The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1913-11-07
AN ANALYSIS OF new
SOUTH DAKOTA PRI-
MARY ELECTION LAW
BY e. O. RICHARDS.


ton for principles above personal am.
bition for office. and to frustrate the
usual combination OF individuals, who
merely desire to control the govern
ment TO perpetuate themselves in pow
er without developing equity. This is
0One by having two sets OF principles
Tor 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 nomi-
nate party platform and candidates
at the same time by secret ballot and
majority rule. The purpose OF this
IS TO furnish free, safe, competitive,
legal initiatory method of Organiza-
tion OF the party at each primary elec-
ton to make the party responsive to
the Will OF the majority of its members.
This will also preclude the necessity
OF organizing new parties, or having
more than two political parties, to
forward principles for new public
policies, because, under this method
new public policies may be tried out
under the old party names and thus
preserve the majority rule within the
party electorate, as well as the gen.
eral electorate.
The intention of the law is that un-
der ordinary circumstances the office
shall seek the man through open in.
itiatory representative committee pro-
pOsals.
The law only provides for two such
proposals, within each party, one mi
nority and one majority proposal.
The theory OF this is that the people,
by representation. will thereby have
a voice in the first selection of the
factional candidate, which under the
Old primary law, or under the pro-
posed Coffey primary law, could only
at best be selected privately by the
politicians III factional mass confer
ences. The principle of the present
primary law cOntemplates two fac.
tions within each party, otherwise
there would be no choice for which to
vote.
Lineup OF the candidates on the
primary ballot for a principle is OBJ
viously necessary to carry the party
for a given public policy. Otherwise
progress is arrested and the primary
election simply becomes an unseem-
ing, expensive, personal squabble OF in
dependent candidates for office.
Independent candidates, under the
present law, who have no real mes
sage to the people and cannot receive
a place on the minority or majority
proposal Will brand themselves as
mere Office seekers, as compared With
the candidates proposed by represen-
tation i'll the minority or the majority
column in a lineup for a principle.
Yet ii the minority or the majority
representation ignores the best man.
or a man with a real message of truth
to forward evolution in state govern
ment, he may properly file in the in
dependent column by petition and can
win; but under ordinary circumstances
it is fair TO assume that, except for
judicial purposes, the independent
column on the primary ballot will be
dead. the same as on the general elec-
tion ballot. The old primary law IL
theory contemplated that every can
didate should run independent OF
every other candidate; but i'll practice
factions were formed, and the selec-
tions Of the factional candidates were
made by few politicians, without rep
resentation, by holding secret
derby-hat-primary. These secretly
made-up states were put out under
sub-labels, such as Progressive and
"Stalwart,' rendering the party in
twain into sub-parties. The effect o.
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.
liz fact the strife between Progressive
and Stalwart was more bitter than
ever existed between Republican and
Democrat Another result was the
entire futility of independent candi-
dacy In the three primary elections
held under the old law. not a single
candidate for state office was nomi-
mated whose candidacy had not been
approved by the non-representative,
self-constituted machine OF one or the
other of these factions.
The results of the old primary law
were SO unsatisfactory both TO the ir-
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
nc liked factional labels within the
party; because as the minority be-
comes the majority, its name and po.
siJion on the primary ballot is auto
matically transferred, from one fac
ton to the other. as one defeats the
other, thereby creating a safe, legal,
progressive 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 busi-
ness for itself to prepare its own plat
form and candidates for the fall elec-
tiOn. The primary election is there
fore purely several separate party cleo
tiOns held on the same date. at the
same time and place, and it is intend
cd 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 70 read It,
The first step under the law is the
enrolment of the voters TO establish
their party atiiliation, as provided in
Article 9. Each elector simply signs