Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1914-09-24
THE "HoMEsTAKE DEAL.

THE "HOMESTAKE DEAL.
For the first time, so far IS our observations have extended, and
after months of watchful waiting, Governor Byrne has discussed the
sHomestake Deal having supplied his political organs with a self
prepared interview concerning it.
Let us say at the outset that Governor Byrne, in our opinion,
has been somewhat influential in procuring certain progressive legis-
lation in this state and that in the main, in so far as his environments
would permit, he has sought to place remedial measures upon our
statutes To this extent he is entitled to credit and to this extent
TINS paper freely accords him credit.
But the Saturday News cannot understand why the governor
should have waited all these months before expressing himself with
say that it was bruited about the state capitol as long ago as last
January, 1t was admitted, and was common talk, both within adj
entered into between certain representatives of the state admins
ration and the Homestake management by which Governor Byrne
and certain of his associates were to receive the Homestake influence
in the primary election.
We violate no confidence when we say that when the friends of
Mr. Anderson, Governor Byrnes competitor for the republican
nomination, approached the generalssimo of the Homestake com
pany they were. politely but firmly informed that the Homestake
support would go to Governor Byrne.
Senator Crawford again and again denounced the deal in his
speeches and promised on several occasions to disclose the nature of
y q some future time. That was when it was commonly reported
that the governor was wayering with reference to rendering Mr..
warmed up, a tribe towards Mr. Crawford ,Mh 5 eandidaev' an and Ia we
heard no more from Mr.. Crawford about the Homestake deal It is
fegrettabie, from the standpoint of broad craftsmanship and public
transaction public
That the IIomestake has no complaint to make concerning it's
assessment saa " evident from the fact that it threw the whole weight
g =, WHAT 1nan was to t. q Honsats. By dn.1d j the hep. primary campaign.
upon the denial.
Weeks age there appeared in print, and which was generally
purported 70 be 4 disclosure of this Homestake deal. 1t had no
N1S - aAaaohs q iHdlAel4 upon WHcn the governor uWellS IN his
recent newspaper interview. Briefly stated, it was to this effect:
Judge Rice was to resign as circuit Judge and was to become a
seandiuate ior the republican nomination for congress (Mr. Martin
having announced his retirement from eongressl Governor Byrne
Was 10 appoint "a certain man to the vacancy, which it is claimed
that he did; should Judge Rice fail to get the nomination, the gov
ernors appontee, in the course of events. was to resign and the
governor was to appoint Judge Rice to his old position on the
bench. Judge Rice fulfilled his part Of the transaction by boldly
Importing Byrnes for denomination.
IS As we have stated, this disclosure appeared weeks ago. After
Y silence that has been almost golden, Governor Byrne has evidently
been to.d BY hs campaign managers. that he must say something in
regard TO the Homestake deal, and he responds with a general denial,
in which he utterly ignores the published disclosure but refers at
some length to the mere rumors in relation to Hometate taxation.
The Homestake company is much more interested in the sort Of
Judges that shall preside over the circuit bench in the Hills country
than At IL m the matter OF taxation, for a few dollars, more or less, in
the rs way ct taxes will make no apprecable inroads upon the big
II Governor Byrne had no knowledge whatever concerning the
Homestake deal, neither before nor after the sealing nf the compact,
10 is peculiar, to say the least, that he became the recipient Of Home
stake favors without a protest during all of the time that Senator
Crawford was 50 bitterly denouncing the whole transaction and dur
ing all OF the time that the newspapers opposed to Mr.. Byrne's re-
nomination were openly charging that a deal had been made with the
sHomestake for the Honestakes support of the Byrne candidacy.
inc Saturday News regrets to note the hestating, quibbing
attitude ofsGovernor Byrne in this matter He would better have
continued the silence with which he has hitherto treated the matter.
WAR TAXES IN TIME OF PEACE.
These are the taxes proposed for the raising of one hundred
million dollars 80 take the place of the estimated deficiency in the
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