Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1910-05-27
THE ROLL CALL
ON Men AND MEASURES
(From LaFollette's Magazine)
Burke's Record-by Himself

burke 3 heCoro-py himself
South Dakota is a new and not very
populous state. But it is prosperous
and growing. Also it is progressive,
politically as well as industrially. At
best, South Dakota could have two
Representatives in Congress. At pres.
emit, which is not at best, it has not.
One-half of the representation in
Congress that belongs to South Dakota
is appropriated by one Charles H.
Burke to Cannonism and the system.
Burke began his legislative career in
South Dakota, where he served in the
State legislature from 1894 to 1898.
His best remembered services in this
position were those of errand boy and
go between for the Kittredge machine,
which represented then, as now, the
System interests in the politics of the
state. Burke has continued conspicu,
Gus as a member of the "Stalwart' or
reactionary faction of the Republican
party in South Dakota.
Burke was transferred to a seat in
Congress in 1899, and his influence and
Importance were thereby enhanced.
Also, his influence and support have
been always available to the Kittredge-
System machine in its fight to prevent
progressive legislation and to protect
entrenched Privilege in South Dakota,
just as they have always been at the
command of the Cannon-System ma
chine to promote legislation to exploit
the people for the interests at Wash
ington.
After serving in Congress four terms
Burke was defeated by a progressive
Republican, Philo Hall, who voted for
the people in Congress. After two
years, Burke returned as a member of
the present Congress. He is now a
candidate for reelection, which, when
you consider that Burke stands for
about everything in government and
legislation that the great body of the
Republicans of South Dakota are
against, seems ~effrontery enough. Also
he is shrewd, in a small way. He
knows he will have to meet his record
in this campaign. So he forestalls the
issue. He appeals to South Dakota on
his recordI As the desperate game of
a politician the has its points.
For Burke does not invite his con-
stituency to investigate his record
through official sources. He saves them
that trouble. He issues it to them
Hon. Charles III. Burke, his record,
duly pruned, e~xpurgated, and diluted
to suit Gas he hopes) the tastes of a
progressive electorate; authorized
version by himself.
Now, the small shrewdness of
Burke's game lies in the fact that
Burkes record by himself will reach
and be accepted by many progressive
Republicans Of South Dakota, who
have no means of Investigating it from
official sources and to whom its super
fetal hypocricy may never be exposed.
Burke's record by himself proceeds
upon a tacit acknowledgement of the
predominant progressive sentiment of
his constituency. BY piecing together
half truths dealing with parts OF his
legislative record, Burke makes up an
account calculated to appeal favora6ly
to that sentiment. He makes no appeal
to the "Stalwarts," the reactionaries
Of the Kittredge- System machine. He
does not need to. They know where
Burke stands, and they are for him.
The Republican electors of South Da-
kota, in common with the great ma
jority Of Republican electors every
where, repudiate the Payne-Cannon
Aldrich upward tariff revision. In his
appeal to these electors Burke avoids
the tariff revision proper. But be
recognizes the progressive sentiment of
South Dakota in favor of a tariff com
mission, by saying that the new tariff
laws ~"contain a provision for a board
or tariff commission to collect detailed
information that will be of great value