The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-11-29
Government of South Dakota
Back in First Hands
By the Adoption Of the Initia-
tive and Referendum.
RESULT A SURPRISE.
Republicans Seem to Have Let
It Go by Default
Although They Refused to En-
dOrse 1t in Convention.

Sioux Falls, S. D., Nov. 29.-The state
of South Dakota is the first in the union
to adopt the referendum. The adop-
ton of this proposition at the recent
election came in the nature of a sur
prise. The returns show that not more
than go per cent of the voters cast their
ballots on the amendment. The ma
jorities for the Republican candidates,
with the exception of governor, ranged
between 5000 and 5000, and, as the SEN
timent of the party was to a great ex-
tent opposed to the initiative and refer
endum, it was expected it would not
carry.
The Populists, ever since the forma-
ton of the party in this state, have con-
tended for the recognition Of the reform,
and they endorsed it in their platform,
and advocated it from the stump be-
fore the Omaha platform was drafted.
wherein the national party made the
referendum one of it's issues.
While the Republican convention was
in session an open letter written by H.
L. Loucks, the POpulist leader, was read
from the stage. LOucks declared his
intention of leaving the Populists and
joining the Republicans. He urged the
convention to adopt the initiative and
referendum in their platform, urging
that if that was done the middle-of-th
readers would support the Republican
party in the coming contest. The let
ter was received in a manner not ex-
pected and the delegates voted down a
resolution congratulating Loucks on his
change of political views. However,
the resolutions committee, while it did
not specifically indorse the referendum,
reported the following plank, which was
adopted:
1--WE suggest the careful study by Re,
publicans of the plan of legislative in
itiative and referendum and other
methods Of legislative enactment which
T,~T, IL -~s-
of securing Intelligent action thereon"
AS a result of the adoption Of the
referendum at the recent election, an
especially interesting condition of af~
fairs exists at the present time. Lee,
the fusion candidate for governor, has
been elected, while the Republicans
have elected the necessary twO-thirds
majority in both branches of the Iegis-
lature to carry a measure over the gov
ernOr's Veto
Under the provisions of the initiative
and referendum if any law is passed by
the legislat ure Objectionable to the peo-
pie, a petition may be circulated and if
5 per cent of the voters sign 1t the act
must be submitted to the people for
ratification before it is spread on the
statutes. It is therefore evident that
the Republicans will experience some
difficulty in enacting into laws bills
which the governor may veto.
w. e. Kidd, chairman Of the Populist
state committee, was the author Of the
constitutional amendment providing for
the initiative and referendum in the last
legislature He says: This has been a
part of our party platform in this state
since 1890, and was submitted to the
people at the first session of the legis~
lature where we had control The in
1t1at1Ve gives us the power to enact
statutes without being compelled to Sc
cure a majority in the legislature, for
any particular party. We can devote
our time to the adoption of measures
rather than the election of men to office.
1.-The fact that a candidate of a party
is personally Objectionable to a few men
may defeat a party and prevent adop-
ton of important reform measures. Now
we can go to work on the measures
themselves. The personal element is
eliminated. We can force any legislature
to submit to the people any measure
even though the majority of that body
may be opposed to the measure itself.
"Once before the people, the question
can be discussed on its merits and de-
cided without regard to party. Under
the old system a party frequently dares
not submit an important and needed re-
form because it may have a disastrous
effect on the election of some candidate
in some close district. This trouble is
now avoided.
1.-The referendum will make the bust
ness of the lobbyist preCarious, because
all laws are subject to revision by the
people. It will not pay the great cor
porations to buy their way through
legislature, for instance, as Yerkes did
through the last session in Illinois, if
their work must later be submitted to
a vote of the people. The referendum
is sinply a veto power placed in the
hands of the people. It ought to be
safe there. We are the first state in the
union to adopt this system"
w T. La Toilette, chairman of the
silver Republican campaign committee.
said: Five per cent of the voters can
petition for the passage of a law, or
can submit to the people for their ratifi-
cation or rejection any Objectionable
law that a legislative body may pass
This in effect VIII prevent the third
house from acting as a steering com
rnittee for the lawmakers, because their
INSCRIPTIONS work must be referred to
the people. II our form Of government