The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-03-10
THE NEW CAUCUS LAW
Point, tbout the Measure Adopted
by she Legislature to Improve
ths Caucus Situation.

The Sioux Fails Argus-Leader
gives a GOOD resume of the new eau
Gus Law That was passed by the recent
Legislature and it is reproduced as
public
All STATE conventions for nominat-
ing state tickets are to be held on
the first TUESDAY after the first Mon
day in June: judicial conventions are
held Oh ne same day: county con
MENTIONS to choose delegates for such
are to bc held on tue first Tuesday
after Tie tirst Monday in May: and
county conventions tor the .lomina-
ton OF a county ticket are iNed for
the first tuesday after the iilSt Mon
day in September. / he state conven.
tions must be called at least sixty
days tetole the time set. and at
least - days notice shall be given be-
fore county conventions are held.
Primaries for choosing delegates to
the county convention which selects
delegates TO the state and judicial
conventions are to be held ID the
first Tuesday after the second Mon
day in May. and for choosing dele
agtes to the county convention to
name a county ticket on the first
TUESDAY after he second Monday in
September. So much for the dates.
How are the rights of the individ-
ual voter ~safe-guarded? We shall
see. In times past it has been
charged that the whole cau"u was
over in a few minutes. Under this
law the polls are kept open f1om 3
until $50 q. m.-long enough for
any voter to get to the polls if he
wants to 90. Ward leaders have
bsen accused of browbeatine the tim
id voter. Under this law the ballot
is secret. Under the old system. it
was claimed that a few self seekers
got together and outlined the list
OF names. Under this law any voter
can vote for any man, and anyone not
satisfied with the list Of names pre-
pared, can secure blank paper from
the county auditor and procure a list
for himself. The ballet boxes are
prepared. One is a waste ballot box
which is provided in the interest
of secrecy. There is absolutely NJ
way in which another can learn how
the voter cast his ballt. 1t is the
Australian system of voting. and is
surrounded by every safeguard. When
a party has once adopted a ballot col
or, it has a copyright on that color
and no other party can use it. This
is in the interest of the uneducate6.
a man a vote at the primaries ii
he is not color blind, and he can vote
for whom he pleases, and no one can
tell how he voted.
Then comes the question of the
count, This is made by a precinct
committee selected by the voters
of tie precinct. The one who re-
ceives the highest number of votes
is chairman, and the one who
receives the next highest is secre-
tary. Thus IN case Of f%actional fights.
both SIDES are represented on the
canvassing board. In the case of
vacancies, the voters have the power
to fill these at the time Of the be-
ginning Of the primaries. When the
votes are counted, they are pre-
served. Let this fact be noted.
They are turned over to the chair
man of the county committee. in case
of a contest, the ballots actually cast
are to be turned over to the creden-
tials committee and counted by that
committee, thus barring the way TO
arbitrary exclusion from conventions.
fy high banded procedure, such as
mas sometimes been the case every
where.
The question of improper voting
seems to be properly cared for. Any
body can challenge an @elector, and
the elector so challenged must sub
scribe to ar oath that he is a quail
itied voter and that In the last cleo
ton he supported a majority of the
candidates Of the party with which
be seeks to vote. a tine of not more
than 5000. and impri sonment of not
exceeding six months are the PEN
alties prescribed for Illegal voting.
Fine and imprisonment Imposed up
on those who vote ut more than one
caucus and who being a probable
member of one party votes at the
caucus of another.
The law also provi dos a way by
which direct nominations may he Sc
cured by the members of amy party
IN any county. AT any comfy OH
%VentiOn, held to nominate county
officers, a majority of the delegates
may install tine direct nomination
system in that county. tn such case.
all county officers and members of
the legislature may be nominated by