Omaha daily bee., 1908-03-09
SOUTH DAKOTA TEST TUESDAY
Primaries Then May Decide which
Faction Has Control of that
state.

SIOUX FALLS, s. D., March S-(Special)
The first test OF strength between the
stalwart and insurgent republican factions
of South Dakota IN the present campaign
will take place on Tuesday of this week,
when primaries will be held in various
counties of the state for the election OF del
egates to the county conventions, which in
turn will elect delegates to the state con-
ventions, which are to elect delegates to
represent South Dakota in the national
conventions of the republican and demo-
cratic parties.
The primaries will be the first held under
the new primary law. which was enacted
by the insurgent republican Legislature of
a year ago The proposed enactment of a
primary law was one of the chief issues
upon which the insurgent republicans won
a victory in the state In 1906 and elected
their congressional and state ticket. Under
the new law, the county conventions to
which delegates will be elected on Tuesday,
will be held on March "a, or exactly two
weeks after the primaries. The state con-
veutions will be held on April Z.
Both the stalwart and insurgent repub-
Leans profess to be confident of winning a
victory at Tuesdays primaries. The new
primary law provides that In counties
where there Is no contest the county CEN
trail committees may elect the delegates to
the state convention. In a number of coun-
ties this course was followed and the prt-
maries were dispensed with.
The republican state convention, which
will be held at Huron on April Z, for the
election Of eight delegates to represent the
republicans of South Dakota in the repub-
lican national convention, will be made up
Of a total of 4s9 delegates. Thus the fac
tion which controls tho convention must
have not less than 245 of the delegates.
In the counties which already have elected
delegates to the state convention the stall
warts secured the greater proportion OF the
delegates and now lack only about seventy
five OF having a sufficient number to con-
troll the state convention, while in the pri-
maries on Tuesday the insurgents will have
to capture nearly 200 delegates II they are
successful in controlling the state conven-
ton.
On the face Of things II would appear al
most certain that the stalwarts will win
out, but this is by no means certain, for
the reason that the delegates required by
them. although smaller in number than the
number needed by the insurgents, will have
to be captured largely in territory which
two years ago was strongly insurgent Be
cause of this the insurgents are yet conf
dent Of securing the additional delegates
necessary to give them control Of the state
| convention. The stalwarts. on the other
hand, are equally as confident that they
will in the primaries on Tuesday elect
enough delegates to give them good
working majority in tie state convention.
| As both factions have been united in sup
| port of Secretary Taft as the republican
nominee for president efforts were made
some weeks ago to call off the fight be
| tween the factions for control OF the state
convention. which will have nothing to dC
but elect delegates t'As'H os'onal oonyen
tion, but the bitterness between the fac
tions was of so pronounced nature tha
the efforts in behalf of peace between thu
two factions until the June primaries wer'
unsuccessful.