Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1911-10-20
AN OPEN RECORD.

"The Mitchell candidate for con-
gress in the First district Of South
Dakota seems to be interpreting that
high sounding platform he put out, y
says the Sioux City Tribune.
This is a sarcasm based upon an un-
warranted suspicion. And that SuS-
picion, we are sure, would not be har-
bored by so sincere paper as The
Tribune if 1T were as we'll acquainted
with the record Of Mr.. BransOn as
are all in South Dakota who have
kept in touch with political events of
the last six years.
From the standpoint of South Da-
kotans, it is just as reasonable to ex-
pect Congressman Hubbard, Of the
Eleventh Iowa, whom the Tribune
admires very much TO stand up In a
sort of primer class and say: 81 am
a progressive republican" as to re-
quire any such declaration from Mr.
BranSon. For 1t is of record that
BranSon was out fighting battles with
progressive republicans in South Da-
kota when Hubbard was yet untiedg-
ed as an insurgent.
So far as South Dakotans are con-
cerned, it is not necessary to present
Mr.. BranSOn'S credentials, but for
the benefit of the Sioux City paper
The Republican will in all friendli-
ness recite some of Mr.. Branson's po-
litical record.
Mr.. BransOn has held but one state
office, that OF Senator. He sat in the
1903 and 1905 sessions. In 1903 his
fererence to the people of the ques-
tion Of changing the location of the
capital from Pierre to Mitchell and
this was his single purpose through
out the session. The success that at
tended the efforts made by him and
his associates is well known, as the
matter was submitted TO vote. In
the next session, Mr.. Branson was
free to work out his own record. If
the story of that session is told as 1T
is likely to be in the coming cam
paign, it will make one of the most
sensational chapters in South OAK
ota's political history. 1t should be
borne in mind that the old organiza-
tion was in the entire control in the
state and then expected to be for an
indefinite period. Suffice it to say that
Mr.. Branson, rather than take orders
to betray the people of South Dakota,
/ In irpN. III
PEELED him from the organization as
it then existed If he were given 10
policy playing, surely he would not
have banished himself politically at
that time, when no one was so rash
as to predict that the crowd then in
control would be driven from office.
Following that session, Mr.. Branson
supported Coe l. Crawford in his 1906
campaign for nomination for governor
and for the enactment Of primary
election law. Mr.. Branson was one OF
four men who financed and managed
the Crawford campaign in Dawson
county, at time when Crawford
men were more scarce in Dawson
county than prairie chickens are now
Similarly, in the preceding campaign
when Senator Gamble ran for re-
election as an advocate Of Roosevets
rate bill and against the opposition
of the old organization, Branson stood
with Gamble and actively participat :
ed in his campaign.
In 1908, BranSOn was among those
who worked with aud for Crawford
he was the chairman of the progress
i've republican county committee In
the primary campaign and In that
capacity he had charge of the inter
ests in this county of Governor Yes
sey and the two progressive candi-
dates for congress, Thorson ana
Schrader. Further, in that cam
paign Mr.. Branson succeeded ia bring
ing about the election Of two progress
sive republican members OF the legis-
lature from Dawson county.
In view Of this unbroken recnra OF
consistent and active support OF the
progressive republican ticket in every
primary or convention fight in South
Dakota for the last eight years, 1t
would seem strange to require Mr..
Rranson to stand up and tell what he
stands for Every one who knows
MI Branson knows that when he
goes to Washington, as he will, he
will stand for the strong progressive
principles which he will advocate
throughout his campaign. The Re
publican Is informed that Mr.. Bran
son has concluded that his campaign
will be more effective il he does not
begin it for some time. In view OF
this, it is hardly just to him to at
tempt to compel him to begin it now
by placing him under suspicion that
cannot be based either upon his re
cord or his views Mitchell RepulicaI