Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1912-10-25
ATTORNEY C. o BAILEY, A RE,
COGNIZED AUTHORITY ON
POLITICAL ECONOMY AND
ORGANIC LAW SAYS OF
THE RICHARD
PRIMARY.

EDITORS NOIE -Ihe writer OF
this article, MIR. c. O. Bailey. is one
of South Dakota's most distinguished
lawyers and a recognized authority
on political economy and organic law.
Mr.. Bailey's discussion Of the socalled
/, Richards Primary Law which
South Dakota is to accept or reject at
the election next month, was prepar-
ed for The Press in response to ire
quently expressed demand for an
analysis OF the proposed law by a stu
dent OF political usages. The laymen
despairs ere he has read half of the
bill and lays it aside hopelessly
puzzled -witted, knowing not how to
yote-for or against. The Judgment
of trained mind, presented herewith
is timely.
(BY G. O. BAILEY
While every voter in South Dakota
has undoubtedly heard of the social
ed Richards Primary Law" there is
probably not one voter in a hundred
who has the slightest idea of what the
provisions of the proposed law are or
in what manner 1t differs from the
existing statutes. Most voters have
a hazy idea that it is a form OF direct
primary law designed to bring the
candidates for Office "closer to the
people"
AS matter of fact, the Richards
Primary Law is proposition to adopt
as the election law of the state OF
South Dakota a most cumbersome
system of election machinery which
will be wholly unavoidable in practice
and which is not direct primary at
all, but if adopted will operate 10
Place Politics In The Hands OF
A Coterie of rotten borough districts
and further from the people than they
ever were in the most palmy days OF
the caucus and convention system.
The practical objections to the
Richards Primary Law are so numer-
Gus that to enumerate them all would
be impracticable and only the most
salient defeats can be discussed.
ABRIDGES VOTERS LIBERTY
The Richards Primary Law provides
for a registration of the electors ac-
cording to their political affiliations
in each odd numbered year. After an
elector has been registered there is
no provisions for a change until the
next biennial reg istration and for two
wears each elector is bound by law to
: vote the party ticket regardless OF
any change which he may have made
in his political views.
The party organization is made up
of a State Central Committee and of
County Central Committees. The
State Central Committee is composed
of one mem Der from each county and
the County Central committee are
composed of one member from each
voting precinct. The members OF the
state and county are required to vote
at all meetings by unit representa-
tion,'' whatever that may mean.
The result is that upon a state com
mittee the smallest county in the
state having but few hundred voters
has as large representation as the
most populous county with thousands
of voters and in county committee a
precinct with score or so of voters
possesses the same representation as
popuious city ward with five hundred
voters to it's credit. This is rever'
sion with a vengeance to the town
representation" system which Is still
In vogue in some of the smaller New
England states whereby less than
third OF the voters control two-thirds
Of the members of the legislature
In the formation of the party state
and county campaign committees the
Richards Primary Law disregards
altogether the number Of electors II
each county and precinct and gives
each geographical, division equal re
presentation with each other division
thus giving less than thousand vote'
In one county equal authority witt
six thousand VOTERS In another coun
ty.
The unique feature about the Kich
ards Primary Law Is It's plan OF
majority and minority proposal com
mittee." To find anything like II on