The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-03-04
A U T TO PERFORM.

The increased Indebtedness which
has been saddled upon the citizens
of this state in the past two years,
leads the Sioux Falls Argus-Leader
to urge Governor-Vessey to take a
bold stand in the matter of the ap-
propriations that are being asked and
to save some of the money to the
people by vetoing unnecessary bills
of that character. Practically every
institution in the state is asking for
something and it means plunging
the state into a heavier Indebtedness
without a clear way out. The Argus
Leader presents the situation to the
governor in the following article:
Governor Vessey, who is sincere
ly trying to do the right thing By the
people of the state will soon be con-
fronted with his biggest duty. To
perform it will require fine courage
and a willingness to withstand bit
ter criticism. If he performs the
duty, he will in the end have made a
host of friends in South Dakota; but
to fail to perform it will give him
for the time being, the greater pop
ularity. There are a good many
thousand taxpayers in the state who
are now looking to the governor, and
hoping that he will measure up 10
the coming emergency.
The legislature two years ago,
spent more money than any legisla-
ture which ever before met il the
state. There was a protest from all
over the state, but Governor Craw-
ford, who was a candidate for the
United States senate, signed ever
appropriation bill, and the result is
that at this time the state is plunged
into debt by the total of about $780,
600. The legislature spent more
money than was raised by taxation,
and the only possible outcome was
to run the state into debt. In his
retiring message, Mr.. Crawford said
that many special matters had to
be attended to by that legislature,
but the present M could meet the
situation, and spend much less. 1t
is not going to do so. In fact. the
present outlook is that the approp-
riations of the present legislature
will exceed those of last. This means
if all the appropriations are allowed
to get through, that the state will
keep on increasing it's debt, and that
a state which vas nearly out of debt
when Governor Elrod retired, will
come up to the end of Governor YES
sey's first term-a period of four
years-with a floating Indebtedness
of not less than a million dollars. So
far as the average citizen can see
we are not getting any more from
the state than when the people We're
paying off the debt, and the taxpay-
ers are getting restless under an in
creasing debt, with nothing more to
show for it, and at the same time
under an increased assessment and
an increased tax levy.
1T will require courage fer the
governor to say no. 1t will tai sand
to interpose his veto. 1t will require
fine judgment to pick out the APP
preparations which are wasteful and
to sign those which are necessary.
We believe that Governor Vessey has
this courage and ability to discrim-
mate. If so he will be able to per-
form a CONSPICUOUS public service. If
not, he will have created an Issue
against his administration of which
his opponents will make ample use.
cit is up to the governor to do all
that he can do to protect the over
burdene5 taxpayers of the state. ald
those who know the governor best
give assurance that he will respond
to the disagreeable but important
duty imposed upon him. Nothing
now stands between the taxpayers
and an increased deficit, except the
courage and wisdom of the governor
of the state"