The Bad River news. [volume] (Philip, Stanley County, S.D.) 19??-1912, 1908-10-15
Another Wheel Gone Loose

We clip the following article
from the Stock Growers News,
the official organ of the democra-
tic organization of this county.
Read it carefully, for you will
never see more striking illustra-
tion of the wide difference that ex-
lists between democratic promises
and democratic performance.
| The following appears in the
last issue of the Cottonwood Re-
publican, staunch republican
organ:
A law should be put on our
statute books at the coming session
of the state legislature is one that
should take the place of the
present law in regard to the cleo
ton of county commissioners. AS
it is today those officers are elected
at large in the county. 1t seems
queer to US why we people out
here in district No. have chance
to skin or elect the commissioners
in district No. |. We do not know
the needs of the people in district
| No /. And they sure do not
know what we need in our district.
It's wrong and should be remedied.
Nov this would not seem so
queer to the editor of the Republi-
can if be were little better &C
quainted with the methods pursued
by the g. 0. p. in this state for
keeping a tight hold on all of the
officers, whether the people were
properly represented or not.
Years ago commissioners were
elected in this state from and by
their respective districts, but it
was found that while nearly every
county could be depended on to
roll up a majority for the &. O. p,
there was here and there district
which would elect a democratic
commissioner and this would break
up the ring at the county seat.
Therefore republican legislature
was called upon to so amend the
lawthat where the republicans had
a majority in the county they
could elect all of the commission
ers, whether they suited the peo-
pie of their respective districts or
not.
Now, the democrats are, and al
ways have been, opposed to this
kind of business. but as the re-
publican party has been in control
of every legislature since this
amendment was passed, there has
been no chance to get any relief.
In the democratic state platform
the editor of the Republican will
find that very thing he objects to
roundly condemned and the demo-
cratic county platform has the
following to say in regard to this
reform, which is badly needed here
in Stanley county.
We demand legislation pro-
viding for the nomination and
election of county commissioners
by their respective districts, in
stead of by the county at large.
I'VE recommend to the voters of
Stanley county and the entire
state, and especially the editor of
the Cottonwood Republican, who
seems to have thrown in with the
wrong:crowd, that they look over
the democratic platform and take
note of what it stands for, then
vote for Fred Rowe for senator
and Dan Bierwagen for representa-
tive, the men who are pledged to
work for the reforms the people,
regardless of party. want. Think
it over"
Editor Jeffries accuses Brother
Leedom of ignorance concerning
political history in this state. 1t
is the stock argument of our demo-
cratic contemporary. He alone
has drunk deep at the gushing
fountains of human knowledge.
and we, who have come lately in
to this state, must not presume to
have opinions regarding politics,
geology. theology, sociology, agri-