Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-09-24
REFoRMERs AID JOHNSON

Apatny never seemed TO nave q lArg.
er number OF willing recruits, politi-
caily speaking, in South Dakota than
this fall. The politicians who plan
ned weeks ago to open their cam
paigns have been waiting vainly right
down to the present time for the
farmers to get so tired of talking
crops and war that they would be
willingSto hear the story of what the
right kind of savior, or saviors,
could do toward putting the common
wealth on the map and keeping it
there regardless of incidental vi
cissitudes. In fact, looking at it
from the, present angle, it would ap-
pear rs though the South Dakota vot-
er Is going to overlook the spenldid
opportunities to become enthused
over candidates and issues and will
have to resort to instinct to be able
cast ballot of any kind on Nov. 8.
But things are not always what they
seem. Despite the apparent lndiffer
ence toward matters political in this
campaign, a close investigation dis
closes the fact that the average voter
has never been wider awake as to
what his interests are in the matters
at issue than at the present time.
The very fact that he refuses to be
come excited, instead of betokening a
lack of interest, evidences that con-
clusions have already been formed
and that when the time comes to vote
the cause of good government will
not suffer because it was not cast
with intelligent deliberation. There
are a minor constitutional amend
ments and perhaps few candidates
for the less important positions upon
which there may not be at this time
a clearly defined opinion in the minds
of the voter, and there is not likely to
be at the moment his vote is cast,
but on the main candidates and is-
sues his course is already SO we'll de-
termined that it is very doubtful
whether any any amount of argument
will defect 1t, even should he get in
the mood to listen to it.
For instance, there is the matter of
electing senator to succeed Coe 1.
Crawford. There are four candi.
dates, Burke, republican,; Johnson,
democrat; Loucks. independent; and
Dowdell. progressive. Through a
disaffection among the progressive
republicans which caused them to
stay away from the polls, and the fact
that the standpat vote is largely
town vote and more accessible to the
polls, Burke, a Cannon reactionary of
the most decided type, was nominal
ed by the republicans. The Burke
record discounted his chances of cleo.
tion the day he was nominated, and
the shaping of political events since
that time has not tended to better his
situation. Against him the demo-
Gratis put Ed, S. Johnson, of Yankton
fighting Wilson progressive. who
demonstrated his right TO the distinc
tion of being the most popular party
man in the state by his phenomenal
run for governor two years ago. Real
izing that in face of the overwhelm-
ing progressive sentiment in the state
Burke could not hope to hold his
party vote, Mr.. Burke's friends, some
of them, conceived the idea of en-.
couraging the nomination of a bull
moose senatorial candidate on the
theory that with the progressive po-
litical vote divided between Johnson
and Loucks-the independent with
progressive leanings-and Dowdell,
the bull mooser, Burke, by being able
to command all the standpat votes,
would have walkaway.
This plan would have been fine.
one If it had worked out as conceiv-
ed, but it has already become appar-
ent that it is not going to do SO,
thanks to the fact that progressivism
is a reality in South Dakota and not
a mere name. Everywhere Burke
workers are being confounded by the
report by the reports that old, life
long republicans are coming out open
ly and advising progressives that
their hope of having representation in
the United States senate is to work
and vote for johnson and not waste.
their votes on candidates who have no
hope whatever of securing an cleo
tion. These men say that the fight is
clearly between Burke and johnson
and as between the two men they can
make no consistent choice but john
son. who. while democrat, has al.
ways stood for the same progressive
policies which the reform element in.
the republican party is supporting.
The progressiyes could help to re-
duce the democratic majority in con.