them
into making such an error as to say
that the senator vas devoid Of the
ability to make a speech.
Senator Kittredge has heen associ-
ated with the politics of the state
for a number OF wears and the
occasion has never required him to
make a public speech until the
present. In all other years MI. Kit
treuge has quietly submitted to have
his personality attacked, his record
distorted, and he has been heaped
with opporbrious names that would
reach mountain high. The senator
felt that his patience had reached
the limit, and that he would let
these more or less uniformed gentle
men know Just where he stood on the
questions on which they had been
misrepresenting him. They hac
accused the senator of being a Taft
quitter-that he was not sincere In
his support Of the secretary. Is there
any question but what be explained
himself most thorouhgly and consis-
tently on that proposition? Will the
insurgent press or the leaders Of
that faction ever dare again to
insinuate that Senator Kittredge is
not for Taft?
On all other issues Senator Kit
tredge was equally as frank and
honest. He even went farther than
the insurgents In declaring for rail-
road legislation by demanding that
the legislature enact a law that will
compel the railroad companies to
grant South DAKOTA a two cent mile.
age rate, an6 also for the reduction
OF freight, telephone, telegraph and
express rates. While the insurgents
talked Of these things during the
campaign Of 1905, yet when their
legislature got into action thew vent
through with the whole sixty day
session. and what came of any rail.
road legislation. The legislature
finally decided to enact a law asking
the state railroad commission to
require the railroads to put into
effect a rate Of two and one-half
cents per mile, and the commission
was given the privilege Of taking
Its own time in making the demand
of the railroads. Bear in mind that
this railroad commission Is composed
of a majority Of stalwart repub-
licans. Thus it will be seen that
VIXEN it came down to the pinch the
insurgents absolutely backed down
on lower railroad fare, and it has
remained for the stalwart commission
to give the people all the possible
benefit they could get out Of the
action OF tho legislature.
Senator Kittredge did not mince
matters In the least when be
declared that the record he had made
in the senate during the past six
years was one he was not ashamed
OF, and Que that he could honestly
and conscientiously defend. Further
than that, he declared that 1T would
not be necessary for his friends in
the state to get out the whitewash
brush to cover over anything in that
record. And tie point was we'll
taken, too. Senator Gamble is
closely allied with the i~nsufgent
wing of the ..partv, :.snd Governor
Crawford, Who aspires to remove
Senator Kittredge from the high
and commanding position which he
has attained in the United States
senate, was and is a staunch sup
porter OF Senator Gamble, and he
stood as ready as the legislature to
apply the whitewash brush OH the
Candle record In order to return
him to the United States senate.
There is a comparison Of the two
men who are asking the support of
the people of the state. 1t should
not be an easy matter to make a
choice.
Wherever the senator appears in
bis address In the coming month he
will clear the atmosphere TO a con-
siderable extent In placing himself in
q ,nckOu SlAtR0~on& 0|,I,k hoe1,n 49,.