The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1915-03-24

insult to the people whom they rep
resented. 1t seems to be a fad with
so many of these self-styled political
''Nazarenes" to stigmatize all public
servants as crooks and felons, or as
mental imbeciles and with no other
purpose than to drive honest men out
of politics that they themselves may
get the place.
The Richards primary law is a
piece of unique political vagary. 1t
never had a progenitor, moi has 1t
yet been blessed with a progeny, and
may the good Lord grant that 1t will
ever remain barren. That newspa-
pers should have advocated 1t; that
men oil recognized intelligence should
have endorsed il, and that the people
of a wideawake progressive state
should have adopted 1T, has often
puzzled me. The law Is cumber-
some. complicated and expensive, and
Is indefensible on these grounds
alone. Aside from all this, the whole
scheme OF the Richards primary law
rests on the Utopian fallacy that ev-
cry politician Is honest. II Is a po-
litical philosophy of an idealist, and
il may be the very kind OF an instru-
ment needed up in Heaven, where,
am told, all men have become honest
and conditions are perfect. But III
has always occurred to me that TO
legislate for men, still In the flesh,
we must take conditions as they ac-
tually are in order to get practical
results. Even the author of the law
admits his mental product needs a
1 T1Aar- ~-4.Lg-~ CA hn nnnfr n "a ffg Z
TO the people a new primary law. In
fact, his old law supplemented by a
few ideas just discovered in his leg
islative laboratory at Huron.
| should not ask for more space
discussing this matter III it were not
for the fact that 50 many OF the peo-
pie of our state and some of the peo-
pie and newspapers of our sister
states OF Minnesota and Iowa are
taking the primary schemes OF Mr..
Richards seriously. And ii may be
added that Mr.. Richards seems to
have the means and is using large
sums of money to force his ideas up
on the people. For these reasons,
wish to call attention to a few or the
brand new ideas of the latest Rich
ards primary law, and on which the
people OF u state are now called
upon to pass judgment at the general
election in 1916.
The latest evolution" in the pri-
mary philosophy we will find elluci-
dated in Secs. 60 and 81 of the new
Richards primary law. and found on
pages 633 to 637, inclusive, of the
Senate Journal. The said primary
law is also printed in the House
Journal. hope that every person,
especially newspaper editors. will
read and attempt TO assimilate some
of these new ideas before they under
take to advocate their merits.
AS already pointed out by a Pierre
correspondent. we find some startling
provisions in this new Richards law.
that will make some of our would-be
candidates for a public office sit up
and take notice.
Every candidate for president or
governor, be he a majority candidate.
minority candidate or an Independent
candidate, or be he a republican.
democrat, socialist or any other party
candidate. must arm himself with a
paramount issue-one well defined
and definite principle for a public
policy filed with the secretary of
} state" (Sec. 60). If he fails to dec
crate himself with this badge of
: recognition he is excluded from the
: race.
! The candidate who is fleetest on
foot and can first reach the secretary
I of states office and file his para
mount ISSUE" gets In on the ground
1 floor, 'as a reward for merit or initi-
. alive in devisiHg measures for pub
lie welfare" (Sec. 60 a.
Q Every candidate for president
, must make or accept a challenge for
I one, and every candidate for govern
: or must make or accept a challenge
e for twelve public joint debates
within the state to debate his para
Z mount issue" (Sec. 61.) II he fails
or refuses. his name is automatically
stricken from the list OF accredited
{ candidates.
III any candidate Is sick and cannot
o attend one Of these public joint de-
bates" he must appoint a substitute
e and furnish the substitute with "a
sworn certificate by a licensed physi-
s clan that such candidate is positively
unable to be present on account OF
Sickness" (Sec. 81 ~ to be read al
t the debate, and in Ease the candidate
n fails in this the poor devil is down
g and out.
If no other suitable place for the
n holding Of such public joint debate
is agreed upon. II must be held in the
e courtroom OF the county courthouse
d land IL there Is any public business
e occupying the courtroom at that hour
e II shall vacate the courtroom for the
e debate" (Sec. 81 j.) and out goes
g the judge. and the jury. and the sher-
if, and the clerk, and the attorneys
n and the witnesses. and the whole
shebang.
Al are ary uIopoudop candidate fny