Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1911-01-06
COL. T. B. GEDDIs IN CANTON.

The Editor enjoyed a brief visit
Monday evening from Col. j. B. Ged-
dis, Commandant Of the Soldiers Home,
who was at Pierre on business, and
came to Canton to consult the writer
concerning estimates for the biennial
appropriations for the Home.
The Colonel feels disguised over
the falsehoods sent .out concerning
the Home by the Hot Springs gang,
and is firm In demanding a legislative
investigation, knowing in advance
that there is nothing to investigate,
but he feels that those liars must be
exposed, yet said the Colonel: Every
commandant since the home was
opened has had to face such miserable
trash from booze sellers and grafters.
The next commandment will have to
face similar falsehoods unless he allows
the grafters to get their filthy hands
into the state treasury, and the howl
will continue until the Governor puts
his foot down flrmely and notifiea the
gang that the Soldiers Home is a
state institution and not a Hot
Springs roost for robbers"
Col. Geddis had a document in his
possession, signed bv PIP member of
the home out Of 224 men present, pro-
testing against the falsehoods sent
out by the booZers.
The heading Of the protest reads:
"We, the members Of the South
Dakota State Soldiers Home, having
read the articles published in the
Times Herald and Hot Springs Suar
of December 9th and 10th, and be-
lieving that it was a conspiracy con
cUvtsd fol- the purpose Of iujuring che
good name of not only the com imam
dant, but every mem Der Of the Home,
as well as two honorable members OF
board of commissioners Of said home,
and rejecting upon the character of
the governor of tn, state. We, as
uemb ers of the home enter a strong
protest against any such attempt to
injnre our Home and condemn the
whole affair as wflfui and malicious.
A,ot to be countenanced by respectable
citizens
This protest was prepared and
signed by PIP members OF the Home
out of 224 present, and it is a docu-
ment that any commandant would be
proud of. The twelve men who re-
fused to sign the protest are repre-
sentatives of the gang and we pre-
sumo they we're urged to Withhold
their names. One of the twelve is a
mar who refused to meet or speak to
Gov. Vessey when he was at the
Home last September. He represents
the gang.
These PIP men say to the governor
and the people of South Dakota that
the Home and the management is
satisfactory and the boozers and liars
concocted the falsehoods to injure the
Home.
The respectable business men,
bankers. ministers and professional
of Hot Springs condemn the
nea guilty Of the falsehoods, and
even q banker was threatened with
the withdrawal of deposits by the
gang unless he signed the lie. 1t is
said he told the gang to go to a hot
country where most of them belong,
Col. Geddis has kept the grafters
from grating the Home and that is
largely responsible for the bitterness
towards him. The Colonel with the
assistance Of Circuit Judge Taylor of
Huron in looking up the title to tine
Home grounds discovered that Fred
Evans had decided to the Home the
free use Of water from the famous
Minnekahta spring, and this was
placed on record, and that is why the
sooalled president Of the board Of
trade" don't like Geddis.
Col. Tom Goddard of Vermillion,
might inform any one interested why
this same DR.. Bentley resigned when
surgeon in charge OF the Home hospi-.
tai, and 1t is quite generally believed
that Bentley wants TO get back in
charge of the hospital, and he is
against Geddis.
The %falsehoods concerning the
Home have been answered by PIP
veterans, but II the legislature wants
to look into the matter it Is their
privilege to do so, but VIZ know in
advance how such a committee would
feel after returning to Pierre-a good
deal like the boy who shot at a sound
in the dark.