The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1915-02-25
8 ~ 81 Ie--- - . -sy. 1~41 $1,000
HIGIlAHDS ON THE DEFENSIVE

a. It-tIdttl1eHL Oh MS pT1lHiTy Syh-
tenn with minor notifications. The
petition has The requisite number of
signatures and the legislature can
not but submit il to a vote of the peo-
pie at the 1916 general election.
In the MEANWHILE the state senate
has passed the Crawford primary act
as a new bill and gave It enough votes
for the emergency clause. which pre-
vents the use of the referendum up
on 1t. IL the house also gives it a
two thirds majority, rs seems not
unlikely if a desirable registration
feature can he added to it., 1t will
nj be subject to the referendum.
Otherwise Richards would undoubt-
eddy invoke the referendum and thus
keep the law in operation for Two
two q years.
But if tlIe flcgislat1re passes. It's
new primary law with the emergency
clause, IT means that this new net
will apply to the q primary. re-
gardless of the Richards initiative.
the initiative cannot be acted upon
until the 1915 genera, election and
50, III the Richards law were approx
ed at the polls, II could not be used
until the i91s primary election.
Thus II Is thar II j. planned 10
put Richards Oh tae defensive. The
legislature evidently Intends to take
his law or The statute books ana it is
then up to him to get it baFls by
means 81 the initihtlye. There Is Just
one way that Richards ear keep his
system going until after the next
primary and that is by mn appeal to
the courts to prevent the operation
OF the legislatures primary system.
It 10 possible, but not likely, thai
this would tic up the Crawford prim-
airy act until after the 1916 primary
and thus compel tile uso or the Rich
ards law for that primary.
Hut. Whatever he might do, Rich
FEIrrEM
ards will be at disadvantage against
an emergency primary law by the
present session. And, after the gem
eral dissatisfaction Of the voters with
themselves for adopting his primary
IN the first place without being ac-
auainted with it's nature. it is to be
doubted II they will in the noar fin
ture approve any sort Of a primary.
This was indicated by their rejection
Of the Coffee initiated primary bill at
the last general election. The voters
should recognize by now that file en-
actmant Q fsuch a law as that is prop
erly the work Of the iiegislature.
But III can be reiterated that tho.
proposed primary law viii not give
satisfaction to the people of the
state unless it provides for a reg
istratlon plan that will protect each
party's primary from invasion by the
members OF other parties. II The leg
islature adds the Richards registra-
ton plan to the primary bill that
passed the. senate. IT will have done
an accountable piece OF work.
Ae<
The pope is reported as again APP
preaching the kaiser In the interest
If peace. He might try some OF the
other rulers next time. IT might
change his luck.
H-As+
Senator stoner' OF Perkins county
wants 4 law requiring all school
sblackboards 70 bear the legend,
keep on the Tracks, as a. part Of
ke safety first" movement. It MIGHT
BE we'll TO start by lettering these
words on the walls OF the rooms oc
Icnpied " the two branches Of the
state legislature. 70 ONE men a
political wreck IS worse than one on
4 railroad:
The NorMeggians have now lost two
boatasand the United States one, in
ttHe new war gone: on the high seas.
They are taking the losses OF war
withoutany chances Of victories But
an we'll forego the Victories if