The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1905-02-24

tioas Of residence. business or post
office address were made by clerk
in a law office at Huron, S. D.. long
after the signature sheets of the pur-
ported petition had left the hands OF
the Slgners OF the same. In this re-
gard your committee further finds
that upon its face the purported petit
ton shows that whole pages OF ditto
marks, purporting to Indicate the resi-
dence. business or postotfice address
OF purported SlsnerS, We're mauiteStly
made by someone other than the
siSners appearing upon said sheets.
foury committee finds that of the
1884 purported signatures upon said
lists, 295 of the persons SO purportiug
to sign the name did not add to their
signature any place of residence. 27S
persons did not add their business.
3ei OF said persons did not add their
I'ostotiice address, l.95l of said per
sons did not add a place of residence,
business or postottice address, POS of
said persons did not add any business
or postottice address ~ of said per
sous did act add place of residence
or business.
Your committee further fuds that
in i,36t instances some person or
persons unknown 10 this committee
have added 10 the signatures OF the
persons signing the signature sheets
either the residence, business or post
office address, or all of the same
Your committee further finds that
| in b27 Instances the residence and
! postottice address required by law To
be added OF his signature by the per
son signing an initiative petition are
simply indicated by ditto marks which
were plainly placed in the columns
headed residence and postoffice ad-
dress by someone other than the per
sons signing the same In large
number Of instances these ditto marils
We're made in ink, while the signatures
were placed thereon in pencil
1t therefore appears to your com
mlttee. and your committee finds that
OF the S,SS4 purported signatures to
said petition nearly $500 Of the same
are absolutely Illegal under the last
cited sections Of the law This leaves
about 900 purported signers who
have furnished the Identification re-
CURED by law
Your committee further finds that
OF this number Of 800 purported
signefs who have furnished this neces
sary identification there ara a number
who have signed the purported petit
ton more than once. ami only through
lack ot tirue does your committee feel
justified in falling 70 ascertain and
report the exact number and exact iu-
Among these instances that your
committee has so ascertained are H
T! C. Shober, who signs as No l747 and
again as No $3.50 c. II. Cassill who
signs as 4$35 and $40; O NJ Osbon
who sigus as 397 and $685.
Y 7 committee further reports
that there have ben filed with your
committee attidavlts showing that this
! purported petition has in a number of
! instances been signed by persons who
are not electors OF this state or of any
| county or precinct therein Among
| these instances are those of signers
| who are minors others who are not
| residents o. electors of any county
within this state, but having their
| residence elsewhere
/ Your committee further reports in
this regard that it has been reEra-
sen1ed to your committee that in a
large number of Instances these sig
nature sheets We're circulated by per
! sons who received a stated cDmDen-
sation for each signature obtained.
! That frauds should be perpetrated
| under such circumstances may be
considered a natural result
Your committee further finds that
! in addition to these patent frauds, de
| tects, forgeries and il!egalities ap-
pearing upon the face OF the sigma.
ture sheets. your committee is in
! formed by many whose names appear
| thereon that blank sheets, unattached
| to any petition or copy OF the pro-
posed law were circulated and signed
also that many persons signed the
same heedlessy. with no knowledge
! OF the purpose TO which their sigma
! lures would De put. and ia many
cases under untruthful representa-
I tionS
Your committee further finds that
the cost Of publishing the law pur-
ported % be proposed in the said pur-
| ported petition, together with placing
| the same upon the official ballot in
thu. manner prescribed by law, would
| be in excess of the sum of $4,000
In view Of the foregoing findings of
fact relating to the said signature
| sheets. your committee concludes, as
a matter of law justice and right that
less than one-half of the required
! number of signatures to an initiative
| petition under the laws Of this state
| are appended to this document or
purported initiative petition now on file
! in the office of the secretary of state
that illegalities and frauds. ranging
| from irregularities to felonies, have
| been practtced by some persons IN
| known to your committee for the pur
| pose OF fraudulently and illegally in
ducing this Legislature to enact and
| submit a certain measure to the peo
| pie of this state
| yn,,. committee, f,,4,,.