Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-01-11

has recently recommended identically the
same measure to the legislature OF that
state, and / am pleased to recommend the
same measure TO YOU.
This act makes it unlawful for any per-
son employed for a pecuniary consldera-
ton to attempt personally and directly &c
influence any member Of the legislature To
vote for or against any measure pending
therein otherwise than by appearing be-
fore the regular committees thereof when
In session, or by newspaper publication,
or by public addresses, or by written or
printed statements, arguments, or briefs,
delivered to each member of the leg.sla-
ture. provided, that before delivering such
statement, argument or brief, twenty-five
copies thereof shall be first deposited with
the secretary OF state. All persons appear
ing for private or special interests. or for
public service corporations, must first reg
lister, giving their names and addresses
and the nameepf their employer. No Off
Ger, agent. appcintee, or employe in the
service of the state is permitted to use his
influence with a member OF the legislature
to vote for or against any measure pend
ing therein affecting his pecuniary inter
est except in the same open and public
manner. Persons appearing for special In
terests for a pecuniary consideration
whether ex-members of the Legislature or
not, are not allowed to go upon the floor
Of either house reserved for the member
thereof, except upon the invitation of such
house. The violation of the act is made a
misdemeanor punishable by Imprisonment
in the county Jail not exceeding six months
n by a fine not exceeding 500.
No'one desires to prevent the freest pub.
lie discussion before committees of all
measures presented to the legislature, and
the fullest hearing to legitimate represen-
tatives of all interests affected thereby.
/ When appearing In this public manner TO
! discuss the merits Of a pending measure,
such Representatives are entitled to the
most courteous and fair treatment.
The vice of the lobby lies in it's more Sc
cret and exparte Vaccinations, whereby
II seeks to acquire undue advantages by
INSCRIPTIONS and sinister means.
The man who holds midnight confer
ences with members singly In his room at
the hotel and who prefers to work in the
dark, avoiding as far as possible the open
light of day, and who uses any and every
means TO carry his point, no matter how
~nscrupuious nor how corrupt, is the man
who has made the name lobbyist a
word of reproach and scorn. He becomes
a sort of human spider, hideous and ugly
In the eyes of all who believe in dealing
openly and above board. He impregnates
the very atmosphere about the legislature
with impurity. FEASIBILITY, cunning, fiat
terry, trickery, falsehood, SANDER, political
influence and sometimes threats are used
TO carry his schemes. This is the man
whom the proposed law seeks to Danish
from legislative surroundings; while 1t
protects the reputable attorney or agent,
who is willing TO MAKE the character or his
business known and to advocate the cause
he represents in an honorable, open and
public tanner.
A Comprehensive and Practical Pri-
mary Election Law.
1t has been the practice IN nearly ali of
the southern states for many years to
nominate party candidates for state and
congressional offices by q direct vote of
the people.
II recent years this method Of making
party nominations has gained a foothold
In a number of northern states and the
| sentiment in it's favor is rapidly spreading
ONyGr fha antirp country New I9rSeN-
Pennsylvania, Michigan, Illinois, Wiscon-
sin, North Dakota, Oregon and Minnesota
nave enacted laws applying the direct vote
In one form or another in the making or
nominations.
In Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. in
their party conventions held in 1906, both
the republican and democratic parties de-
clared In favor of nominations by state
wide primaries. The demand for legisla-
ton of this character arises from the
abuses which lave become intolerable I'M
der the old caucus and convention system.
The aim Of this legislation is TO over
throw the party boss and dictator and 10
shake off the hold of the corporation upon
the great political organizations of the
state. The great enterprises of today are
carried on by artificial creations of law
known as corporations, and combinations
of corporations. Frequently they become
so powerful that they attempt to fix and
control the prices of the necessaries of
life, the prices of what the masses have
to sell, as well as the prices Of what the
masses must buy in order to live.
We have come to the point where they
have destroyed healthful and legitimate
competition, and where they stubhornly
resist all attempts upon the part of the
law making power TO check abuses of
which they are guilty. or to place them
under regulation and control. They enter
the field of politics for the purposes of
controlling the declarations of political
platforms and the selection of candidates
for public office and by many and divers
ways, use. their vast power to corrupt the
action of public officials. This is a mat
ter of common knowledge. They usurp
the right of choice belonging to the aver
age voter and manipulate caucuses, con-
troll nominating conventions and bring
about the nomination of candidates for
public office for the selfish purpose of
controlling the conduct of such officers
touching all matters in which they have
an interest. The question confronting the
people of this state, and indeed the peo-
pie OF all the states, Is whether they shall
IN fact rule by selecting their adlninistra-
tive, legislative and judicial officers, and
whether such officers shall be sufficiently
free from undue influence by public serv-
Ice corporations, to enable the state TO
whether such officers shall be selected by
such corporations and the state ruled by
them. This is the question.
No amount Of sophistry and evasion can
set it aside. 1t is the issue before the
American people today. No reasonable
and fairminded person desires to treat the
corporations unJuStly, nor IN 4 spirit OF
prejudice and demagogism, but on the con-
trary, wishes to give them a square deal
The trouble is not with the corporation in
its rightful place. 1t begins when the
great corporate interests refuse to sub
nit TO regulation by law: when they seek
TO prevent control by unfair means, by
granting special favors to public servants
for the purpose Of placing them under OBJ
legations which hinder a faithful dis
charge of public duty; by going into nomi-
mating conventions and establishing part
nership relations in politics with party
trolling party organizations by such means
to convention delegates and party COM
m~itteemen: by large contributions 10
campaign funds, so that they may claim
immunity from legislative restriction.
These abuses exist. Any man who affirms
othgwise is either blind or reckless of the
truth.
The political machine and the public
service corporations arc in partnership
everywhere. The purpose of the primary
election in nominating a ticket is 70 get a
direct expression of choice of candidates
from the people.
Under such a law the power OF directly
expressing his choice remains In the
hands Of the voter, who is allowed to say
by his ballot who should be placed upon
the Ticket of his party as its candidate
for congress and for state, legislative and
county officers; also who should be Sc
lected as the candidate of his party for
United States senator.
The object is to preserve the right of
choice in it's purity in the Individual voter.