Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1907-06-15
CONCERNING PRIMARY SYSTEM
Review Of the Most Important Law Pass
ed by the Last Legislature.

The following is from Pierre CORES
pondent to the Aberdeen American un
der date Of June 4th:
1t is not probable much less possibl,
that the primary law will be carried in
to effect next year without testing Ger
tain portions of it in the courts before
the voters select their first ticket under
its provisions. So far as the state is con
cerned there is likely to be long list o.
candidates for the different positions
and when the time of canvassing the
returns comes up, in case there is close
count on any Of the places, the canvass
ing board will be watched even more
closely than it was at the time the re.
turns were counted which elected part
of populist ticket in the state. There
will be cloud of candidates watching
the proceedings, and if some luckless
county official fails to properly sign OF
certify the returns, or signs on the wrong
side, or makes any other slip which will
allow the setting aside of returns from
any one county, and let in another can!
didate, the ground is opened for a con-
| test.
One of the provisions which is likely
to cause trouble is the limitations placed
upon the number of names which may
20 upon petition. For state officers,
the Limitation is not less than one per
cent of the votes cast at the last preced-
ing election by the party of which the
man is candidate, and not more than
five per cent of that vote. For county
and legislative positions the limitations
are not less than three per cent and not
more than FIVE per cent. A candidate
starts his petition, probably places sev.
eral petitions in the hands of enthusias-
tic friends, or they start on their own
motion. In their enthusiasm they go
over the five per cent. Have they a
right to strike off any one, any more
than they have to add anyone? If they
60 over the petition is not valid, and the
way is open for trouble.
The petitions must be signed with ink
or indellible pencil, and contain the
name Of the petitioner, bis postofice ad
dress, the county in which he resides,
and the date of his signature. Nc sig
nature may be counted where the date is
more than ninety days prior to the date
ha ~ oil nj VplN tnh oh
is to be made. Some of the coming can
didates for state positions contemplate an
early start with their petitions having
evidently overlooked the ninety day
provision of the statute.
POLITICAL SITUATION IN SOUTH DAKOTA.
While it will be the latter part of next
March before petitions can be legally
circulated, the plays for position are be-.
ing made every day. Just at present the
visit of Secretary Taft to this state as a
guest of Senator Kittredge is thorn in
the sides of many. The insurgent press
of the state declines to come up to his
standard, and continue to talk Roose.
welt, regardless of his many expressions
on the third term idea. The stalwarts
are following the opening of Senator
Kittredge in his declaration for Taft and
point to his visit to Sioux Falls as a
great boom for the political interests of
Senator Kittredge. While the insur-
gent press attempts TO belittle any poll
teal prestige which the Taft visit can
give kittredge or any one else, at the
same time gleefully call attention to the
fact that Governor Crawford has not as
yet given out any statement as to his
choice for the presidency, his political
following through the press of the state
is standing neutral, and refuse to talk
anything but Roosevelt as yet. Just
where they will land by the time the
campaign opens up in earnest is some-
thing they are keeping under cover, but
many of them would give great deal to
know just what wagon will be carrying
the bass drum, before the procession ac-
tually forms.
PRIMARY HURTS KIT.
Last year under the convention sys-