The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1910-10-27
DELUsIoNs pIsPELLEp.

1t is true as Congressman Burke
said at the republican rally here
Thursday evening. that there is no
issue for discussion in the congress
sional campaign in this state. For
the two democratic candidates are
asking for votes on the ground that
they will follow the lead of certain
republicans. lnasmuch as they can
scarcely convince the voters that they
are as good republicans as their OPP
p%onents and since by this act they
confess that the democratic party is
absolutely without character, they
cannot have any hope OF winning.
Though the situation with refer
ence to the governorship is a little
dicerent, it can scarcely be said there
is any issue in that contest either.
Mr.. Wood spends nearly all of his
campaign speech denouncing four
laws, non OF which originated with
Governor Vessey and all of which
were supported soltdly by the demo-
cratic members Of the legislature.
With reference to every one Of these
measures, MI. Wood absolutely mis-
states the facts. So 1t must be con-
Guided that he can find no occasion
for truthful criticism of the present
administration.
Mr.. Wood Of course renews the
charge that has always been made and
always will be made by the opposi-
ton party, namely, that the expendi-
lures made by the state have been ex-
ltravagant. Governor vessey won the
Prospect and admiration of his audi
ence Thursday evening by declaring
that IL 1t should be necessary for him
to promise a reduction in appropri-
attons in order to secure a reelection,
he would still refuse to make 1t. He
would rather retire to private life
than to criticise expenditures which
he knows to have been fully warrant
ed and carefully made. He declared
that, instead of spending too much
luponsthe states institutions, the state
Is spending altogether too little. The
school for the blind, the deaf mute
lschool and the reform school are all
suffering from lack OF equipment and
insufficient funds, so that the state is
not doing by its wards as 1t ought to
do. The state soldiers home has
been conducted at a cost of $4,000
per year per member, while the ma
tional soldiers home, near by, costs
the government $1,000 per year per
member. The South Dakota state
university, declared the governor, re-
ceived less money from the state than
any other state universities in the
United States, excepting only Florida
and New Mexico. Governor Vessey
intimated that, whether or not the
people Of the state relished this class
iication, third from the bottom among
the states, he himself was not espe-
cially proud Of It. Only two per cent
Of the pupils who start into the pub
lie schools Of the state. the governor
explained. succeeded in reaching a
college course. And yet, he declar-
ed. the whole scheme of education
contemplates a finishing course in a
college.
"If I were to propose to any Of you
farmers" said the governor. "to
thresh your wheat and give you only
two per cent of the grain, you would
laugh at me. But you succeed in
sending only two per cent of the
children Of the state as far along in
education as they ought to CO."
Whenever the democratic critics Of
the administration present their ex-
travagance charge, they dwell upon
the total expenditures of the state, be-
cause they u up into the thousands.
They roll out the biggest figures they
can find. attempting to create the i'm
preston with rheir hearers that each
of them is donating a tremendous
sum to the state in taxes. Governor
Wesley gave to his audience a much
needed explanation in his address
Thursday evening, when he pointed
out that the state tax paid by every
property-owner Is only one mill on
the actual valuation of his property.
Thus a man whose property is valued
by the assessor at $4,000 would pay
in taxes the enormous sum Of $500
a year. And the man whose property
lis valued at 1000 by the assessor.
would pay into the state treasury only
800 a year Yet the man worth ST.
1000 Is probably doing more talking