Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1914-01-24
CAMPAIGN TO BE HOT ONE.
Lively Interest In the Primary Campaign
Will be in Full Swing
Soon.

managers of the various parties and fac.
tions in South Dakota, it is understood,
now have arrangements perfected for
the opening of the campaign which will
culminate in the primary election on
March "a, when the voters of the state
will select candidates for United States
senator for the national house of repre-
sentatives and for the various state off,
ces, as we'll as members of the legislature
and for other positions, who will occupy
places on the ballots which will come
before the voters of the state at the gen.
eral election next November.
What are known as the progressive re-
publicans, who are in control ofthe state
administration, and the stalwart repub.
licans, who have fought number of bat
ties in the past for supremacy in the
state, will, during the campaign now
about to open. wage perhaps the hottest
of the series of battles in which they
have participated at intervals during the
past six or eight years. In the campaign
now about to open the faction formerly
known as stalwarts will carry on the
warfare against the dominant faction
under the term anti-machine republi-
cans, while they will refer to the men,
bers of the dominant faction as machine
republicans. This will be reversing
things from the early fights between the
factions, when the stalwarts were in con-
troll of the state and were termed the
machine republicans by the progressive
republican faction.
One of the chief issues which will be
brought to the front by the anti-machine
republicans during the primary cam
paign which now is about to be COM
menced will concern the increase of
taxes in the state. They will charge the
dominant faction with extravaganza in
the management of state affairs, and will
present figures designed to support their
charge that the increase in taxation
throughout the state, under what they
term machine" domination, has been
much greater in proportion than the in
| crease IN populatlOn.
The campaign is expected to be in full
swing by the opening of February, and
as only about seven weeks will remain
between that time and the date of the
primary election, the battle is expected
to wax fast and furious until the polls
close at the primary election in March
Richards Dominating Figure.
The conspicuous figure in the primary
campaign will be R. o. Richards of Hur-
on, Independent progressive republican
candidate for nomination TO the Office of
governor. That his campaign will be a
spectacular one is assured from the fact
that he will carry it on single handed so
far as having political organization is
concerned. He will be absolutely with
out machine to back him and the
measure of his success must depend upon
the personal efforts of himself and his
friends.
Friends of Mr.. Richards point out that
the fact that he is making the fight sole
ly for principle and without the aid of a
machine will win him thousands ofvotes
among those who admire courage in
politics and are anxious to support a
candidate who has the courage of his
convictions, and who is willing to enter
the campaign against apparently over
whelming odds and make the best fight
he can for the principles for which he
stands.
Even the bitterest political opponents
of Mr.. Richards, his friends point out,
give him credit for making his fight
purely for principle. They declare that
he does not seek the governorship for
the Office alone, but only for the sake of
being placed in position where he will
be able to influence the enactment of
various reform measures for which he
stands, and which be believes to be in
the interest and for the benefit of the
great mass of common people.
Trouble In Democratic Camp.
Notwithstanding that the minority
democratic faction, which is composed
of those South Dakota democrats who
are opponents of what is known as the
Johnson -Taubman-Coffey faction-the
dominant faction in state affairs-at their
meeting at Pierre did not place in the
field a ticket in opposition to the regu.
lar democratic ticket, stating that this
course was followed in the interest OF
harmony between the factions, some oi
the leaders of the minority faction now
have brought into the field candidates
for state chairman and South Dakota
member of the democratic national com
mittee.
r. E. Dana of Armour, is the candi
date they have brought out for chair
man of the democratic state committee
while II. E. Hitchcock, of Mitchell. viii
be their candidate for nomination ant
election as the South Dakota member O
the democratic national committee.
The majority democrats at their meet
ing at Pierre did not propose candidat,
for member of the national committee
but placed DIR. H. E. Rock, ofAberdeen
on the ticket for nomination and elec
ton to the position of chairman of tn
democratic state committee.
Leaders of the dominant faction o
South Dakota democrats make light o
the movement started by members O
the minority faction to capture thes
two important positions, charging tha
at least some of those behind the move
ment are men VINO have selfish persona
interests to serve and haye not the bes
interests of the democratic party Q