Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1918-08-24
GOVERNOR NORBECK
Faced Crowded House Wednesday Night
at the Opera House in this City.
Splendid Address

Governor Norbeck faced crowded
house Wednesday night at the Opera
House and 1t is TO be regretted that more
people could not hear the splendid ad-
dress that he gave.
The Governor reviewed the wonder
ful progress of the state during the past
ten years and gave a description Of the
many laws which have been enacted
that have materially assisted in the pro.
gress of the state. He showed how un-
der our state constitution il had been
impossible to perfect reforms without
first submitting constitutional amend
ment to the people. In many instances
the voters had failed to vote favorably
OF proposed amendments or still greater
things would have been accomplished
by the state. One striking instance is
that of tax reform in which it is pro-
posed that property be classified for the
purpose of taxation, and that the specu-
lator who is holding South Dakota land
without improving it shall pay as great
tax on his unimproved land as shall
the farmer who has developed and i'm.
proved his land. This measure has been
defeated three times by the voters and
is up again this fall. 1t is to be hoped
that it will pass.
Perhaps the most interesting part of
the Governors address was his expose
of the Non-Partsan League. 1t was
mighty interesting to have him read the
laws enacted in North Dakota as an ex-
ample of what the League would do in
this state, and then to have him show
conclusiveiy that all Of those laws which
had especial merit have been on our
OF ffYta hAn he az.
great many years In ether words, re-
gardless of whether the League was a
necessity in North Dakota or not, it was
not in this state for the reason that our
laws cover every subject Of reform
preached by it, or is on the ballot for
the vote of the people at the coming
election, He demonstrated that the
League was securing sixteen dollars from
each farmer who Joined on the preteuse
that the League would pass these laws
when in fact they are already on the
statute books. Paying sixteen dollars to
secure something they already have.
lie further showed that the organization
was Prussian in the extreme, being a
one man controlled machine who has
fixed the plan of conduct for the organi-
zation in such a way that he does not
have to account for one dollar of the
money received from the farmers, and
SO that they cannot audit his accounts.
The Governor showed that the leaders
of the organization were tainted with
disloyalty, one of them having been con-
victed in Minnesota, and the one who is
being brought into this state TO conduct
their campaign was but few years ago
thrown into Jail as an |. w. w. and at
that time, instead of being the farmers
friend, was preaching the doctrines of
the /. w. w. which is opposed to the
ownership of land by the farmers. 1t is
certain that while the membership con
sists of thousands Of men who are abso-
lutely loyal to their government but are
being misled by their leaders, the
League does make homing and nesting
place for all disloyalists and pro- Ger
mans in the country.
Lack Of space does not permit us to
give an outline of all the many fine
things touched upon by the Governor,
but the address was very instructive and
well worth while.