The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1911-02-03
THE BILL
MEASURE COMBINING PRIMARY
AND ELECTION is ABOUT
READY FOR HOUSE
NEW EDUCATIONAL CODE
Proposed Measure Presents Several
Features or Uuquestioned
Merit--O Others are
Criticized

INSpi CoChtdtLfO blSOtN" . @C0ouk
combining the primary and the elsc-
ton, is completed and ready for in
PRODUCTION in the house. This bill has
probably been the source Of more
| curiosity on the part of the lawmakers
! and the people than any n other
measure, iRasm CHI as it would COZ
plete'y revelutionize on p esent sys-
| tem and be a radical departure fl om
| the present law of any state.
Of any attempt to have the primary
and the election he'd at the same
| time would seem p Grille, but a care
full study of the plan Iropoe ell fy Mr..
| Bigelow, has changed many who we e
| skeptical into ardent sunpo tsrs O
the scheme. 1t Is the simpi ity Of l
that appeals. Those not amiliar with
the idea naturally TO m the opinion
| that the ballot would necessarily Re
q very complex affair-that it weuli
take a mathematician to figure o t
how to vote it in~telligently to say
nothing of the average elsctor But
the fact is the ballot is more simple
than that used at either the primary
or the election OF today.
There have been three points OF
criticism against our present sys EN-
viz: expense, the permitting OF one
| party to interfere in the primary or
| another and the occasional dific lty
of determining the intent of TIE voter
The Bigelow bill cover all three OF
these points.
At the top of the ballot are the
names Of the parties, with the CT cses,
in one of which the voter is to place
his cross indicating the ticket for
which he wishes to vote. Under the
party names are divisions for the
factions of candidates. The elector
has merely to place croeses in front
of the candidates whom he wishes to
be placed in nomination, but must
remain within his own party as shown
at the top. The candidate recei ns
a majority vote for their respective
ofices-as indicated by the cross S in
front of their names-will be declar-
ed the nominees of their party and
entitled to all the votes cast for the !
party in the election, as ind'catad by
the markings in the circle at the top.
Each candidate on the ballot is
numbered and rubber stamps CORE
spending to these numbers are pro-
vided. At the extreme right of the
ballot is a column reserved for tn S
| who wish to vote, in the election only,
for candidates outside their party.
Should an elector wish to scratch"
his ballot. he would mark with the
rubber stamp in the election only
column the number of the candidate
for whom he wishes to vote, put. ing
the number on a line with the can
didate's name.
Mr.. Bigelow does not contend that
his bill is perfect in its present shape,
but believes he has the nuclues OF
the scheme that will remedy t. RI s.
emit defective system. He has sub
mitted his proposition to Ex-President
Roosevelt and the governors and Of
icers of several states and has re-
ceived great encouragement from
them regarding the prac ali ity of
it.
Representative Bigelow's proposed
educational code is a voluminous
document of nearly a hundred pages
In many ways 1t is a radical depart
ure from our present system, some OF
which are admittedly excellent while
others are the subject of hostile citi-
cism. The idea of having the boz RI
of regents appoint the state super
intendent Of schools, and tsu elm n
80 nz1.kkon RuoOa thnk nH7nn and hrfn0
the two educational divisions closer
together, is looked upon generally
with favor. This idea is not a ne
one, having been tried for several
years in New York and proven yer
satisfactory. Another feature which
has excited favorable comment is the
enlargement of the rural school unit,
making possible better rural schools
with agricultural training. IL Is gen
orally admitted that the rural schools
have not progressed as have the CT y
schools. SO this feature is genera ly
considered good.
But one idea which Is str nglv or
posed is that Of giving greater pow r
to the superintendent. The superin
tendent is elected by the board of Eve
for a term of three years. He is Civ
en- full authority In management, b I
OF course, should he prove incom-
petent the board can by maio ity
vote, get rid of him. Friends of the
new code claim that one { oubie with
the present scheme is that a super
intendent has not enough powerItha
he is hampered in the Pursuance o.
his duties, by having to consult the
board in everything he does. They
cite big corporations by way o. con
trast, where managers are PIT n.
vested with full autho: ity to mana e
things.
Prof. MAR OF Minnehaha. fo-rrer
Esmond-John Ward, a prorin mt
~-1 1911 ~~s~~- - 49, xf a.