The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1908-10-30
the VOTERS
WILL DECIDE
-FOUR NEW LAWS WILL BE SUB
MITTED no THE VOTERS
OF THE STATE.
TWO AMENDMENTS TO THE CON.
STlTUTION.-CON ON
COUNTY OPTION.

Sioux Falls, S. D., Oct. 27.-Spec-
ial: AT the general election on Nov
ember 3 the voters of South Dakota
! will have submitted to them two pro-
posed amendments to the state con-
stitution and four proposed new laws.
The most important, or at least the
proposed law Of the most general
interest, is that which is designed
to put an end to SO called easy"
divorces in South Dakota. This law
was enacted by the last legislature
but was not permitted to go into eff
feet, opponents of the law having in
voked the referendum amendment to
the state constitution, and by filing
petitions containing the required
number of names had the law held
up and submitted to he voters at the
election on November 8. Before 60
ing into effect the law will have to
receive majority vote. 1t is quite
generally conceded that a large ma
iority of the voters of the state will
vote in favor of the law, with the OBJ
iect of putting an end to the migra-
tory divorce business,
Under the new law those who came
to South Dakota for the purpose of
securing divorce will have to re-
main in the state for period Of one
year before they will become legal
residents Of the state, the law to be
n tn6 to
period of residence from six months
to one year.
The most important feature of the
new law and which is expected to do
more toward putting an end to mi
gratory divorces even than extending
the period of residence, is a provi-
sion requiring that all divorce cases
must be heard in open court. Under
the present law it has been the prac-
tice to hold the hearings in these cas-
es in chambers, and applicants for
divorces have thus escaped the motor
iety of having their cases heard in
open court.
The raising Of the period Of. resi-
dence in itself would not put a stop
to migratory divorces in South Da-
kota-at least would not discourage
wealthy divorce applicants from the
east, to whom an extra six months
residence would mean practically
nothing. A number OF the most
prominent members OF the Sioux
Falls divorce colony during the past
ci or ri oil, !, 4
from one year to as much as two
and one-half years This was the
case with Mrs. Flora Dodge, former
ly Of New York, now Mrs. Lionel
Guest, of Montreal; Mrs. Roland B.
Molineux, now Mrs. Wallace D. Scott,
and other prominent "colonists'
But the provision of the proposed
ne" law requiring hearings in d.
vorce cases to be held in open court
is different, and is expected in itself
to put an end to migratory divorce
in South Dakota.
Sunday Observance Law.
Another of the proposed laws to be
submitted to the voters on November
| 3 for their adoption or rejection is
I what is known as the Sunday abserv-
ance law. This law is ostensibly to
prevent theatrical performances and
baseball games on Sunday, but as an
opponent of the law puts it, "a care
ful reading of it will indicate that
ii is pretty stiff piece OF legislation. ("
1t has been stated that under tn e
Y 10 al, o,,to
ties Of Big Stone and other places in
the state could be arrested for pre-
senting the Passion Play on a Sun
day evening, or for presenting other
programmes which would be entirely
unobjectionable. There are a great
many Adventists and some Jews in
South Dakota who as matter OF
conscience do no observe Sunday as
the Sabbath, and it is pointed out by
opponents of the proposed new law
that these have the same legal rights
as citizens that are enjoyed by the
other residents of the state.
/ Protection of Quail.
Another of the proposed laws to be
submitted to the voters provides for
the protection of quail. The proposed
law provides that it shall be unlawful
Tor any person or persons to (within
the state) shoot, catch or kill or in
any manner destroy any quail before
the list day of October, 1912, or to al
any time after the law should go into
effect take, modest or destroy the nes
Or eggs of said birds. The penalty
provided for violation of the law il
This respect is inc of not less thar
SO or more than 500 for each of
tense.
Proposed County Option Law.
The other proposed law to be sub
mitted to the voters on November
is what is known as the county option
law. The temperance people of tn,
state are waging an aggressive an,
systematic fight for the adoption O
the law, while the liquor interest
and those who do not believe in pro
Inhibition, but believe the cities, town
:. and counties should derive a reven
!; Tue from the sale of liquor, are a
earnestly opposing the law and ar
( making strenuous efforts to defea
[ it at the polls.
Il The proposed law differs from til
present state liquor license law l
s..a~