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Show I SOUTH DAKOTA'S NEXT GOVERNOR. ! The career of Mr. S. H. Elrod, who on ' "Wednesday was nominated for Governor Gov-ernor by the Republicans of South Dakota, Da-kota, is an Interesting' example of what can be accomplished In American politics poli-tics by work and tact. Mr. Elrod Is a conservallvo rather than a skyrocket. Ho is a politician every day of the week, a fairly good Methodist on Sunday, and a good citizen citi-zen and loyal friend always. He went to Clark, South Dakota, where he still rcslden, In June, 1382, a few days after graduating from De Pauw university In Indiana. He Is a native of Green Cus-L)o Cus-L)o In that State. He was brought up on a farm, Is yet under DO years of age, and probably never passed an Idle day In his life. It requires vigilance to win out In South Dakota politics. A few days after af-ter arriving in Clark, where he opened a law ofllco and located a pre-emption, Mr. Elrod made a Fourth of July speech to a crowd of settlers on the open prairies (there were no public buildings In the town then), and he has been getting acquainted with the people of that State ever since. He 'is easy to approach and hard to shake off. He resembles re-sembles cx-Governor Steunenbcrg of Idaho very much In simplicity and earnestness, earn-estness, and the resemblance frequently continues to the point of wearing a collar col-lar without a necktie. Politics is his specialty, and in that clement Sam Elrod has grown to be a whale, including the whalebone and the oil for flexible and lubricating purposes. He is always provided with an olive branch, but never carries a club. He is qulp dextrous at wielding the pnrty whip so us to prollt by the Htlng without with-out producing a report. He may neglect a business, and forget a law proposition, proposi-tion, but a point in politics Is never overlooked. Mr. Elrod made a State reputation in 1SS4 for party loyalty by supporting the Legislative ticket when his county almost al-most to a man bolted. Sam Is as loyal in tho crllptj rf his nartv as he Is to his bishop. In South Dakota affairs he is a veritable encyclopedia. He is a wheel-horse wheel-horse In every department of party work. His strongest characteristic and the one to which he owes his present success Is his tact In handling men. At the last end of a political convention and he never misses such a gathering-he gathering-he proceeds at once to make up with every discordant element, and by tho time the crowd starts home he has healed over the sore places and knows what each locality will probably went in the next campaign. When a Judge of the United States Circuit Court was to be appointed in President Harrison's term Elrod, I cing also an Indlanian. was solicited to see the President, who had It In mind to appoint a Southern Democrat to the positlbn. The South Dakotan boarded the Hon In his den In the interest of Judge Sanborn of St. Paul, Minn. He told the President that the contemplated appointment might be equity and sound well from a patriotic standpoint, but that It would not get votes for the party where- they were needed In the Northwest. North-west. Judge Sanborn was appointed as the result of this interview. Mr. Euod has been Prosecuting Attorney and County Judge of Clark county, and has held several positions of trust under the Federal courts, Including receiverships of railroads and waterworks properties and the disbursement of large sums of money among the Indians. While absent in such an official capacity capa-city at one time the politicians of bis town planned to shut him out of a county coun-ty convention that was to select delegates dele-gates to a State convention. Tho reason advanced was that Elrod was. getting to be a bigger man throughout the State than be was at home, and that he needed to be held down. The country precincts came to the rescue, and Elrod ran the convention. He was a protege of the late Hon. A. C. Melette, also cf Indiana, and the first Governor of South Dakota, and it Is a peculiar coincidence coin-cidence that he should now be In line to occupy the same position held by the man to whom he was always loyal and whom he admired so much. Venezuela Is adopting a new constitution, constitu-tion, it appears, and one to President Castro's notion. For fear that it wouldn't be agreed to by the people, he Is given dictatorial powers to Impose It upon the country. But with dictatorial dicta-torial powers, what does ho want with a constitution? The man who Is a dictator dic-tator for the purpose of foisting an obnoxious ob-noxious constitution upon a people, can also be dictator for any purpose he chooses, and the constitution need never be heard of again save as a decree of his, to the extent that will serve his purpose; and probably that Is just about the way the mutter will turn out. According to the news this morning, the Japanese are landing on both sides of the narrow neck on the end of which Port Arthur is situated. They will be able to make a complete Investment, but will have to do it In force. The Japanese there will be between two P.usalan fires, but they can fortify both north and south, and thus render their position Impregnable. They can be suppled sup-pled by sea, or by the river, and reinforced rein-forced the same way, If need be. Port Arthur can in this way be starved out. This move by the Japs Is excellent Hroof that they have corked up Port Arthur from the sea, or at least that tne-js think ibsx tiat ffhla njoYe to Invest Port Arthur Is In fact 'of a good ! deal more Importance than the fighting on the Yalu, or Indeed any other move since the war began. |
