The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1901-02-07
Che c~egis!aturc
Proceedings Of the
"a Week in the -.
State Law Mill 49,.


Pierre. Jan. 31.-The committee on
! elections are wrestling with the PROB
lem Of preparing a bill for marking a
ballot otherwise than by a cross at the
top of the party ticket when there are
two or more persons on each ballot
for the same Office. Governor Herreid
In his message called attention TO
this defect in the present law and tool
strong ground against a bill to correct
the evil by authorizing the still great
er evil of marking the ballots with a
peucil. which would lead to identified
ton and destroy secrecy.
Erasure by pencil or otherwise being
manifestly unfair, and 1t being unjust
to candidates to provide that the party
opposite the check for some individual
should be counted out, the committee
has decided to overcome the difficulty
in the best way possible. A bill will be
drafted providing that the elector may
cast a straight party vote by placing
a cross In the circle az the top of the
ticket, and by further providing that
he may scratch his ticket for electors
say. by placing a cross in the circle at
the left of the name Of each eiector for
sAAS
which he wishes to vote.
In this way a man may vote a
straight party ticket by marking the
cross at the top, and can vote for n
or more of the opposition candidates
for the legislature by marking q cross
before the name of each candidate for
the legislature on the various tickets
for whom he desires his ballot to be
counted. The ballot SO marked would
count for the entire party ticket, ex-
cept that it would be counted for the
legislature, for instance, for each man
marked, providing the proper number
Of candidates were designated by the
cross.
If four were to be elected he could
mark any four on the ballot, but he
would spoil his vote for that part OF
the ticket If he marked more or less
than the whole number of men to be
elected to that particular position. This
idea seems to meet the suggestions in
the governors message and will prob
ably be adopted.
This, in all probability, will be the
only change made in the ballot this
year, except that placing duplicate
tickets on the ballot under different
party headings will be prevented by
a provision that the name of a candi-
date may appear but once.
On Wednesday the state fair bill met
Its death in the senate two-thirds
Of the senator's not thinking enough
Of it to vote in the affirmative on
the roll call. When 1t was taken up
Tor consideration Lawson moved an
amendment to pay 5000 for past de-
iciencies. Edgerton protested, saying
such an appendix would kill 1t. John
son of Mitchell said that when the fair
was held in his city there was no red
letters on the wrong side of the ledger.
At that; Lawson contended there had
been a deficiency at Aberdeen, and
thought all balances should be made
good. The senate took the other view
and killed the whole business.
Loomis had an amendment for the
Newly 40, 900 acres of endowment land
bill for the blind asylum when 1t was
reached, the amendment to include all
the land for penal and charitable pur-
poses. LOOMS amendment was de-
feated. but the bill passed.
A fight was precipitated on the SUBJ
stitute bill of the printing committee
fixing a maximum price of $40 for pub
fishing certificates. Martins amend
menu, providing for the publication Of
three legal instead of three official pa
pers. was lost. Rowe's amendment
making the maximum price $25 was
lost. The bill a then passed.
To prevent the reconsideration of
the state liquor license bill passed
Tuesday Lomis moved an adjournment,
but withdrew his motion when Hill as
sured him that he would not ask for a
reconsideration. The wolf bounty re-
peal bill is still before the senate al
though Rowe attempted to shelve it by
wanting it reoommitted to the commit
tee.
: The passage of the senate bill
In that body to give counties that
part of the liquor license fund which
now goes to the state was a surprise
to a great many.
Ii it passes the house and meets tn
approval of the governor, it will have
a serious effect upon the public treas
ury. The sum amounts 10 $1,000 a
year and it is absolutely impossible, Ii
Is stated, to take this amount from tn
treasury without seriously affecting
the public institutions, at least wi h
out providing some can Of replacing
1t by raising more taxes. AS this can
not be done by increasing the levy
there will be no other way open but ia
increase the valuation or to appoint a
committee to draft O. revenue law.
A new revenue law would not, how
ever, relieve the situation Immediately
AS to the equity OF the proposition
there Is little room for argument, but
several senators who voted for the b II
under pledge to their constituents, ex-
press serious doubts as to its exped
iency at the present time. A paculial