The Pettigrew - Mellette Fight


	This information appears in Chapter LXIV of "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. I (1904), pages 347-349 and was 
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CHAPTER LXIV

THE PETTIGREW-MELLETTE FIGHT.

	From the beginning of statehood a feeling of distrust had been growing up between Senator Pettigrew and Governor Mellette and by the time now under consideration had arrived they were dividing the Republicans into two well defined factions.  It will be recalled that at Washington at the very time of the passage of the enabling act Pettigrew, Moody, Mellette, Edgerton and Gifford had entered into a combination which apportioned to each of them a high place in the new state. There has always been some question as to what was expected of Judge Edgerton in the interim before the final admission of the state, but in any event he became an ostensible candidate for the United States senate and a large following flocked to his standard.  So strong was his following, indeed, that when the solons gathered at Pierre on the 15th of October, 1889, to elect the first senators his strength was so great that it required some management to pre vent his friends from giving him a senatorial nomination at the expense of either Pettigrew or Moody.  The situation was really somewhat alarming as to the integrity of the combine. Judge Edgerton himself felt that he owed an obligation to his followers which he could scarcely repay by drawing out of the race after they had won the victory.  He also felt some concern lest Senator Pettigrew should fail to land the federal judgeship for him in case he should withdraw from the senatorial race.  Of course he was hard pressed to withdraw by the adherents of Messrs. Moody and Pettigrew.  In this state Judge Edgerton placed his fortunes in the hands of Governor Mellette to do with as he thought best.  Governor Mellette called Senators Pettigrew and Moody into his room and after consultation with them they gave to him a writing, the text of which was written by the Governor and by the senators signed, in which they agreed in the case of Edgerton's withdrawal and their election to the senate that they would secure the appointment of Edgerton as federal judge for South Dakota and his confirmation to such position, and in the event of their failure so to do that they would promptly resign their seats in the senate.  Edgerton then notified his friends that he was no longer to be considered a candidate for the senate and Moody and Pettigrew were unanimously nominated and elected.

	The newly elected senators proceeded to Washington, but there was some delay about the appointment of the federal judge and Mellette received intimation from the capital that Edgerton was likely to be turned down.  Whether or not there was any ground for apprehension, Mellette, armed with the written agreement into which the senators had entered, hastened to Washington and threatened to make the whole matter public in case Edgerton was not at once recommended to the President for the position. This was done, but Mellette refused to leave Washington until Edgerton's nomination had been made and confirmed.  This last action was offensive to both Pettigrew and Moody, who regarded it as meddling in their business, but Mellette was obdurate and stuck it out until the matter was put through.  This was the beginning of the breach, which constantly widened.  Harrison was an especial friend of the Governor's and was inclined to favor him in every way possible without offending the senators, and he threw a considerable amount of patronage into Mellette's hands, especially through the interior department.  This situation was no doubt a factor in the creation of the growing antipathy of Senator Pettigrew for the President, which by the time the Republican state convention met at Chamberlain on March 25, 1892, to elect delegates to the national convention, then called to meet in Minneapolis in June, he was in open hostility to the Harrison administration.  On the other hand, it was the determination of Governor Mellette and his friends that the delegates from South Dakota should be instructed for the re-nomination of Harrison.  There has been no prettier fight in the political history than was this struggle for supremacy in the Chamberlain convention.  It resulted in the adoption of the resolution of instruction by a fair majority, after a prolonged struggle upon the floor of the convention.  The following delegates were elected E. C. Ericson, Nye E. Phillips, A. C. Johnson, J. M. Green, C. B. Alford, M. T. Lightner, James Halley, G. C. Moody. The fight for instructions resulted in a clear victory for the Mellette men, while a majority of the delegates elected were friends and adherents of Senator Pettigrew. No fight whatever was made in the matter of the delegates, Mellette considering that the passage the instructions settled the whole proposition. The resolution of instructions was in the following words:  "Resolved, That the delegates chosen by this convention use all honorable endeavor to secure the renomination of Mr. Harrison, with a view to assuring a continuance of his wise and progressive administration." Senator Pettigrew, however, was not a man to give up in a fight as long as he had a foot to stand upon and he continued to aggressively oppose Harrison's nomination, and at Minneapolis used his influence to induce the delegation to disregard the instructions of the convention, with such success that he induced a majority of the delegates to believe that in the absence of the express word "instruct" in the resolution above quoted that they were not bound and so they cast their votes with two exceptions in the organization of the convention and in all of the preliminary tests of strength against the interests of President Harrison.

	The Democrats met in Yankton on the 25th of May and sent a solid Cleveland delegation to St. Louis, without opposition.

	The Republican convention for the nomination of state officers met at Madison on July 20th. The friends of Senator Pettigrew were in the majority from the beginning, and named the entire ticket, except W. V. Lucas, of congress, who, though not slated for the position, was stampeded into the nomination.  At this convention Charles H. Sheldon, of Day county, was nominated for governor and Lucas and Major Pickler for congress.  At this convention, too, W. W. Taylor was renominated for state treasurer.

	At the Minneapolis convention A. B. Kittredge was made national committeeman and J. M. Green, of Chamberlain, was chosen chairman of the state committee at Madison.

	At a great wigwam Convention held at Redfield the Independents nominated Abraham L. Van Osdel for governor and William Lardner and John E. Kelly for congress and the Democrats at Yankton named Peter Couchman  for governor and Chauncey L. Woods and Lewis E. Whicher for congress. At the end of a vigorous campaign Harrison received 34,888 votes, Cleveland, 9,081, and Weaver, 26,544.  The Republican congressmen and state ticket were elected by approximately the same vote.

	On the 15th of April, 1902, the Sisseton Indian reservation was thrown open to settlement. The Indians had agreed to sell their surplus lands after their own people had taken their allotments and had received from the government two dollars and twenty-five cents per acre therefor.  The opening had been long anticipated and the rush to occupy the lands was tremendous. Filings were required to be made at the Watertown land office, and in a few days more than one thousand five hundred claims were filed.

	Notwithstanding several severe storms and an excessive amount of rain, the crops of the year were excellent, prices were good, labor in strong demand and the people were exceedingly prosperous.  The city of Pierre, as an incident of the last fight for the location of the permanent capital, had undertaken the construction of a railway from Aberdeen to Rapid City and had graded the line for a portion of the way between Pierre and Aberdeen.  This year they entered into a contract with the Northern Pacific Railway and pursuant thereto practically completed the grade between the points named, with every prospect of its early completion, but the Northern Pacific became bankrupt in the panic of 1903 and passed into the hands of receivers, who were not in position to carry out the contract for the extension.

	In the latter portion of March Hon. Charles G. Williams, receiver of the Watertown land office, died at his home in that city.  Mr. Williams had been a member of congress from the first Wisconsin district for ten years and was an orator of national reputation.