Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-09-17
THE SENATORIAL QUESTION

THE SENATORIAL QUESTION
Among the important questions to
be passed upon by the voters of South
Dakota at the November election, is
whether they are to be represented in
the United States senate for the next
SIX years by man in sympathy with
political progressiveness, or repre-
sentative of the most pronounced type
OF sta'wartism extant in this day of
governmental advancement. A choice
between Ed. S. johnson of Yankton.
and Chas. H. Burke of Pierre, means
this and only this. There is no one
conversant with the situation who will
claim that there is the slightest chance
for the venerable Loucks or the
eleventh hour convert to the Roose-
veitian party, Robert Emmett Dowdell,
to get seriously into the running, which
makes the issue between the demo-
cratic and the republican candidates
clear-drawn. The question of pro-
gressiveism is squarely on trial, and
the outcome is going to determine
whether those republicans, who have,
since the days of Kittredge, rallied to
the standard of reform. are really in
earnest in their professions or whether
progressiveism was the name of their
temporary hysteria. If Mr.. Burke re
ceives their endorsement it will be an
open confession of the electorate that
when it declared for a revision of the
tariff downward, it was mistaken in
the needs of the country; that when it
opposed the domination of Wall street
in finances and commerce it's judgment
was in error; that Cannonism in politics,
combinationism in business and all
those things which caused the downfall
of the old republican regime at the
hands OF its own membership, was in
reality right, and that, as far as South
Dakota is concerned, it yearns for it's
old love and is going back to it.
For the name of Charles Burke is
the synonym of all that has been re-
dictionary since his advent into politics,
and he has assumed to be proud of the
fact. A victory for him can mean but
reenthronement of those old idols and
ideas that made nightmare of our
state and national government twenty
years ago. His record is too well
known to need discussion. Mr.. Burke
has not denied his allegiance to the old
regime, and his friends have not done
1T for him. His candidacy against
Crawford was negative one. He
pointed out where Crawford had failed
part of the time, and, because Mr..
Crawford was on trial, the people over
looked the fact temporarily that Burke
had failed them at all times. The con-
gressional record gives US an indelible
report on the political acts of Mr..
Burke and from the day he entered con-
gress to the present it has been one
that no progressive can find excuse for
supporting. When he was conducting
campaign for reelection to congress
in 1910, LaFollette's Magazine called
the roll on the Burke votes in the
lower body and found that on every
occasion he supported Cannonism and
opposed reformation of conditions that
would give back power to the people
which the corporations had usurped,
except on one or two measures where
the presidential "big stick" gained
temporary ascendancy, and the whole
Cannon contingent was forced to fall
into line. Whenever there was need
of vote to sustain some special or
"cinch" legislation, Mr.. Burke of
South Dakota, was shown to have
rushed to the rescue.
And, Mr.. Burke has not changed
since 1910. The congressional record,
as far as he is concerned, is just as in
eliminating reading as it was when he
served notice to the progressives that
he did not care for their support. He
has not been one of those who have
placed the interests of their constitu-
ents and countrymen above the demands
of those old rulers of legislation who
have their lair in the shadow of big
business. = At every opportunity he
has consistently fought tor his old
masters along the old reactionary lines.
Giving him all due credit far sincerity,
which is the only attractive political
quality he can lay claim to, he cannot
point to 2 single reason why he should
be entrusted with the interests Of this
state in the national legislature for the
next six years, while the reconstruction
Of political policies is being completed
az begun by men whose hirheats idea1a