The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1913-11-20
Falls, today killed himself by shoot
ing a hotel room. AT Sioux Falls, it is
stated Mr.. Donahue is not known,

stated Mr.. Donahue is not known.
oN-
ANALYSIS OF
PRIMARY LAW
II. o. RICHARDS EXPLAINS TIKI
PURPOSE OF THE SOUTH DA.
kOTA PRIMARY ELECTION
LAW.
The purpose OF the present South
Dakota primary election law asa par
ty law Is to rlace open legal ofxaniza-
ton for; principles above personal am-
bition for office. aud sto* frustfats the
usual combination OF individuals. who
merely desire to control tho govern
nnent to perpetuate themselves In pow
er without developing equity. This is
dbne by having two sets of principles
for party platforms proposed by open
representation within each party
before the primary election. and Sub
mitted to the party voters for their
choice, upon the same primary ballot
With the Candidates. and thus notui-
nate a party platform and candidates
at the same time by seeret% ballot ard
majority rule. The purpose OF this
Ia to frrnish a free. safe. competitive.
legal ihi:iatory method of organiza-
ton of the party at each primary cleo
ttpn TO sniake, the, party responsive to
the win OF the majority of its members.
This viii also preclude the necessity
II ~erEanixing new parties. or. having
e ore than two political parties. to
Toward 9priTciples for new public
policies. because, under this method.
new public policies may be tried out
under the old party .namRs and thus
preserve the majority rule within the
party electorate.c AZ vel II tho Z
eral electorate.
The intention of the law Is that UNI
der ordinary circumstances the .ofncs
shall seek tho man throush.open in
jtiatory representative committee pro-
posais.
The law only provides for two such
proposals.. within e~achspArty. one Mi
norfty and one majority pr6posal.
The theory of this is that tho PEOPLE,
by REPRESENTATION, will thereby have
a voice In the first selection of the
tacti6nal candidate. which uRder the
fSld primary law or under the pro;
o6sed Corey primary Iaw. could only
MT best be selected privately by tho
politicians in factional mass confer.
snces. Ihs principle of the. 'presen:
primary law c~ontempiatss two fac
tions within each party. otherwise
TN re- would be ma :eheice fof which I
vote. 49, :
Ds&A-up OF the eanaidate. on the
pri,as.ry ballot for = sprih ciple Ais OBJ
viously necessary to carry the party
for a given public policy. Otherwise
progress 10 arrested and the primary
election simply becomes an unseem-
ing, 'eHpensiN. personal .squabble Of
independent candidates for Office. =.
Indeperdent c%andtdates. under the
Present law, who have no zeal ffiess-
age to the people and fseanio OF rscsivSe
aIsplace on the minority eor 'majori4y.
proposal, will brand themselves .as
mere office seekers,fas compared with,
the candidates; proposed by represen-
tation In tho minority or the majority
column in \ lineup foES pftnciple.
Yet ii the minority or the majority
representation 'i1hofes tho Best man,
ora man with q rshi rhsSaageAof truth.
to forward evslutfSn In state govern
fhent, he may properly SfSsss In tho In.
ny anu Gun
1t 10 fair TO assume that, except Tor
judicial purposes. the independent col3
pTfn ION b primary. baf1ot viii sbs
dead. the same as On the general e1tc.
ton, ballot. The old primary law In
theory contemplated that every cans,
Edidatc should vi independent. of ev-
cry other scaifdfdate: but in practice
factfons were formed, and h se1ec..
tiensfof the factiona1 candidates. were
made BY a few polfticians. without re.
presentation. by holding a secret
derby hat-prinfafy. These secretly
h,ades,ip sslates were pot 'ont under
sub-lsbels. such as "Prosressfves aud
.stalwart," rendering thu party. In
twain into sublparties. ~Thefsnect Of
this was to split the party into labeled
factions between whom such bitter
feeling was engendered that the party
success at the polls was endangered,
In fact the strife between Progressive
and stalwart was mora Bitter than
ever existed Between Republican and
Democrat. Another result was tHe
ehtiire fatilisy> Of independent candi-
dacy.. I'm the tkfeeEpt1mary elections
held sundsr tine 'oldAlaw. not a single
Candidate for state office was nomin.
atsd whose candidacy had not been app
proved by the mon -representatiye.
self Ct stituted machine, Of 4one OF the
ether Of these factions. 8
Ths fssurs Of me- etA primary lxw
were 30 sdhsstisSactory.bsth to the In
sdep chi can didate, as well as to the
public. rs to rot be fnsIstsd npon n
furtheri~by -ths thinking people as q
practical nominating method. Under
tire fDfesent primary law, there win.
BE no .hxed fictf6hal labels within the
party: because as the minority be-,
comes III majority its nanhs and po-
1siticn on tho primary ballot ID ,auto-,
niaticalIyz Transferred. from ono fac.
tion to the. other. a. ene.iAefAats the
other, thereby creating q SAFE. lsxal.l
prssr<ssfve nominattns taysten,
-In. ar1hixksstha--AtasAnt.prin
iaw. 1t must - bofns I'M mind Yhat tie
primary election Isl bdtsAs party cleo
ton. OF IN, sotsfnisitiSn seisctio1.
where each ponticAl party. does ;busi-i
ness FOR itself tosprspafs ia dwn; piat-
form and 'eSndiaAAss tor. thu faali esee-
ton. The primary election .is there
fore purely several separate party,
elections Asid Sltths.. tAnds dSte. Il ths
same time aAAs PISS. 4Sad IL il intsnd-
edsthat the vstsrs' Ia oA6s piffy fShoaid,
have NO voice IN tie Inrinnn ~ iof