The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1908-04-17
SUI Ut laess,sel Sji1,oeo.oo 1ur.
Ing IL Fist Yo1T 4 esverlef
cfavfefd's Aestne.

aMA1r6 between North and South d.
ketA when the territory was admitted
hto the union a. two states, it fell
% the lot Of South Dakota, which coz
taiAed the greater number Of public
institutions, to assume q bosded debt ef
10 small proportions.
But the South Dakotan has ever been
loyal to state pride, even It the cost Of
personal ~privation, and this spirit At
once began to be manifested in great
strides toward material prosperity. In
1895 this ambition and pride received
. great shock through the perady Of .
trusted Official, when the state treasury
Wa looted and about . half million
dellArs stolen.
That this blow was keenly felt Wa
manifest ut the following election, when
the voters voiced their displeasure Of
the breach Of confidence and the ap-
parent connivance Of the then political
machine to prevent the just punishment
Of the offender. At that election . pop
ulist administration was elected, the
history Of the state during the four
years following being n Of unsettled
conditions.
Meanwhile the republican party be-
came r~eorganixsd, new leaders came 70
tAs front, and the people Of South Da-
hsta IN 1900 again oppressed thsir coa-
Alsncs in the Grand Old Party BY re-
anzning a t. pswer.
Financial Cendiaou Jan. 1, 1901.
The republicans took up the reins Of
STATE administration Of Jan. 1, 1901,
and found in addition to the shortage
caused by the defalcation Of the state
treasurer six years before and still un-
settled, . bonded debt still unpaid Of
over 100000. One Of the slogans
which seemed to meet with = spontan-
eous adoption by every department was
Economy and Debt Paying" For
Ax years the policy earned for the re-
publicans Of the state the honest pride
IN the party Of the rank and fle, and
The admiration Of all citizens interest
Cd in the progress Of the state. Dur
Ing those six years the Taylor defalca.
tion was made good and every penny
Of the bonded debt paid, the last dollar
being paid during the administration Of
8. II. Elrod AZ governor, the accomplish
msnt OF this result being . matter Of
great pride not only to Gov. Elrod
but to the party and the people.
This was in 1905, the year when the
"rsform" wave swept over the state,
to slogan being taken mp BY the old
slsnent Of the party still smarting
under the rsbuke administered by the
people in 18o6, and gathering about
them the remnaata Of the old populist
party and the democrats, began the cry
Of "reform." In spite Of the splendid
service the republican party had been
and still was rendering the state, the
d~isgruntled Office seekers made virslest
attacks On the so-sallsd "~macAine,' =
sAA BY innuendo sought to besaiseh
for personal advantage the party to
which they professed allegiance. Eneugh
people were misled by these falss cries
- give them victory, and the so-callsd
"nachine" turned the state over to
tAe Crawford dissatisfaction on Jan.
/, 1907.
Following the record Of the new 3D.
substitution for the Aut year Of ita
s~srvies, what do We End 70 commend
No honest c~itisen, Informed u the re-
cord, expected the Crawford admins.
trstion to excsed In splendid achieve.
ment the record Of it, immediate pre-.
Ascessors, but many expected, and con,
Adsntly expected, that 1t would do u
vel. Instead il has shown the grossest
sf Incompetence and e~xtravaganes, ut.
Ter disregard for the interests Of IT.
esastituents, and no high sence Of re.
spomibiliU In the character Of it,
appointments.
1Etxsyagant ApDeopgisuons n 1901.
The new administration did not enter
spea the duties inspired With the r..
epoasibility Of Craftsmanship but rather
eDsh hold with ~ appsarsses ss -