Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1905-02-23

tons Of residence, business or post
office address were made by clerk
in law Office at Huron, S. D., long
after the signature sheets of the pur-
ported petition had left the hands of;
the signers of the same. In this re-
gard your committee further finds,
that upon its face the purporteG petit
ton shows that whole pages of ditto
marks, pprporting to indicate the resi-
dence, business or postoffice address
of purported signers, were manifestly
made by someone other than the
signers appearing upon said sheets.
Your committee finds that OF the
1884 purported signatures upon said
lists, 295 of the persons so purporting
to sign the name did not add to their
signature any place of residence, 278
persons did not add their business,
9O7 of said persons did not add their
postottice address, 1851 of said per-
sons did not add a place of residence,
business or postoffice address, 205 of
said persons did not add any business
or postotfice address, 40 Of said per-
sons did not add place of residence
or business.
Your committee further finds that
in 1854 instances some person or
persons unknown to this committee
have added to 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 627 instances the residence and
postof1ice 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 adj
dress by someone other than the per-
sons signing the same In a large
number of instances these ditto marks
were made in ink while the signatures
were placed thereon in pencil.
1t therefore appears to your COM
mittee and your committee finds, that
of the 1854 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
Your committee further finds that
of this number of 1900 purpdrted
signers who have furnished this neces-
sary Identification there are a number
who have signed the purported petit
ton more than once, and only through
lack of time does your committee feel
justified in failing to ascertain and
report the exact number and exact in
stances of fraud in this respect.
Among these instances that your
committee has so ascertained are H.
c. Shober, who signs as No. 1747 and
again as No. 1896; G. H. Cassill, who
signs as 4335 and $40; o. NJ. Osbon,
who signs as 397 and $685..
Y II committee further reports
that there have ben filed with your
committee affidavits showing that this
purported petition has in 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 or electors Of any county
residence elsewhere
Your committee further reports in
this regard that it has been repre-
sented to your committee that in a
large number of instances these sig
nature sheets were circulated by per-
sons who received a stated compen-
sation for each signature obtained.
That frauds should be perpetrated
under such circumstances may be
considered natural result.
Your committee further finds that
in addition to these patent frauds, de-
fects, forgeries and illegalities ap-
pearing upon the fece 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 heedlessly, with no knowledge
of the purpose to which their sigma
lures would De put, and in many
cases under untruthful representa-
tons.
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 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
puTpoTted initiative petition now on file
in the office of the secretary Of state;
that illegalities and frauds, ranging
from Irregularities to felonies. have
been Dracticad NV Coma ,,orcore ~