The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1914-02-12
CRAWFORD TOASTS
. OPPOSING EDITOR IN
SIZZLING OPENER
IS. D. Senator Comes
Back at Sioux Falls
Paper.
DEFENDS RECORD
Declares Malevolent False
hoods Have Been Employ
ed in Opposition to Him.
DE FENDs RECORD

! Sioux Falls. S. Din his speech
at the auditorium in this city last
night United States Senator Coe /,
Crawford made a vi,irolic attack on
the Sioux Falls Argus-Leader and
his opponent, Congressman Burke,
+, as reactionary. He said in part:
| Il am. a believer in the right of
free speech and in the freedom OF the
press because free institutions could
not exist without them Thus far |
have not found i'll necessary to Vim
dictate my character in a libel suit /
invite the fair and honest criticism
| of newspapers. But when the same
newspaper assails me daily, weekly
and yearly by false statement and in
| nuendo issued 10 thousands of my
| fellow citizens, many OF whom | may
never have the good fortune person
Tally to know. | assert the inherent
and inalienable right to demand that
the editor and publisher OF such
newspaper shall face me in the open
before the same people and at the
some time and place as near as posi-
| BILE, to then and there hear and ans
| wer my charge that the things pub
lished to the world by him and in
tended in malice to injure are false
and untrue, and that his failure to
thus appear and defend or justify his
conduct shall be taken as an admis
sion that he has been convicted be
fore the public which he has attempt
ed to deceive of cowardice and base
columny.
The law intends that wide lati-
tude shall be given TO newspapers in
the criticism of candidates for pub
| lie office do not find fsNlt With
that. But the law also gives to the
candidate the right-sacred to him
to face the authors of base slander
| in the presence OF the great public
which is the jury, and call them to
| account for a course of wilful, per
lverted, studied and malicious menda
city, intended to break down repu-
tation and, as by slow poison, to de-
stroy political standing. ! am here to
| invoke that right. On February 3rd,
| mailed "a letter to the editor of the
| Argus-Leader inviting him to be pre-
sent at this meeting and assured him
that he should have fair hearing
Wilful Mcndacity
81 here and now charge the editor
of the Argus-Leader with willful and
reckless mendacity. l assert that the
paper which he publishes bears false
witness. | impugn its integrity. /
charge that it is a special pleader and
for years has been IA special pleader
for special interests. | accuse it of
insincerity, inconsistency and despic-
| \, ,nf ,n
ly parallel can be used against it
more often than against any ten
newspapers published in this entire
state Its editor reminds me of the
| character in the comedy The Proyok-
ed Husband named Sir Frederick
iWronghead. He commits more blund-
ers than Sir Frederick did. He can
ride two horses going rapidly in OPP
posite directions at the same time
with as little apprehension of dam
ger as any man l have ever known.
"As one attempts TO trace the du-
bious path made by this newspaper
during its career what confusion
of sigZag lines he finds, What a med
Law of contradictions. What a tang
: led net of criss-crosses it has made.
1T has, however, been consistent
in one particular. 1t has faithfully
served the corporations and giver
its unfailng support to their candi-
dates for office.
:. at was in the confidence of the
railroads during all the struggle Of
the people of this state to strike of
the chains, which by the corrupt use
OF money, free passes, and maniupla
ton of caucuses, conventions and leg
l islative assemblies, political bosses
f and lobbyists had riveted upon thu
organization of the republican party
1t never during all that struggle
: published one helpful word to en-
courage or to uphold those whe wer'
waeine a bitter war fo. freedom.
Opponent of Roosevelt.
During the Roosevelt administra
ton when the railroads of the unlte'
, States combined in one vast organ
} ization to defeat the passage of TIL
law which for the first time gave t
y the interstate commerce commlsslo
power to prevent excessive charge
in rates was this newspaper on tn
side of the people? No. The railroad
with vast fund at their dispose
i paid attorneys for preparing speclou
:, and false arguments in their Dehal
'. and the Argus-L Leader sold its co
y umns to them. 1t tried to make tn
=. people of this state believe that tn
~ proposed law would be ruinous
n them. 1t was opposed to Rooseve
A. land in those days its columns wei
TITLED with attacks upon Robert \
& LaFollette 1t opposed the whole pr
I gressive republican movement In tn
q state, the direct primary, and aut
iX pass law, the anti-lobby law, the
il certainment Of the cash value OF u