New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-07-25
J1rDGES IN SOUTH DAKOTA.
,vpopTs OF LARGE TOWNS TO SECURE
LEADERSHIP DEFEATED.
vrx1Se THE NUMBER OF SENATORS AND REP
nrsrxrArryE,s-4FoR THE REPAYMENT
OF MEMBERS AND EMPLoYES
my rKtEaRApH TO The TKIBuNE.I


e, 1tous c D.. July 24-The South Dakota
Constitutional Convention to-day had unuer CON
ssasn,;or the apportionment of the judicial dis
,rsa.s ono of the most important subjects before
81 oorventjon The Judiciary Committee re-
uod obt circnit districts instead of six, as pro-
''Saod - the Sioux Falls Constitution. The report
not oven entire satisfaction. owing principally,
horcb NOT entirely to the fact that the apportion-
,nor+ as made interferes somewhat with candl-
dtos for Circuit Judges and incidentally with the
enire State ticket which will be put in nomination
IN Aucust 2S The With District Is composed
Of the large and populous counties OF
Beadle Sphinx, Brown and Marshall. Inc
leading towns in the former three are Huron, ked-
field and Aberdeen. Huron and Aberdeen were
specially displeased with the composition OF the
Vth District and they set about organizing OPP
position. minority report was submitted, which
so changes the Hid, Vth and With Districts as to
place these three important James River counties
each in a separate district from the others. The
fight to-day was over these reports. The debate
lasted four hours. Delegates on both sides de
claIed that the reports were dictated
By political considerations. 1t was claimed
that the object of the minority was
mainly 10 give Huron and Aberdeen a chance to
become judicial centres, which could easily sway
the smaller counties conntCtcu WIN VhCH' IN
committee urged the wisdom of putting the big
counties in one district, and of grouping several
smaller ones into another district, free from the
influence of the large towns. The minority re-
port was lost and the majority report was adopted
by a vote of AZ to 10.
The Legislative Apportionment Committee made
a report to-day. This committee had previously
agreed upon its report, but several mistakes were
discovered, and it recOnsldered.
The present report aims to make
both Senatorial and Representative districts
fall within county lines. In most cases each or
ganized county has one Senator, though OCCASION
ally two counties are put together, and in three
Instances one county gets two. Always, county
gets one Representative and from that up TO
eight One Senator is apportoned to each 1,S0O
votes and one Representative 10 each COO or
major fraction thereof This gives forty-ive Sen
ator and pa Representatives, certainly large
enough 10 be safe.
The Committee on Schedule decided finally to
abandon the Australian ballot system, but sew
elal petitions have been received asking
for its adoption. 1t Is likely 10 call
out minority report tomorrow
The COMMITTEE IN Rules reported that the con-
vention should issue certificate of Indebtedness
by the State 10 members and employees after the
Federal apprOpTla ion II exhausted. IL Is eStl-
mated that the $50, 600 appropriated by Congress
will be exhausted by August 13, and that some
provision of this kind is necessary. The cOnVen-
ton could have been throug with il, work some
time ago had II not been for delay at snarck.
he report Of the Joint commission on the division
of the Is an labilit of the Territory must be
embodied in the Constitution, and the convention
cannot adjourn until this report has been con-