Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1918-06-13
VICTORY IN DEFEAT

Perhaps few 'Sonth Dakotans will
agree with us when we say that for-i
mer Governor Frank M. Byrne's re-
cent defeat at the primary is virtually
victory
Mr.. Byrne is what may be termed
a born fighter He is SO constituted
as to preclude his taking political life
easy He is that type of man who is
likely to spend his entire income in a
series of political battles in behalf Of
the principles for which he contends
That Mr.. Byrne's campaign in the
state made deep impression upon the
people of South Dakota is attested
by the fact that he received approxi-
mately seventeen thousand votes out
OF a total of less than thirty-nine
thousand His greatest ratio of
strength appears to have been in those
Communities where his newspaper
be said that he had no newspaper
support, because of the several hun
dred newspapers in the state but one
or two gave his candidacy favorable
consideration, and in those localities
the majority against him was decisive.
Possibly, now that his party has pro-
plOuACGu Ill ldFOI VI WI.
Byrne who is a man of very limited
means, may turn his attention and
his talent to recuperating his financial
resources and unbuilding his PERSONAL
interests.
Hence, judged solely from his in!
diyidual standpoint, again we say that
Governor -Byrne's defeats at the pri-
mary polls was virtually victory.
II it be true that politics is adj
journed" until the war is won, as
President Wilson suggested should be
the case in his recent special message
to congress with regard to the need
OF radical revision of our laws with
reference to taxation for war pllr-
poses, the republicans in those local.
tiles where they think thay have>some
chance of success and the democrats
in those other localities where the
democratic prospects seem to be prom
Using have queer way of showing it,.
The party managers do not seem to
have grasped the significance of the
presidents observation.
There will be revolution among
the German people only when the mil:-.
tary power of the central allies is
broken. and not before!
Unless our best informed men are
greatly mistaken, the war will con-
tinue for at least two years and may
continue for fiye. Americans are be-
ginning to appreciate the situation
and are more and more turning their
attention to war activities.
The Saturday News is inclined to-
regret that the friends of Mr.. Coulsons
sought to make political capital out
of the question Of loyalty to the AM
ericezl cause. Mr. Coulson is an able
educator, it is generally conceded,
but when his chief political support
.ers began indirectly to question the
loyalty Of men equally loyal there
was a perceptible falling away from
Mr.. Coulson's ranks. The people Of
South Dakota are loyal. There can be-
no doubt about it. But they are very
much inclined to view with misgiyings
any effort to win a political election
at the expense of another mans repu-
tation for Americanism if the other
man is recognized in his community as
a loyal citizen This fact was made
manifest in the city election at Aber-
deem not long ago. The great issue
raised against one Of the candidates
related to his loyalty, but the people
of Aberdeen, knowing him to be Am
seriean in thought and action, swung
to his support by electing the other
fellow to stay at home. Mr. Coulson
was unfortunate in accenting the nd |
vice of short-sighted friends