Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1910-05-26
HONEST SAM ELROD
CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR
Addresses the Citizeus of Elm Point in
Favor of Business Methods and
Economy in State Affairs

Ex-Gov. Saml. Ell. Elrod was greeted
py good audience al the court room
last night. The NJ. B. A. band furnished
several selections on the street and in
the court room. which were much ap-
precialed both by the governor and the
audience. There was large attendance
Of ladies and The democrats fairly outdid
themselves, more being present than at
an average democratic rally.
In opening his address Gov. Elrod said
that speaking two or three times a day
during ali this campaign he had vet TO
speak IN D more beautiful or better ar
pointed auditorium than the Union
County court room. 1t was u great
credit to the county ana the state. and a
building in which every citizen of Union
county may 'ake pardonable pride.
Then Lurning to political matters, he
said II was uniustly charged by the m
s,lrgents that the Sthlwarts were making
insurgan! extra sagance the leading issue
OF this campaign Not the stal warts but
the present manager Of the insureent
campaign raised the cry of extravaganza
tirs1 and IoudesL. Mr. Elrud then read
from letters Of Mr. f.. .. Richards.
written less than Two Years ago and on
the official letlerhead OF the State i'ri-
mary League, roundly condemuing Gov
Nessey and his administration. lie was
willing to Coucede that Mr. Richards
knew what he was talking ahout when
he wrole those letters. dis The figures
therein contained he himself had verified
from The records in the state trcasurers
office.
Mr. Erod then referred to Gov. YES
sey' 5 challenge 10 produce one specific
instance of inSurgent extravaganza. He
then proceeded To specify fifteen or
twenty. The Increase of the state board
of charities from three TO five mem
bers, The more than doubling of the force
Of clerks in the office OF The stale in
surance department and the department
of public Instruction, were cited as in
stances Of unnecessary expansion. Mr..
t.lrod pledged his hearers that he would
save The stale, il elected, III least $50, 900
in clerical expenses alone over tnat eN-
pended bv the present encumbent.
The mileage graft worked on the gov
ernor at the time of the organization Of
Perkins and Harding countles was de-
scribed A business administration, in
the opinion OF Mr. E1lrod would call for
tItCllotl SutltESlNOi I|bui pcSlutSS ihCb
in thai vicinity, both To avoid expense
and 10 secure those who would be ac-
auainted with the local conditions. In
stead Of this Gov. Vessey appointed men
who had been OF service in former poi.-
tical campalg6si and nom dstan
parts or the state These men put in
expense bills amounting TO S25Si 40.
charging for 400 and even more than
1900 mileage in coming from Parker,
Chamberlain and Lake Preston. No
wonder that members Of the legislature,
in the debate overO. King these bills,
balked at them and suggested that the
trip must have been made via the North
Pole in order to make that distance. Yet
The act was passed and the bills paid un.
der executive pressure and the plea TO
the legislators that it was IAN admins
tratlOn measure.
Mr.. Elrod went over the resources of
the state and showed that Gov. Vessey
had more than SSO3, 900 more money
with which to provide for state eXpendi-
lures than he did during his two years
term. The insurgents claim that mas
much as they have put $500, 900 into
state buildings and permanent improve
ments the money has been well invested.
Mr. Elrod replies That in reality these
improvements have been made on bor-
rowed capital, because the insurgents
have left a debt Of just about thai
amount to be provided tor in the future
| In contrast Gov. Elrod called attention
! to the fact that his administration, after
paying off the accumulated state debt
| invested nearly S2C0 900 in state build
lngs and permanent Improvements.
! GOV Elrod believed that the time hac
come for little old fashioned, down
right, out and out republicanism. Pro
gressivism might be all right. but thu
progressivsm OF Fremont and Lincoln
Roosevelt and Taft was good enough TO
thim. If again entrusted with the ad
ministration of the government OF thi
state he pledged his hearers that n
worthy cause would be crippled or ig
nored if he could help it, but on tn
other hand he assured his hearers tina
. business sagacity, reasonable econom
+ and slrct integrity and careful foresigf
would characterize his coming admins
| traton as it had signalized his forme
one.