The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1912-05-31
STATE DEMOCRATS
WAGE BITTER FIGHT
Candidate Of Young Men Ac.
claimed as Winner Over
! PettIgrew Combine.

cratic leaders in South Dakota, and
n Of the Wilson-Johnson managers
In the northern part Of the state, in
an interview regarding the factional
quarrel within the Democratic party,
said:
1.-THE primary contest in the Demo.
cratic party of this state has under.
gone rapid evolutions the past three
weeks. The contest was precipitated
by P. F. Wickhem announcing himself
. candidate for the governorship after
he had given assurances through his
home paper that under no circum.
stances would he be a candidate. Mr..
Johnson did not his candi.
dacy until after Wickhem's declaration
OF withdrawal and would not have be.
come a candidate at all had he ex.
pected q primary contest for the nomi.
nation.
johnson and his friends naturally
felt that Wickhem's announcement
was u~nwarranted under the circum.
stances and that it was not made in
good faith with the hope of his being
elected, but was prompted from the
fear that a certain inner circle of old
line reacttonaries who have controlled
the party's d%estinies In the past might
lose the organization and fail OF Sc
curing federal appointments in the
ovent OF the election Of q Democratic
president. In fact Mr.. Wickhem ad-
mtts this to be the case in q letter
which has appeared in the state press
and can be produced.
Esan's Candidacy involved.
aside from the above there was
another potent factor In Wfckhem's
candidacy. George W. Egan, one OF
the Republican candidates for gov.
ernor, has many bitter enemies over
the state and particularly among
the attorneys Of Sioux Falls. Egan
was also . candidate for the nomina-
ton for governor two years ago and
With no contest In the Democratic
primaries, It was charged. and not
without reason. that many Democrats
went into the Republican primaries
and voted for him: some from person
~ friendship and others from . belief
that II nominated he would make q
weak candidate and could b beaten
at the polls by the Democratic nomf-
nee. The enemies Of Egan c~enterfng
1t Sioux Falls and the Democratic re.
dictionaries with their center Of grav-
tty also located. in that city. have been
close enough together to deal in both
q geographical and political ense. The
Tear that with no contest In the Demo-
cratic primaries many Democrats
would repeat their action of two years
ago and the dread OF Egan by his
enemies should he be elevated to q
position OF power. furnishes an expla-
nation Of the second motive for bring
Ing Wickhem out In opposition to
Johnson.
Opposed to Hepburn Bill.
so far as the contest between john
son and Wickhem is concerned. there
can be but little doubt a. to the out
come. Wickhem's telegram to Seua-
tor Kittredge in 1906 in opposition to
tho passage of the Hepburn bin eu-
thorixing the interstate commerce COM
mission to regulate railroad rates.
which appeared In the congressional
record and has had wide publicity in
ths press Of the state. practically put
him out OF the c But while this
was enough to defeat him. the excuse
which be published In the Sioux Falls
Press made his defeat doubly sure. In
has article In the Press he admitted
sending the telegram and offered By
way Of explanation that he did % at
the request Of railroad representatives
and that be feared II he refused Il
might jeopardize his personal interests
~ . large shipper Of stock. This =
construed to mean that he was receiv.
ing secret rebates from the railroads
and that II he refused to accede to
their wishes these favors might be
withdrawn. The average voter will
reason that II Mr.. Wickhem was will
Ing to become the instrument OF the
railroads as a private citizen, would
he not be equally subservient to them
~ q pubic ofMctal.
P~ettisrew's Change Of Front.
about the time that the Wickhem
telegram appeared In the press of the
state former Senator P~ettigrew ar.
rived in Sioux Falls after assisting to
conduct campaigns in behalf of Champ
Clark In Illinois, Iowa. Nebraska and
other states. He Immediately set
about preparing to open a campaign
for Clark in opposition to Governor
Wilson. whom only . few months be-
fore he highly endorsed in a letter to
e. S. Johnson. urging the latter to
strive for a Wilson delegation from
this state.
"Pettigrew's change of front Is ex.
planned by the fact that at the time
he wrote the letter to Johnson he had
not heard from headquarters and did
not know that William r. Hearst had
different plans and was for Clark and
not for Wilson.
when Pettigrew reached Sioux