Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-02-24
Continued from page /

49, RA3N
marks were in ink, while the sigma
lures were placed thereon in pencil.
1t therefore appears to your com
mittee, and your committee finds
that of 1884 purported signatures to
said petition nearly $500 of the same
are absolutely illegal under the last
cited sections of the law. This leaves
about 1900 purported signers who
have furnished the Identification re-
quired by law.
ONLY 1900 PETITIONERS.
Your committee further finds that
Of this number OF 2600 %purported
signers who have furnished this nee
essary Identification there are a mum
Der who have signed the %purported
petition more than once, and only
through lack of time does your com
mittee feel justified in failing to as
certain and report the exact number
and exact instances of fraud in this
respect. Among these instances
that your committee has so ascertain
ed are I'll. G. Shober. who signs as
number 1857 and again as number
1886; G.. Fl. Cassil, who signs as 1885
and $40; O. M. Osbon, who signed
as 3S7 and $685.
Your committee further reports
that there has been filed with your
committee afidavits showing that
this purported petition has in a mum
Der of instances been signed by per
sons who are not electors Of this
state or of any county or precinct
therein. Among these instances are
thise Of signers who are minors,
Others who are not residents or cleo
tors OF any county within this state,
but having their residences elsewhere.
FALSE REPR EsENTATToN.
Your committee further finds that
10 addition to these patent feuds, de-
fects, forgeries and illegalities APP
pearing upon the face of the sigma
ture sheets, your committee is inform
ed by many whose names appear
thereon that blank sheets, unattach-
ed to any petition or copy Of the pro
posed law, were circulated and sign
ed; also that many persons signed
the same heedlessly, with no knowl-
edge Of the purpose to which their
signatures would be put, and in
many eases sasaaee.= .a.s..hss repre-
sensations.
COST OF SUBMISSION.
Your committee further finds that
the cost Of publishing the law pur-
ported to be proposed in the said pur-
ported petition, together with placing
the same upon the official ballot in
the manner prescribed by law, would
be in excess Of the sun of $4,000.
In view OF the foregoing findings
Of fact relating to the said signature
sheets, your committee concludes as
d matter OF law, justice and right
that less than one-half of the re-
quired number of signatures to an
Initiative petition under the laws ot
this state are appended to hisdocu :
ment or purported initiative petition
now on file in the Office Of the secre-
|tary Of state; that illegalities and
frauds, ranging from irregularities TO
felonies, have been practiced by some
persons unknown to your committee
for the purpose Of fraudulently and
illegally inducing this Legislature to
enact and submit q certain measure
to the people Of this state.
DUTY OF LEGIsTATuRE.
Your mittee further reports
that il is Of the opinion that the mi.
~tiative and referendum provisions Of
THE constitution and laws Of this
state clearly contemplate that the
Legislature, if properly petitioned,