The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1911-03-30
Measure Was Adopted
lnl898b ySubmis-
sion to Vote.
PRIEST BEHIND II
Since That Time Use Of It Has
Grown Till 7-Foot Bal
lot Was Reached.

~e0~ SA0 ID SAot kA40 kE
an Oregon" plan of legislation, when
in fact South Dakota was the frs,
state in America to take it up rs q
practical fact. 1t had its start in the
days when the populistic wave swep,
republicanism to temporary retire.
ment in many of the prairie states OF
the west, and South Dakota went
with the others in that line selecting
a populist governor and congress-
men, and a populist legislature fol-
the enactment of its laws.
Before the session was very old,
Rev. Father Hare, a Catholic priest
of Aberdeen appeared at the capital,
and begun working for the constitu-
tional amendment which he had pre-
pared, and which was based upon
Swiss enactment along that line. This
was at the session Of 1897, and while
all the power which could be put for
ward by corporate interests was
against the submission of such a
crazy idea" to the people of the
state, his idea took root among the
populist members and was adopted
and sent to the people for their rati-
fcation at the text general election
in 1898. He did not attempt to pro-
vide for constitutional amendments by
this means, only to give the people
an opportunity to either pass upon
the acts Of the legislative session. or
to start into existence new laws of
their own regardless of the wishes OF
the legislative members. The one
power was to come through the refer
endum to ecure a popular verdict
upon laws enacted; the other to start
such laws regardless of legislative
will, and allow the people to say
whether or not they desired them as
statutory provisions. At the election
in 1898 the constitutional amend
ment was adopted by the people by
a vote of 1856 favorable and 49,
4S3 negative votes a total of 4O,299
in an election in which 74,26S votes
We're cast for governor.
The first attempt to put the pro.
visions of the referendum into prac.
tical operation was made in 1901, al
the close of populist power, when the
legislature of that year, again strong
ly republican, changed the make ur
of several of the boards of control
of the institutions of the state
which enactment allowed the newl,
elected republican governor to change
the political complexion of such
boards by appointments of republi.
cans instead of populists to the
places. The few faithful among the
populists attempted to invoke the ref
erendum on these laws, but did MOI
have the money to make an aggres.
sive campaign, and their former fol
lowers having lost much of their en-.
thusiasm did not show the necessar,
activity in circulation of petitions, al
lowing their efforts to fall by the
wayside for lack of the required mum,
Der of names to get the proposition.
before the people for a vote.
Crawford Takes Hand.
No further effort was made to Sc
cure any of the benefits Of this con
stitutional provision until 1905, whe1
the first move toward invoking tn,
initiative was made by Coe l Craw
ford, one of the present senator!
from this state. He presented a ne
tition asking for a primary electio,
law, which provided that all state ant
county party nominees. shall be Sc
lected through the provisions of tn,
primary and with 1t the choice of tn,
I people for their candidate for Unit
ed States senator. While it was ad
mitted that the petition upon 1t,
face carried the required number O
signatures to place the question be
fore the people, the legislator,
which was strongly Of the "olt
guard" took it upon itself to act as ,
court to pass upon the suficiency O
1.-The petition, and refused to accept .
number of the names which had al
been secured in one town. Instead
Of reciting particularly the town resi-
dence of the signer, the petitio,
followed down the page after the firs
name with ditto marks. On thi,
they refused 70 enact the law % 10
CURED Of them By the constitution
This action raised q revolt which 70
suited in the turning out Of tho "ol,
guard" at the next state convention
and the nomination Of Coe I. Craw
ford as governor on . platform which
declared for . primary election Law
and with him the revolt carrie,
enough Of his following to pass sucl
an act as = direct legislative measur