Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1916-02-11
RESOLUTIONS OFFERED TO.
AMEND PRIMARY LAW
May 23RD IS SUGGESTED
As DATE FOR THE SPRING PRIMARY
TO Be HELD and FILINGS WILL
Be MADE ACCORDINGLY

convened in special session at 10 a.
m. Tuesday, and the senate went into
session at 1890 a. m.
March of Hughes county offered q
resolution that the organization of the
house Of the 1915 session be made per-
manent for the special session, which
was adopted.
The house met in joint session with
the senate at II q. m j, to listen to the
reading of the message from the gov
ernor, which referred to the calling of
the special session, and stating that
the legislature might pass other mat
tsrs at the special session, other than
that specified in the call.
A recess was taken until 9 p. M, in
order to give the committees time to
assemble.
At the evening session four bills
were introduced and passed to their
second reading.
In his message to the joint bodies
the governor, after having stated the
law empowering him to convene the
legislature in extraordinary session,
said, in part:
"The primary election law fixes the
date of the biennial primary election
as the first tuesday in June, which this
year falls on the sixth. The National
convention of the republican party is
called to meet in Chicago on the 7th of
June, the day following the primary
election. The national convention of
the democratic party meets in St.
Louis on the 14tb, one week later. 1t
is certain that delegates cannot be
elected at our primary election on June
sixth. the result of the election asoer-
tanned and certified in time that such
delegates may be seated in the con-
vention held June 7th. 1t is very
doubtful if delegates can. on that date
be legally selected, certified, and ore
dentisled in time for the convention
which meets June 18th; and it is Ger
tain they cannot II it should happen
that there would be close contest in
the primary.
"Section "a provides: I'm case the
national political convention of any
political party * n has been called to
meet at date too early to allow the
delegates to the same from this state
to be elected at the June primary q
primary for the election of such dele
gates shall be held on the first Tuesday
In April
''In view Of the provisions of the
primary election law and the date of
the national convention. it seems clear
that we are confronted with the
emergency contemplated by the law in
the provisions for holding primary
election in April for electing delegates
to national conventions. While the
terms of the law providing for the
April primary in this emergency are
clear and unequivocal, aud. in my
opinion, such that II the request and
declaration found in subdivision of 8
of section 6 is offered, such request
and declaration will be accepted and
filed by the proper state officers, the
fling certified to the county authorities
and the April primary invoked. the
provisions for holding such primary
election and the methods of procedure
are not 90 clear There are defects and
discrepancies In the law. I will not
say that any Of these defects are neces.
sarily fatal, but they are such as to
render the holding Of the April pri-
mary at least doubtful; and. aside
from and In addition to this, the wis.,
dom of holding two primaries, with the
attendant expense and inconvenience
to the voters, when one can be made to
answer better, is open to serious ques.
tion. It is to remedy this situation
have called you together.
"ln addition to adjusting the date
for holding the primary election, sub
division l of section 6. should be
amended so as to make it clear that the
signatures required on petitions filed
for candidates for congress shall be
based On the vote cast in the congress
sional district In question and not the
entire state"