Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1916-05-18

Changed Their Minds
on Party Affiliation
The striking feature of the primary
campaign in Codington county is the
large number of democrats who, or
liginally registering as democrats,
changed their party afiliation during,
the closing week of registration.
1t is believed that Codington coun-
ty, in proportion of the total rep,ib
|lican vote, has larger registration
than any other county in the state.
Within the city of Watertown there
ARE over thirteen hundred registered
las republicans, while in the rural pre-.
|cincts the republican registration ap-
Iproximates above thousand, making
the total republican registration in the
county about twenty four hundred.
AS an illustration of the ease with
which democrats changed their poll
tics over night, it may be said that
IKranzburg, which has never been
known to cast more than a score or
|so of republican votes, has about one
hundred registered republicans for
1.-THE primary election of May %. Many
democrats of this precinct who reg
|istered as such earlier in the season
Ichanged over to the republican party
during the last week preceding May
|12, the date of the closing Of registra-.
ltions.
In Waverly, too. the republican
registration mas gone far beyond any
republican vote cast in the precinct
hitherto. @
/ In the city of Watertown, at least
la score of democrats, having regis
tered as such, notified the county au-
,,ditor that they desired to change to
the republican column.
But aside from Kranzburg, Waiver
lily, the city of Watertown and one or
two other precincts, the republican
Registration is but slightly above nor
NAL.
The democrats of the county have
| nc contest whatever within their
ranks for the honor of securing the
party nominations, which may ac-
Icount in part for the heavy republi-
cam registration. certain democrats
jwhose sympathies extend to one side
Ior the other of the republican Tine
lup'' evincing a desire to take hand in
1.-THE republican game,
1t is understood that there Will be
lchallenges galore at the primary cleo
.ltipn. Probably more than half OF tle
Registered republicans of kranzbulg,
land perhaps many of those registered
|an other precincts, will haze to swear
|in,' their votes il they cast republican
ballots May 23.
4 The penalty for falsely swearing in
la vote at the primary, is severe. de-
Iclaring such act to be perjury.
i The law provides that party affilla-
ltion shall be declared at the time OF
registration, but the Law also pro
lyides that an elector may change his
jparty registration, if he so desires,
lat any time prior to the closing of the
books of registration.
Inasmuch as the intent OF the
Ielector in changing his party affilia'
Ition on the eve OF the primary elee
ltion is a matter difficult to determine
|by testimony other than his OVID
There appears to be some sort OF
: |loopho1e Through which an eleetoi
may escape punishment, even thougf
lit may ne we'll understood thai IN
changed merely for the purpose 9
helping to dictate the nominations II
IanOfher party.
For the sake OF showing what ;
man swears to if he records a chal
} llenged vote at the primary, we repro
duce a portion of section 81, OF chap
: tier 25S, laws OF 1915:
You no solennly eswear( or affirm
as the case may be) that you arr
years OF age; that ypn ar
la citizen of the United States, or haR,
r declared your intention to become I
lcitizen ssonformably TO the laws Q
: the United States; ffat you have re
, lsided in the United States one yesr
4 in this STATE six months, in this coun
lty thirty days, and in this precine
item days next preceding this primar.
Ielection, that YOU have not voted II
iany precinct at this primary elec
!, ltion, that you are IA good faith. {
f member OF the .--.-..---.- party and a be
llieyer in its principles as declared il
!, the last preceding national and stat,
platforms; and that you do now il
lgood faith intend to support the prif
J. lciples of that party and the candi
j dates nominated by it at the prin1ar
: Ties now being held and at the genera
Selection.T
Sections 90, 53 and 81 of the sans
sgahapter read as indicated below:
Section so. (Judge Must Chal
-i1enge; Whesl.l If any judge OF TIL,
fIprimary shall know, or have reason
I Ito believe THAT any person offering t.
lv0te is not qualified e1ector or il
J mot a member of the political part!
i whose party ticket he is attempitn,
! Ito vote. it shall be his duty to chal
Section 3D. (Perjur9.) If an.
Z tperson so challenged shall take thu
Z oath provided for in this act, know
! ing the same to be false, he shall b,
\ deemed guilty OF wilful and corrup
Z perjury, and. shall. on conyictfon, suf
{ fer such punishment as now is o.
I shall hereafter be prescribed by Law
!, tfor persons guilty Of perjury"
Section So. (IlIegal Voting; Pen
lhltv. Every person knowing him
self So be ineligible who votes or of