Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1912-01-25

Hon. Geo. w. Egan Writes long
Letter to Vessey and
Denies Charges.
WILL PROVE HIS POSITION
Calls Upon the Governor 10 Either
Enforce the Law or
Resign Office.

Sioux Falls, s. D., Jan. 19. George
w Egan, candidate for the republi-
can nomination for governor. tonight
sent to Gov. r. S. Vessey, "a letter
which. it was predicted by politicions,
would stir the politics of South Dako-
TO from this bottom.
Mr.. Egan sets forth certain alleged
offenses of Gov. Vessey, points out
the governors failure to enforce laws,
and calls upon him to resign.
Mr.. Egan quotes the governor as
having said "Mr. Egan is pledging
offices in return for support in this
campaign
To this alleged statement, M.
Egan gives the lie. Moreover, he Of
fers to pay into the republican cam
paign fund of South Dakota $1,000 it
the governor can prove the truthful
ness of this statement
Mr.. Egan taunts Gov. Vessey on ac-.
count of his boasted republicanism.He
throws up to the governor the accusa-
ton that while vessey was arguing
that bushel of wheat and dollar in
silver we're equal in the markets of
the world. that Egan was campaign
, ing for the election Of Mai. William
Mckinley as against William Jennings
2l5Iyan:: 4 ytSs2s
Text of the Letter
Mr.. Egans letter in full is as fol-
lows:
Sioux Falls, S. D., Jan. 19, 1912,--5
His Excellency, Robert S. Vessey,
Pierre, s. D.--My Dear Governor: NY
attention has been called to a written
statement which was handed by your
office to correspondent Of The Sioux
City Journal on January is. It has
been my policy to pay no attention TO
ISLANDERS and falsehoods, but when
find these in your written statement,
having behind them the authority Of
the Office of governor of this state, ]
cannot pass them by without notice. 4
You have pushed yourself into this
campaign and in this article made q
personal attack on me. I now plr-
pose to stand you up before the peo-
pie Of this state for moment. turn on
the light and look at you and your
statements and call attention to your
written record. .5; s5:
Let me see! You say 4 desire and
am anxious to be placed on record be-:
fore the states people as In favor OF
the anti.treating movement" That is
your statement What is your record !?
The legislature of this state, acting
with your cooperation, passed house
J bill No. SIS prohibiting public treating
in South Dakota and 1T became a law
bearing your signature March 8. 1909,
This law was fagrantly violated over
the state to your personal knowledge,
and In March, 1911, the legislature of
this state, acting without your opposi.
tion, passed house bill No. 70, which
repealed the anti-treating law com
pletely sssa s
Therefore, governor, when you say
you are Sin favor of the anti-treating
movement your legal acts disprove
your oral statements When you knew
this anti-treating law was being viola
ted all over the state YOU did not
make any move to enforce It. You will
pardon me when ] tell you that the
governor Of a state is the sole exc,
cutive and upon him ultimately rests
/. the duty to see that all the laws ol
si,e state are fearlessly fairly and i'm
partially enforced, even If he mus,
call the military power Of the stats
TO accomplish this
You say Treating produces AM
results in more drunkenness thar
any feature Of the liquor traffic. i
this be true, governor, why did yoi
permit the legislature to repeal with
out protest from YOU. house bill No
552 If you believe what YOU say, i
4 was not only your duty I'd veto hous'
biz No. rs. hut 10 appeal to the leszis
lature to refrain from destroying ]
law 80 beneacial to sciyilization an,
& progress. Z ss