The Bad River news. [volume] (Philip, Stanley County, S.D.) 19??-1912, 1908-06-04
No New Voting Precincts

the size and present arrangement
of the voting precincts of the
county came up for consideration
at the last meeting of tho county
commissioners, that body decided
to make no changes at present.
| Whether they ever expect to mako
a change in the present situation,
deponent sayeth not. Taking in
to consideration the general health
fulness of this climate, some of
the inhabitants Of this end of the
county, now in their teens, may
live long enough to see the day
when they will not have to go
fifteen miles to vote, even though
the present administration ro-
mains in power. 1t is evident
though that the people can settle
down comfortably to n good long
wait, unless something happens to
check the career of those who are
now in control of affairs ut tho
county seat.
Sometime ago, when tho stall
warts of the county issued a plat
form containing strong plank
advocating the Encouragement of
the voting precincts of tho county,
SO as to better serve our rapidly
growing population, the insurg-
cnts of cast end sat up and shrieked
in delight that this was just what
they had been thinking Of, and
that the people should have it
right away quick. Time went on,
and the county commissioners
met. 1t was evident that the in
surgents who gyrate round the
court house had roconsidered the
matter If it were made convent
cnt for the people to vote, the in
surgent organization would be up
against the possibility of stalwart
control in the west end. This
would never do, so the insurgent
commissioners rcsoluted round the
subject just close enough not to
touch it and decided to postpone
action. So there you arc!
1t was made clear to the COM
missioners that refusal on their
part to act would mean no polling
places in the recently organized
civil townships. More than that
they understood that unless new
polling places were established
there would be no polling place in
Philip, none in Cottonwood, Kado-
ka, Belvidere, Interior or the
other towns in the western part of
the county. The board knew that
the people of this township would
have to vote across the river at
Morrison's ranch; that Kadoka
people would have to vote at John
sons ranch two miles from town;
that the situation was practically
the same at Belvidere and at In
terror; and that the old polling
place at Cottonwood was seven
miles in the country at Recluse
postoffice, which was long ago dis
continued and the building moved
away. Yet no action was taken
to remedy this condition of affairs.
The law is pretty plain. Section
1861 Of the political code states
that The board of county COM
missloners of each county of the
state shall on or before the first
day of September of each year in
which an election is to be- held,
set off, alter, and establish election
precincts in their respective coun-
ties in such q manner that no pre-
cinct shall contain more than five
hundred voters, and shall fix the
polling places within such pro-
cincts. Provided that each organ
lied civil township, and each ward
in every city in tho state, shall
constitute at least one precinct" "
Now, that law does not mean,
in the first place, that action must
be deferred until the 1st day of
September, nor does it mean that
the commissioners must wait until
there arc five hundred voters or
more in q precinct before they
can take action. Tho reasonable