Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-07-21
WANT TO SWITCH THE ISSUE.

Di1igent effort is Just now being made
to spread the impression throughout the
state that large portion of the republ
can party is in distress because of the de
feat of the primary election law by the
legislature last winter. 1t is worth not
ing that the Sioux City Tribune, a demo
cratic newspaper outside of the state, and
a democratic daily in Sioux Falls are the
ones which have been able to find the
dissatisfaction, and that they have found
more since ex-senator Pettigrew return
ed from his long stay in New York than
they had been able to discover before.
1t is given out by these demo
cratic newspapers that the primary is to
be the issue in the next campaign. If so,
the issue will he welcomed. The republi-
cans are on pretty safe and tenable
ground. Any county which wants direct
nomination can have it under the honest
caucus law. Some have it now. Others
can follow if they wish. But campaign
on the theory that the whole people OF
South Dakota are unable to sleep at
night because we have not had saddled
upon us system of direct nomination
including every office in the state from
coroner up to United States senator, will
not be one which the republicans will for
a moment hesitate to meet. 1t is too
early of course with the hot weather COM
ing on, and a big fat crop to garner to
grow very much excited about it, but
this is simply notice that the republicans
are ready to meet the issue whenever our
democratic friends think the time has
arrived to produce it.-Argus Leader,
There is much diligent effort ap-
parent at this time. But that effort
is not put forth by those whom the
Argus Leader and other machine
organs would have us believe. 1t
requires no effort to create dissatis-
faction in the republican ranks with
the high handed action of the ma
chine. That dissatisfaction has existed
for some time, and was made still
greater by the action of the machine
last winter in ordering the senate to
refuse to submit the primary law to
a vote of people, as provided by the
state statutes and the constitution,
As to the primary law, there may
be difference of opinion among the
law abiding citizens of the state,
but as to the plain provisions of the
constitution there can be no differ.
ence of opinion.
The Argus Leader, as the official
organ of the machine, would have
the people belive that the issue be-
fore the voters in the coming cam
paign is the old primary law. The
machine would like to cover its
tracks and also take advantage of
the difference of opinion which may
exist on that question.
But the issue is not the primary
system of nominations. That ques.
tion will take care Of itself. The
real issue is upon the action of the
machine in directing the violation of
the state constitution, which was ac-
complished through a working
majority in the senate controlled BY
the machine. In a few words, the
issue before the people is this: Il
the machine greater than the con.
stitution9
To allow the violation of the con
stitution in ons particular to go un
punished is to make the whole con
stitution null and void. The ma
chine realizes this and is afraid t.
meet the people on that issue. 1t is fo
this reason that the order has gone
forth to attempt to switch the issue
To do this requires much misrepre
sentation and the cunning use oil
the English language. Therefore
the organs of the machine are setting
up the primary system Of nomina
tions as an issue and turning thei
batteries upon it. To give more fore,
to their position 10 SO gallantly
fighting straw issue they attemp