Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1916-11-02
SO. DAK0TA'S
IMPORTANT
ELECTION
For Laws, by Amending State
Constitution.

IlcIIc, .. Leg OCIs o".-1 WI COA-
stitutional amendments of chief in
terest to be voted on by South Dako-
ta's electorate Nov. z are those pro-
posing statewide prohibition and the
granting of the ballot to women. Hot
fights have conferred on both PROPOSE
tions. Both suffrag,sts and anti-suf-
fragists have established state head
quarters and the former faction
sponsored a campaign tour by Mrs.
William Jennings Bryan, the first she
ever made. Two years ago, woman
suffrage was decisifely defeated, but
both sides claim victory in the COM
ing test. :
wet forces of the state are lined
up behind a local. option league,
which has been conducting vigor-
Gus newspapers campaign against
the amendment. Many counties are
now dry" under local option laws.
South Dakota once had statewide
prohibition but later returned to
limited tolerance of the saloon.
Other amendments offered for the
voters decision are:
1. To authorize the state to con-
struct and maintain good roads and
to supply coal to people of the state
from it's lands. At present the state
is prohibited from engaging in any
work of internal improvement.
2. To authorize the legislature
to provide for the irrigation of ag-
ricultural land at expense OF land lr-
rigated.
8. To revise article XII of the
constitution on revenue and fin
ance." The amendment would limit
the tax levy to two mills; would au-
thorize the legislature to classify
property for taxation instead OF
taxing all property uniformly; would
provide for taxation upon the in
come privileges and occupations OF
both corporations and individuals,
and would remove the mandatory
provision concerning the taxing of
moneys, credits anu investments and
the loans of banks and bankers.
4. To authorize the state or'any
county or group of counties to estab-
lish a system of rural credits.
5. To require the legislature
which meets next January to call
constitutional convention, fixing the
members at the number of state
senators.
6. To authorize the leasing of
school lands for a longer period than
five years.
7. To authorize the legislature
to fix the salaries of all elective state
officers. At present those salaries
are fixed by the constitution.
BY initiative and referendum the
people will vote on an act to repeal
the present primary law and re-enact
with some changes, the Richards pri-
mary law adopted in 1912. A feature
of the act is a requirement that
candidates for governor and presi-
dent must engage in joint debate
within the state on issues Of the
election. Nomination of candidates
for postmasterships by vote of reg
istered party members also is pro-
vided.
Another measure would provide
for verdicts in civil actions before
juries by vote of five-sixth of the
jury.
Other inflated and referred acts
are:
1. Requiring majority vote of
election of any township, town or
city to authorize granting of liquor
licenses to corporate authorities. At
present only a majority of the voters
participating in the liquor election is
required.
2. Revising the general banking
laws of the state and guaranteeing
bank. deposits. This act has been an
ticipated by an act Of the legislature
and If adopted will merely replace
a present law of the same nature.
3. Repeating the present banking
law and providing for guaranty of
bank deposits. The object is similar
to the foregoing but differs in details
of application.
While democrats look upon South
Dakota as doubtful, maintaining
there is q chance for their winning,
complete confidence is expressed by
all republican leaders in success of
their national and state tickets.