The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1915-02-25
THE:LEG|SLATURI
RICHARDS APPEARS WITH HIS
AMENDED PRIMARY ELEC-
TION LAW.

to have in his hands another part of
the petition with about 5000 more
names and will then file 1t with the
secretary of state.
Among the changes in the primery
are the following:
Eliminating joint district . nyen-
lions, both legislative and judicial
and providing that where there is
more than one county in a district
the candidates shall file independent
petitions.
Simplifying the enrolment feature
and lessenlng the expenses by provid-
ing assessors must make the enroll
ment while making the regular as
essment.
Reducing mileage of county pro-
posal e from 10 cents to Z cents.
Providing for organization of new
parties.
Making it impossible for presiden-
tial electors to vote against the ma
tional party nominee.
Defines paramount issue and pro-
vides that parties must select one
plank from the platform as the issue
in the campaign.
Mr.. Richards appeared before the
joint committee on privileges and
elections last night in opposition TO
reenactment of the Crawford primary
law. which has passed the senate and
awaits action by the house. He also
explained the provisions of his new
initiated law.
Under the legal regulations the
legislature must pass the new Rich
ards law and submit il to the voters
at the general election of 1916.
The investigating committee ex.
poets to get its report filed in both
houses. as oon as Chairman VanDe-
mark returns. he having been called
home by illness. Nothing more sem
sational than the findings in the de-
partment of the secretary of state,
which are along the lines reported,
and resulting in the resignation OF
Assistant Nelson of that department
is promised.
II. O. Richards talked to a number
of the members in the senate cham
Der and denounced the senator's who
voted for the repeal OF his initiated
primary act, declaring that each one
OF them has made himself liable on
a perjury charge under his oath, and
that they are all doomed for political
oblivion.
The senate committee on state af-
fairs will return a favorable report
on the Mclean bill, which provides
for convict labor on the highways of
the state, returning 1t without any
amendment.
The resolution for constitutional
prohibition is up for action in the
senate with the probabilities appar-
emily that IL will go through.
The house passed Thompson's bill
appropriating $4,000 for a Irvine
plant at the state penitentiary at
Sioux Falls. The necessity for this
appropriation was shown by the
board of charities and corrections
and the measure as passed carries
the full amount of money asked for.
One of the hard fought PROPOSE
tons OF the session is the bill which
seeks to provide q method of dividing
the assets and debts of old Stanley
county among the three counties OF
Stanley, Haakon and Jackson. There
appears to be a wide difference of
opinion between the residents OF
what yet remains as Stanley county,
and those of the new counties of
Haakon and Jackson as to just what
the division should be and each is
playing for an act which will give
them as much of a showing as pos
sible when the final adjudication is
made. With a courthouse at Fort
Pierre, the newly organized counties
take the position that they are in no
way bound for any payments to be
made on that structure, and other
features appear to be bothering them
in the manner Of a settlement.
The bill to compel compulsory
Bible reading in the schools of the
state, was reduced to practically the
same as the old law before 1t passed.
by cutting from the bill the word
shall" and inserting in its stead
may" This leaves the only addi-
ton to the existing law a provision
requiring the school officers of each
district to provide a Bible as a part
of the equipment of each room. Out
side that feature there is no change.
The house passed the compulsory
feature by a good majority and will
probably refuse to concur in the sem
ate amendment, and the matter will
come down to which house will re-
cede from its position.
The new code revision bill is re-
ceiving considerable criticism. IT
carries provisions which are an i'm
possibility under existing laws, and
ask for the printing and distribution
of the findings of the commission
within a time which make such dis
tribution prohibitive before the leg
islature of 1917 meets. The greatest
criticism of the revision of 1903 was
that no mi could find out what the
code commission had done before the
legislature met, and that the vote on
adoption or rejection of the work of
the commission had to be done on
faith and without any opportunity to
learn what had been done with the
laws. The new bill pretends to cover
this. but is drawn to give fifteen days
from the time the copy is furnished
uuft1 tho prfn{oa Hna:uur orn ~ he