Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1914-04-16

by opponents are forgiven and for
gotten.
My interest in public questions viii
continue. I believe, however, thai
hprogress in state government first re
quired making the government legal.
ly clean and responsive to the will OF
the majority. Great danger confronts
us at this time If we continue to or
ganize our government by minority
rule, as a result Of too many politl
cal parties. Also if our method OF
organizing through parties does not
sift the wheat from the clIaff in men
and measures. The end of legal order
is only attainable through good will,
safety and equity in promoting edu.
cation and the interests of all kinds
of labor.
q tried to- present m" platform and
candidacy in a spirit of good will and
truth, and restrained from appealing
to prejudice, against any individual
or property interest. My appeal TO the
public conscience and mind of the re-
publican electorate aroused about ten
Thousand volunteers to vote their con-
victions-
My platform contained but two
| planks: Abolition of the spoils sys-
tenn and the dual system of taxation,
based on a tax on income and a tax
on land exempting all improvements
and personal property from direct
taxation, which is the logical begin
ming of the real progressive move
ment.
"The spells system in organization
| of the party and state government
must first be eliminated in order to
make it possible to start a merit sys-
TEN on public questions and effect
real progress in state government. A
governments organized in corruption
will always breed corruption, no mat
ter who is elected,
t"No state leadership, within the
minority or majority, developed strong
enough to force an issue on any public
policy. Safe and able leadership Is
necessary to progress in politics. The
primary campaign was largely q per
sonal me. Therefore. il could result
in but personal victory to those who
were nominated. No specific public
policy was determined upon for the
benefit of the people. Consequently,
| there will be no paramount issue TO
| settle between the parties at the fall
election because as We seed at the
primary election, We harvest at the
fall election. Personal contests Will
never create issues! for public policies,
THE platform of the minority I'M the
majority, in the primaries, were scarce
~ referred to by any OF the candl,
dates, except as I explained my plat
form. 1t was a personal contest. The
ISpGilS SYSTEM NOH.s1iitliSu ~ 49, -
representations, by Juggling with fg'
ures and facts, constituted the stock
in trade of the majority IN defense Ct
increase iii taxes. as we'll as an ex-
suse for the blundering acts Of the
lax commission. The hordes Of state
aprointees, including the chairman q
lihes stste tax commission, took an act
i've part in the political campaign y
direct violation Of good ethics and
statutory law. The correctness q
compared official tax figures, obtained
from state and county auditors, which
/ published. was freely denied by ths
speakers for the majority Claims
/ were also made BY the speakers tha'
the 1919 state tax levy was ADEQUATE
to pay ali state expenses and leaFs
surplus for 1914 Yet no soonel
was the primary election oyer thai
1.-The state administration issued S4lo'
10000 Or interest bearing enaergenc.
Warrants payable April 1st 5sl5