The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1913-11-06

~''NS "a oh' VI bAS NNb'l Vi ibS
tions.
The results Of the old primary law
were so unsatisfactory both to the in
dependent candidate, as well as to the
public, as to not be insisted upon any
further by the thinking people as a
practical nominating method. Under
the present primary law, there will be
no fixed factional labels within the
party; because as the minority be-
comes the majority, its name and posi-
ton on the primary ballot is automati-
cally transferred, from one faction to
the other, as one defeats the other,
thereby creating a safe, legal, progress
sive nominating system.
In considering the present primary
law, it must be borne in mind that the
primary election is but a party cleo
ton, or an organization election,
where each political party does bust
ness for itself to prepare its own plat
form and candidates for the fall cleo.
ton, The primary election is there
fore purely several separate party
elections held on the same date, at the
same time and place, and it Is intend
ed that the voters in one party should
have no voice in the primary of any
other party. Considered broadly along
these lines, the law will not be found
complicated or incomprehensible, but
can be easily understood by any per-
son who will take the trouble to
read II.
The first step under the law is the
enrolment Of the voters to establish
/ thnin nnrtp N HSIiatton ..~lNI T.
Article 2. Each elector simply signs
the register as a voter in some one OF
the political parties in the enrolment
book with the municipal or township
clerk. This then entities the elector
to vote at the primary or party cleo
ton OF that party; but unless he is en-
rolled, he cannot vote. There Is no
provision for a voter to swear in his
vote. IL he could, there would be no
need Of having the enrolment at all.
II a voter does not wish to take part
in any election, he, of course, need not
register for the primary election.
The next step under the law is Sec
ton SO which provides for the ma
jority faction and the minority faction
in each party to call a mass meeting,
separately, at the court house in each
county, at 2 o'clock, p. M. on the first
Tuesday, (the second day. Of Deem
Der, 1913. Each faction of the party
can hold a separate December mass
meeting and each faction by majority
vote of the members present, car elect
one proposal committeeman for each
precinct in the county to represent
that faction of the party at the county
proposal meeting at 1 o'clock, p. m.
on the first Wednesday (the 7th day.
OF January, 1914. At the December
mass meeting there can also be elected
one state proposal committeeman to
represent each faction of the party for
the state proposal meeting to be held
in the Capitol building at Pierre at 10
O'Clock a. m, on the nrst Monday (the
9Th day. of January, 1914. After this
year there will be no more mass meet
ings held, as the proposal committee
men will be elected by a direct vote Of
the people at each primary election to
serve, in the initiatory meetings, for
the ext primary election. 1t Is there.
for necessary to give the new primary
law two trials to determine its value
in results.
The next step is the state proposal
meetings held in the Capitol building
at Pierre at 10 o'clock a. m, on the
first Monday (the 9Th day. of January,
1914. The minority faction of each
party meets in the senate chamber,
the majority faction in the house
chamber, and are assigned sepai ate
committee rooms, where each faction
openly and publicly proposes candi.
dates and platforms, which are signed
by the candidates and filed with the
secretary of state and recorded and
printed In the state publicity pamph.
let, which is mailed to every voter.
After the state meetings, the mex,
step Is the county meetings. on the
first Wednesday (the It'll day. of Jan.
nary, 1914, at the court house in each
county seat and are conducted in the
same manner as the state proposal
meetings, except that the filings of the
proposals are made with the county
auditor.
Persons not satisfied with the plat.
forms and candidates of the minority
or majority faction can, within IL days
after the proposal meetings, have any
candidate they wish, placed upon the
party ballot and who will run indie.
pendent, OF any faction. in the first col
umn OF the primary ballot, by filing a
petition, signed by two per cent Of the
party voters, with the secretary Of
state, for state Offices, or with the
county auditor for county Offices. Then
all the proposed platforms and candi
dates are printed on the party primary
ballot and submitted to q direct vote
of the party members at the primary
election on the fourth Tuesday 1.-THE
Path day. Of March, 1914.
One OF the strongest points OF the
new primary law IL the form Of ballo,
which is plain and simple. The econ
omic and personal phases Of the bal
lot are In plain sight. The platform
and the candidate are In a lineup on
the ballot so as to nominate the neces
sary representation In the govern
ment to enact the laws. Each voter
can, at q glance. 3 and understand
Just what principks the candidate. he
votes for, Is pledAsi to support. The
arrangement Of the new primary bal
lot Will no doubt tend toward majority
rule ana ultimately preclude the nee
0f more than two political par
tiee 10 shove forward new public poll
tcioo; becauso ~ majority and minor