Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1912-09-28
NO TRUCE I'm SOUTH DAKOTA.

NO TRUCE LIN SOUTH DAKOTA.
Sioux Falls, s. D., Sept. %. All steps
looking toward truce between the two
republican factions in South Dakota now
have been abandoned and it will be q
fight to finish between the factions,
with control of the five presidential
electors and congressional and state
Offices as the bones Of contention.
Because the Roosevelt men who are in
control Of the party machinery in the
state have placed on the republican bal
lot five electors who are supporters of
Roosevelt, all republicans who favor the
election of President Taft. making a
choice between what they regard as the
lesser of two evils, will cast their ballots
for Woodrow Wilson and endeavor to
keep Roosevelt from capturing the fvs
electors The fight between the factions
will extend to the state ticket, with the
office of Governor as one of the most i'm
portant involved. Every nominee on
the republican state ticket who is an
outspoken supporter of Roosevelt has
been repudiated by the Taft republi
cans, who will make a statewide fight
for the election of the democratic oppon-
ents of the Roosevelt partisans.
1t will mean warfare such as South
Dakota has not witnessed for years, but
the two factions do not propose to take
or give quarter and are preparing for a
bitter and aggressive fight for suprem-
acy in the State.
For time the Taft men considered
having Taft list of electors placed on
the ballots, but inasmuch as they would
have to appear under an independent
head, with Roosevelt men occupying the
space for electors under the republican
head, the Taft men realized, after care
fully going over the unusual and unpre-
cedented situation, that a fight for an
independent list of electors would be
hopeless, and might result in the cleo
ton of the Roosevelt electors. There
fore they have decided to make their
votes count" against Roosevelt by voting
for the presidential nominee ofthe dem
ocratic party.
The anti-Roosevelt republicans will,
at the proper time, place speakers in the
field. and the fight made by them will
be of the most aggressive character.
sENAToRsHIP INVOLVED.
The United States senatorship also will
be involved in the approaching death
struggle between the republican factions.
Dean Thomas Sterling, who, at the June
primary election was declared the re-
publican nominee for the United States
senate, has since publicly declared that
he would support Roosevelt for presi-
dent, and therefore has been placed un-
der the ban by the anti-Roosevelt re-
publicans. In order to bring about his
defeat the anti-Roosevelt republicans
may combine with the democrats in
capturing majority of the members Of
the state legislature, and thus prevent
the election of Mr.. Sterling.
The Roosevelt men, who are in con-
troll of the party machinery and who re-
fused to withdraw the Roosevelt cleo
tors in accordance with the demands of
the supporters of President Taft. do not
exhibit any signs of timidity at the op-
ening Of what promises to be the hottest
fight waged in the state for years, but,
on the other hand, boldly declare they
can whip the combination of nti-Roose-
welt republicans and the democrats to q
standstill at the election in November.
They say South Dakota is a Roosevelt
state, and point to the vote cast for
Roosevelt at the June primary election
in support of this, the republican vote
at that time lining up as follows: Roose
welt S7,420; La Toilette, 1902; Taft.
l0,5S9. Thus Roosevelt secured q ma.
jority of 7,l29 over both La Toilette and
Taft.
In reply to these claims that South Da-
kota is Roosevelt state, the anti-Roose.
velt republicans point out that in June
Roosevelt was republican. whereas he
now is the head of a third party which
seeks TO put the republican party out of
existence and, therefore, will not re-
ceive the votes of many thousands of re-
publicans who voted for him in South
Dakota in June.
Which is the correct view can only be
determined by the result Of the election
in November.