Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1914-01-03
RICHARDS IDEA At WORK
Has Been Based on Mis-
understanding.

After the first nominations have been
made under the Richards primary law
it is possible many of its present critics
will be praising it. A good deal of the
criticism of the law has been based on
misunderstanding of its purport and ex.
aggeration of miner difficulties encoun.
tered in putting itinto operation. There
has been frequent suggestion that the
law will be sent to the junk heap just as
soon as public sentiment can get another
crack at it. In the light of the outcome
of the first primary it is more likely the
public will be found insisting on cor
recting the obvious weaknesses in the
system and continuing the experiment.
When the proposal committees have
discharged their functions the main plan
of the Richards law will have become
palmer than at any previous time.
There has been an impression that in
some mysterious way the convention
system will be restored through the pro.
posal committees. There has been talk
about the value of the majority nomina-
tion, and of the possibility of the pro-
posal committees barring the doors
against all except favorite candidates.
When the first primary ballot is made
up and submitted for inspection by the
voters the emptiness of all this talk about
preprimary victories will be readily dis
cernible.
The fact is that the candidate who has
won place on the slate prepared by the
majority proposal committee has won
no distinct advantage. The whole ma
jority slate will not necessarily enjoy
any advantage. For all practical pur-
poses minority nomination is just as
good as a majority nomination, and the
minority slate may have as good chance
of winning as the majority slate. If
there are weak candidates for certain
Office on both proposal committee states
there will be chance for an indepen-
dent candidate to gain the nomination.
The important fact is that while the
proposal committees suggest candidates,
the voters do the nominating, and the
manner of placing the states before them
is calculated to make the voters exercise
there choice on merit.
The strength of the slate depends not
on its designation as representing the
majority or the minority in the last party
contest, but in the intrinsic strength of
the candidate, individually and collec-
lively. The majority proposal commit
tee cannot fix up weak slate and de
pend upon the prestige of representing
the majority TO pull it through. If the
majority proposal committee offers set
of weak candidates a majority of the
voters will turn naturally to the minori-
ty slate. They will do this as arebuke to
the majority even if the minority slate
is no stronger than the majority. The
Richards system is not designed to ell:
courage independent candidates., but it
is so adjusted that if conspicuousy unfit
men are proposed for any office by both
committees, an Independent candidate
may be proposed by petition and no.
minated if the voters take the trouble
to 60 to the independent column in
search of good man.
With the theory of the Richards law
working out in practice, it will behoove
each proposal committee to put forward
the strongest candidate it can find for
every Office, and to be as fair as may be
n recognizing the claims of the various
geographical districts. If the majority
slate is headed by weak candidate it
may prejudice the prospects Of the whole
slate. If there is weak spot anywhere
in the majority slate it will drive the
voter over to the minority column. If
there are number of weak spots on
either ticket the tendency will be to
drive supporters of that faction over in
to the other faction. Even as between
two strong states there is no special rea-
son why a voter should not vote a straight
factional slate. He can pick out his
preferences from both states and, if very
particular, may even 60 over into the
| independent column. The strong candi-
date has about the same opportunity to
get votes no matter which slate he is on.
The weak candidate is about as likely to
prove his weakness on one slate as on
another. There is, of course, the theory
that each slate will stand for certain
principles and legislative policies. In
fact this is not likely to be realized ex-
cept on rare occasions.
Besides having the final choice under
the Richards law, the voters initiate in
directly the majority and minority states
Instead of choosing between states franz
ed by small cliques of leaders or bosses,
the voters choose between states pro-
posed by committees elected at the pri-
mary and representing all sections Of
the state according to party strength.
There is mass of confusing detail in
the Richards primary law, but behind
| it is an idea that will be we'll worth
watching by believers in the principle of
direct nominations.-Sioux City Journal
Several months ago decision was
given by U. s. Judge in the state of
Georgia that declarations of intentions
to become citizens issued under the old
law expired or became invalid at the
expiration of seven years. 1t is now
held by the United States District Court
for the western district OF Pennsylvania