Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1910-05-26
Letter From Ross Parks

Letter FROM NOSS IarkS
To the Republican Voters of Day
County:
A few years ago the Progressive
Republicans talked and worked for a
primary law, and Mr.. Bronson, the
chairman of our party in Day county,
was one of its most ardent supporters,
giving as his reason that it would elm
mate the Boss in politics, and time and
again he raised his voice against die
tator. The intent and purpose of the
primary law was and is supposed to be
to put all men on an equal footing for
a nomination for any Office within the
gift of the people. What does the
county central committeeman do but
send list of the progressive leglsla-
tive ticket of this county to the state
central committeeman at Huron, and
he sends out sample ballot and asks
the progressive voters to be sure and
take it to the polls for reference-and
my name is made conspicuous by its
absence. What right has our commit
teeman, Mr.. Bronson, or any other man
to say who shall be on the ticket? Was
it not the aim of the primary to do
away with the boss as power in poll
tics? Is not that what we fought for
for several years to wipe out bossism
in Day county? And was we not agi-
tating for a government of the people
by the people and for the people? Mr..
Bronson is the first man to abuse the
spirit of the primary in Day county
the man whom the progressive had
honored by making him chairman of
the central committeeman / feel hurt,
not so much that the blow was aimed
to wipe Parks off the slate, but for the
reason that and others had placed our
confidence in a man who has proven the
first to belttle, dishonor and drag down
through the mire the principles we
have been fighting for so many years.
So | wrote Mr.. Bronson to withdrawing
announcement from his paper, and in
return he published a short notice
which was plainly intended to mislead
the voters of Day county and convey
the impression that was no longer a
candidate.
Under circumstances as they now are
l will postpone some work for couple
of weeks, and as we have put off our
meeting of stockholders at Fargo until
July 9th, it will give me an opportuni-
ty to see many of the voters personally.
am in favor of legislation to pro-
tect the producers of South Dakota
which is of much Importance, and If
the line elevator people were notsafraid
of the square deal legislationsl am ad-
vocating, why did they send man
from Webster one year ago lastlwinter
and instruct him to head off the anti
discrimination bill and spare no..expense?
The committee of which Senator Dillon
of Yankton was chairman, had charge
of the bill, and upon his unfavorable
report the bill was killed. And.if.l am
not greatly mistaken that is whylSena-
tor Dillon recently made neat1little
speech at Huron withdrawing his can
didacy for "the good of the party and
to promote peace and harmony. "tRats!
There were one hundred and twenty
five farmer elevator societies .in the
state, with nearly ten thousand votes,
and it was brick wall for any man to
90 UP against that had antagonized
their interests.
Voters of Day county, who lis your
friend; the man who has abused the
primary law the very first chance he
had, and endeavored to give myscandi-
dacy death blow by leaving out from
the notice he published last week the
words, ''from my paper" or is itlyour
humble servant. who has always stood
by the producers of the northwest, and
especially so of his neighbors here in
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