The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-04-22
The Mitchell Capital
THURSDAY. APRIL 22, 1903.
A PROGRESSIVE REPUBLICAN.

OlOuh dllo . ~
Argus-Leader has received from Hur-
on a letter written by one OF the most
prominent progressives of hat city.
The writer naturally wishes his name
withheld, and with that request the
Argus Leader will comply. Should
there be anything like a general de-
mand for the author of the letter,
we have no doubt it will be forth
coming, rs the only cason for with
holding the name is because of a de-
sire on the part of the writer to keep
out of undue publicity.
This letter shows the pettiness of
the attacks being made upon the for
mel manager of Mr.. Crawford's cam
paign. 1t is shown that Mr.. Richards
only owned 10 per cent of the stock
In the bank which had a free deposit
from the state funds; that Mr.. Rich
ards knew nothing whatever about
the matter. and that his financial In
iterest in 1t was only $50; that the
Crawford machine demanded" a
large amount from this bank to help
Crawford, and that the bank refused
to be held up; that Mr.. Richards was
not the owner of the Huron paper
which had insurance statements dur
ing 1907, and that he lost $500 of
good hard money in financing that
proposition; that Gamble, Cook and
Crawford tried to get a foreign APP
pointment for Richards in order to
get him out of the state. and that
they did this without even asking
Mr.. Richards If he wanted the place;
and 1t also stands true, as charged,
that the interest on the state funds
was used In part to buy the Bowen
interest In the Sioux Falls Press. and
to help the Aberdeen American-an-
other reform paper" to meet it's OBJ
legations!
The letter from Huron will be
read with interest throughout the
state. 1t throws a very pretty light
on the methods of the so-called "re-
formers in South Dakota, showing
them willing to exploit any graft
which would help along the cause of
reform. The letter follows:
To the Argus-Leader: Noticing the
continued eruptions from Mt. vesuv-
ius (Sioux Falls Press) in their un-
fair attempt to besmirch, the charact-
q Of Hon. r. o. Richards, who had
the manhood to publicly define his
attitude towards Senator Crawford,
I feel It necessary to refute some Of
the fragrant Misrepresentation made
BY the editor Of that paper.
The Press says that in July, 1907,
The Cooperative Rural Bank. Of
Wolsey received a 5000 deposit of
state funds and that the deposit was
worth 5000 to 5000 to Richards. The
Facts are that Mr.. Richards owns
only ten per cent Of the capital stock
of that bank: that he had no know
ledge Of the deposit at the time made
~ he was in Europe during the en-
tire summer of 1907, and did not
know until he returned thai state
funds had been deposited in the bank
and when subsequently word was
ISN'T to the bank to pay the interest
into the campaign fund for the Is
months the money, was deposited. the
bank declined to boone a party to
any such transaction, as the money
had been voluntarily deposited there
without any agreement as to interest
~"Conceding for the sake Of the ar.
gument that the bank pays 4 per cen
interest on deposits and that this
item was saved on $4,000 for Is
months which would make $500. sc
that Mr.. Richards tenth interest ii
the saving would yield a profit t.
him from that source of $50. Quite
q n elaborate sum to be sure!
although Mr.. Richards makes nj
claim of a specific amount, it is SAT-
to say, that during the past six year
of campaigning, he has expended il
various ways, for instance, in tn,
original campaign of 1904 for tn.
primary petition, losses on half
dozen insurgent newspapers, cam
paign contributions, organization ex
penses and keeping an open house 70
entertaining visitors, at least $25.
900, say nothing about the valuabl
time lost to his business interests.
"The further statement of tn
Press asserting that 1922 was re
ceivad by Richards for. insuranc
statements published by his Huro
newspaper during 1907 and 1908,
likewise a Misrepresentation. NJ
Richards did not own the paper i
1907, and did not own a dollar
worth of stock in it until Februar.
1908, when he had to take ever tina
newspaper to save 1t for the caus
which called for another expenditur
Of $1,000, to protect the progressiv
Interests. Since February 1908. eight