Hot out of my mailbox is literally the oldest campaign mailing I’ve ever seen from South Dakota’s 2nd Attorney General, Coe. I Crawford, to Republican State Convention Delegates in his first (and unsuccessful) attempt to run for Governor, as he seeks pledges from “precincts to county and state conventions,” And declares that he “Will do no act in favor of special interests.”
Coe Crawford Correspondence by Pat Powers on Scribd
Dated February 24, 1904, the hand-signed three page letter has Crawford railing against the lobbyists for “the Standard Oil Company, the railway, telegraph, insurance and express companies, and school book trust who have joined forces against him.” The mailing includes an explanation of the precinct process at the time (not pictured), as well as a copy of speeches by the former Attorney General. (pictured in part).
Crawford’s campaign was not successful in 1904, and instead, Samuel Harrison Elrod, a Republican from Clark, South Dakota, was elected and served from 1905 to 1907. However, Crawford was able to come back from this loss the following election, and served as South Dakota’s 6th Governor from January 8, 1907 – January 5, 1909. From there, Crawford rose to the office of US Senate, where he served from March 4, 1909 – March 3, 1915.
It’s a great glimpse into our State’s political past.. which doesn’t really seem to have changed much in 115 years.
The politics of exclusion is a sharply honed, well oiled social mechanism that predates even this letter.
Wars of war have been largely replaced by wars of words .. a good thing.
Have a super day!
Sincerely,
John Dale
This is super cool!