Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1916-09-16
STATE POLITICS
Voter Who Seeks to Vote Intelligently
Must do Some Studying Between
Now and Election Day

The South Dakota voter who seeks TO
vote intelligently upon all the questions
submitted for his consideration must do
lot of studying and thinking between
now and election day if he has not al
ready performed that duty to himself
and his state. In South Dakota the vot-
er has something more to do than
merely to select the candidates for the
various executive, judicial and legisla-
tive branches of the state government,
and to elect three congressman every
two years aud one United States senator
every six years. He is clothed too, with
part of the lawmaking powers of the
state, thanks to the initiative and refer
endum provisions Of the state constitu-
| ton
This year there are two referred laws,
passed by the legislature at its 1915 ses-
sion, upon which the referendum was
invoked, two initiated laws, submitted
to the voters through the initiative pro
vision of the constitution, and nine pro-
posed constitutional amendments.
Just now the two constitutional amend
ments with which the state is most oc-
cupied are the prohibition amendment
and the equal suffrage amendment. The
supporters and opponents of prohibition
and woman suffrage are both campaign
ing energetlcaly. The suffragists have
had team" of enthusiastic speakers,
women, cam mpaigning the state in an
automobile and doing really effective
work for the cause" Many Of the
newspapers are actively supporting the
suffrage cause, aud but few are openly
opposed, large number of those not
supporting the amendment evidently
feeling much like the Aberdeen News,
which, in discussing the subject, de-
clared "The News, for instance, is not
particularly opposed to woman suffrage,
nor yet particularly enamored of it. If
the women want TO vote and get into
that sort Of thing with the men to vote
aud serve on juries and the like and
break down old time sex barriers gen
orally, the News is willing that they
should. Mere man, as things are consti-
tuted Is bearing pretty heavy burden
anyway and ought to be willing to share
it with willing volunteers The News is
up a stump as to whether politics, or
political methods will be much different
when the women are granted the right
to vote" But it admits that, sooner or
later, women will be granted the ballot
in the state and nation
Another proposed amendment which
public sentiment generally seems to fa-
vor, is that permitting the state to en-
gage in internal improvements. This
amendment is necessary before the state
can take advantage of the national good
roads law which would give to South
Dakota something like $4,000 year
from the national treasury for good roads
improvement, provided the state APP
propriates the same amount.
The nine proposed amendments com.
prise; An amendment permitting the
organization of irrigation districts under
the state law, by which property own
ers may tax themselves for such i'm
provement amending the constitution
so the state legislature may fix the COM
pensation of state officials, now fixed by
the constitution the prohibition amend
ment; raising the fiye-year limit on the
leasing of state lands; establishing a
state system of rural credits the suf-
frage amendment; permitting the state
to classify property and assess the diff
lerent classes upon different per cent
of charge, taking into account income,
franchises and other privileges (this is
the amendment the express companies
are fighting vigorously; the call for a
state constitutional convention to revise
the state constitution; the amendment
permitting the state to engage IN good
roads work and other internal improve
ments.