The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-03-11
MR.. CRAWFORD AS SENATOR.

The Sioux Falls Argus-Leader
makes the following comment con-
corning the attitude displayed by
Senator Crawford, and it takes it's
cue from an interview the senator
gave out Immediately on his arrival
in that city. The Argus-Leader has
taken the senator a little too tech
nically in what he says he is going to
do, and we r inclined to think he
was talking for. general effect. Sena-
tor Crawford's attitude toward Presi-
dent Taft during the early and even
late stages of his campaign was such
as to indicate that there was not
very much admiration for the Ohio
gentleman, and 1t took the
ton which assembled in Mitchell in
January, 1907, when Senator Kit
tredge made his notable speech, to
bring the other wing of the republic
can party to the support of Mr..
Taft. 1t took a long fight over at
Huron for the progressives to ac-
cept the Taft candidacy, but there
was nothing else to do, and conse-
quently Mr.. Taft was endorsed:
Since he has been in the senate
Mr.. Kittredge has zen fit to follow
his own judgment on public matters.
In several cases Mr.. Kittredge has
not thought the same on public ques-
lions as the chief executive and in
such times has followed his own best
judgment, preferring to be a real
senator, and not a cuckoo. President
Roosevelt was formerly in favor of a
sea level canal, and Senator Kittredge
agreed with him. Then President
Roosevelt changed his mind, but Sen
ator Kittredge did not. Since Mr..
Kittredge has been in the senate, the
state has been represented in the
upper house by an independent,
thinking. and self-sufficient man.
Senator Crawford does not intend
to offend in any such way. In an in
terview in the Washington Herald Of
date February 26th, Mr.. Crawford
declares that he will have no ideas Of
his own He will do exactly as Presi-
dent Taft wants him to do. If the
new president should be against free
lumber, Mr.. Crawford would be
against free lumber too. II the new
president wants a great navy, Mr..
Mr.. Crawford will want it too. He
announces in short that he will be a
trueblue cuckoo, and that if any
citizen wants to know how Mr.. Craw-
ford will vote he need not write to
Mr.. Crawford, but can ascertain by
simply finding out what President
Taft wants. This is the interviews:
"Coe 1. Crawford of Huron, S. D.,
senator-elect from that state. and
successor Of Senator Kittredge, is
at the Ebbitt:
"'You can say for one thing that l
am a staunch republican and a great
admirer of President-elect Taft and
shall support his policies in every in
stance. 1 have followed his, utter
ances on the stump, and in fact l
have followed Mr.. Taft's career al
most since his entrance into public
life. He is eminently qualified to
All the presidential chair and he will
make a worthy successor to President
Roosevelt.
81 am with Taft on the Panama
canal question. on the tariff, and on
every other question Of public inter-
est.
IF Mr.. Taft wants a big and pow
erful navy, my vote and influence
will be used to bring about that
result; II he should advise congress
to pass q Law excluding all orientals
from this country he will have my
hearty cooperation. In short he has
my entire confidence and that of the
voters Of our state, and, in fact, the
country at large"
Less than a year ago, Mr.. Craw-
ford was hghtinE MI. Taft tooth and
toe-nail. He was for LaFollette fol-
the nomination. He came into the
Taft camp when Taft had won. But
he seems to be in-bag and bag
age.
Perhaps congress will commence
to realize that It is time to change
the date Of Inauguration from March
4 to a later period in the season. Or
Inauguration day Washington was
MT ~ fror Tho would proctfoo11y fo1