Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1913-10-30
Politics in This State
are Terribly Mixed

A Watertown correspondent to the
Sioux Falls Argus-L Leader says: Some
of these days another political sensa-s
ton will break loose in South Da-
kota-- unless 1t is too securely clamp
ed down by the lid which SO often
is placed upon such affairs for polit.
ical considerations. 1t may not be as
rampant a scandal as was caused by
the arrest Of +. Il. Rrinker. commits
sioner OF school and public lands last
winter, on a charge of enriching him
self by means OF expense accounts
collected from the state, but it is GO
ing to have a widespread effect just
the same.
j, J. Murphy, member of the state
board of railroad commissioners, was
given an opportunity to draw two sal
aries for two offices last winter, and
proceeded to do SO. He was serving
q term as county auditor of Turner
county when he qualified as q member
OF the board of railroad commissions
ers, to succeed George Rice OF Flan-
dreau He went right on collecting
his salary as county auditor for two
months, and also began at once draw
Ing his salary as railroad commission.
er
This might pass without attracting
much attention II it were not for two
things:
First-Mr. Murphy was elected as
the one and only candidate who could
qualify for the reform ticket in the
primary campaign.
Second-A special legislative com
mittee, appointed for the special pur-
pose Of discovering just such dark
little secrets as this one, which has
been screened from the scrutiny Of the
public UP to date.
TO these there might be added with
reason a third significant fact. and
that is that this may be the means Of
widening a breach, already none too
narrow, between Governor Byrne and
Senator Crawford.
There is no express statute forbid
ding the drawing OF two salaries for
two widely separate and incompatibIe
offices, but this has been due chiefly
to the fast that attorneys have not
considered a special statute necessary
TO prohibit such inroads upon the pub-
Tic treasury. For illustration there is
the effort me de sy - g. 6; C.. Foley, after
ne TOOK his seat as a member of the
state supreme court, to collect salary
Tor the hiatus of six or seven days
between the time VIXEN he qualified as
judge OF the supreme court and the
time when his term of office as sec
retary OF state expired. The supreme
court sat upon this effort to collect
the salary Of Judge for six days. and
did It with decision and precision
This went to show the frame OF mind
OF that judicial body when asked to
permit the payment OF doubtful sal
aries9t to public officials.
Another case, still more clearly an
aiogous to that Of Murphy's, il to be
found IN the election Of Henry Andar-
son. state auditor, three years ago.
He was serving as county auditor Il,
his home county at that time bnt Il
did not even occur to him to try to5
draw both salaries. He resigned Is
county auditor when he qualified as
state auditor.
aoYernor T Byrne has committed him.
self on this question by demanding 81
every state official that he reside al
Pierre and give all his time to his or
nee. t is clear in advance that ByrneI
~ On record In such q way that he
cannot sanction the action Of the rail