Correspondence

2 pages

H. L. Loucks writes to R.F. Pettigrew about his hopes for the national Progressive Party. He suggests that Pettigrew, Richard O. Richards and he start a newspaper to advance their political agenda. He mentions that the Saturday News in Watertown, South Dakota is for sale.

TRANSCRIPT

Watertown S. Dak. March 10th. 1915

My dear Pettigrew,

I was pleased to receive your letter of Feb. 6th, with the enclosure. If such a group of men could only be got to work togethe we could very soon organize such a movement as would sweep the nation.

I have formed a very high opinion of Senator Clapp.

My friend Hampton is one of the most sincere and capable men I have ever met, but like myself he has given the “ widows mite” and is handicapped. I think no. III of the program the most important just now.

Hampton has been working on a proposition for such a medium as is suggeated for a couple of years, and has been a single tax editor.

But for this state we have a special need of a local, or state mediem to deal with state issues as well as with National, and I am glad that you realiz that. My preference would be a weekly Paper. not a Newspaper, and not a space filler at all, but devoted wholly to the propaganda of our ideas, and without ant egotism at all I believe that Pettigrew, Richards and Loucks could make one as good as there is published in any state in the union, and that would be subscribed for and made at least partially selfsustaining. Of course not wholly so. The trouble with a Newspaper is the business care and worry, and of course the expense of publishing so much that is a duplicate of what they get in their local papers. I would prefer to cut that all out, unless of course there was interest enuf back of it to try for a leading Daily, and make it a business proposition. But do we need that?

The matter that Richards send out free, would alone go a long way towards paying the expense of such a medium as I have in mind.

The Saturday News of this town is for sale. An extra good weekly, and which came very near being made a Daily last Fall by Ransom & Corey

It has a very complete plant including a Linotype and an actual circulation of 2.200. My sons paper The Times was merged with it last Fall. Ransom has gone to Mitchell with a brother, and wants to get out

The News plant is quite a large one on other lines, and is as much as Corey wants to manage since Ransom has gone.

They have put a price of $5.000 on it, and there is room for a good Daily here. Public Opinion is not at all popular. The Ways have made many enemies, and it has been a losing proposition financially.

But I think for our purpose something –on the idea of the Appeal to reason, or The Menace, that is without any attempt to be a newspaper, just an earnest thoro propaganda for organization purposes, and as fast as possible get some one in every county, and township at work soliciting subscribers. A small sized four page would be sufficient. Enlarge the size of the page in needed.

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My son is thoroly posted on The Saturday News, and it is on a paying basis. So that if we found some one with some money to invest as a permanent investment, the special edition might be got out quite reason able. Corey is giving us some good editorial stuff at present.

That is good hot stuff in the Argus – Leader of yesterday.

Have you called any of the Senators attention to Johnsons failure to make a proper report of his expenses?

Hope that Mrs Pettigrew is improving, and that you may soon get back to South Dakota.

Sincerely yours,

H.L. Loucks