Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1910-12-08

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with over eight thousand signatures, as
serts that The people did not petition for
the kind of primary law which The
Crawford and Vessey administrations
have enacted, particularly as to organiza-
tion and form of ballot. Mr.. RichA Ards
has never been in an official position, so
as TO carry out his ideas personally, but
has had to depend upon Others to do So.
AS soon as a governor and legislature
were successfully pulled through a
primary and general election, the sp cial
interests and workings of the spoils
system OVERRIDE primary and general
election platforms.
Mr.. Richards as chairman of the re-
publiCah primary organization on two or
three occasions has sought to call the at
tention of the party politicians to their
failure to keep promises m ,de 10 the
people before the primary and general
elections. The Office seekers and spoils
men Immediately began to attack him
with the usual methods, and assail him
with the epjthets, Richards is impracti-
cal, " "a crank, " "a dictator, " "a boss. -
Though nn several occasions his per-
sonal efforts, money and generaship un-
doubtedly contributed indispensibly, TO
the success Of the progressive movement,
he nevertheless quickly became an OBJ
ject of ridicule and attack bv the mer-
cenary element
Mr. Richards has quietly bided his
time to move 10 get The kind of a primary
law he believes the people are entitled
TO, and for that purpose became a candi-
date for the state senate in the Beadle
county primaries in the June election
His defeat at that time was alleged to
have been brought about by an alliance
between Senator Crawford, his friends,
and the local railroad interests at Huron
to keep Mr.. Richards out of the state
senate. The same element, 1t is
charged joined hands with the Spoils-
men at the republican state convention,
and defeated his anti-spoils plank which
was part of the successful progressive
primary platform and kept it out of the
party platform Sby a trick. This was
brought about by the infueaUe of the
men who signed a written agreement
with Richards during February last, to
use their influence TO embody his prin-
ciples in the party platform, if he would
not enter the field against Vessey. For
the purpose of obtaining these principles
Of spoils regulation through the primary
law, Mr.. Richards stepped aside and
took the management of Mr.. VesSey's
campaign. No sooner were the prma-
rieS over, till the progressive politicians
started to defeat their own primary plat
form. The final struggle occurred on
the floor OF the state convention, where
Mr.. Richards referred to the written
agreement and demanded honorable
treatment, insisting that lnasmuch as
the progressive republicans controlled
the convention, there was no excuse for
failing to carry out the progressive
primary platform into the republican
party platform. Here he was ridiculed
and laughed at by the very benefciaries
Of his efforts, but this failed 10 discour-
age him. At Huron, during the lull,
Mr.. Richards has quietly proceeded to
prepare primary law in keeping with
the last progressive primary and party
platform, and this proposed law will De
introduced at the coming legislature,
and at the same time, petition will be
circulated 10 the state for signatures to
invoke the initiative under the conStitu-
tion, so that If the legislature fails to
pass the law, he will appeal direct to the
people in the primaries and general elec-
ton two years hcScc.
Mr.. Richards, when questioned as 10
the essential features of his primary law,
enumerated the same as-frst, enroll
meut of party electors; second, adding
the representative feature; third, new,
shorter and palmer ballot, disclosing the
principles of candidates; fourth, party
organization 20 be free from oFicehold-
er'S domination through eift Of Office
and election of state chairman by party
organization in place of appointment by
officeholders; fifth, will determine what
shall constitute an official party endorse
ment as recommendation for appoint
i've government positions; sixth, party
recall; seventh, provision for publicity
pamphlet to be published by the state,
giving limited space to platforms, can
didates, and arguments of each party
candidate or representative group of can
didates.
When asked il this would not make
the NEST rigid party primary law yet en-
acted, Mr.. Richards replied that this
was probably true, but added that there
is no real satisfactory primary law yet
nno nNaS IN ru ctafa anI az ad that