Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1917-01-26
PRIMARY TO BE SUBMITTED AGAIN


announces that he will again make
another effort to get his Primary
Law on the ballot, in case the leg
islature again re elects his propos-
ais. lnasmuch as Forest City
gave the measure a good majority
vote, said voters will he interested
i'm what Mr.. Richards has to say
on the subject. In a letter to The
Press he analyses the vote at the
late election as follows:
The official returns of the gen
eral election show that lO5, l43
votes were cast on the initiated
primary election law. The meas
ure has been defeated by a mere
scratch of 1913 votes. Its defoat is
seemingly by accident. ln 80 out
of 63 counties, the vote indicates
q close consideration of the meas
ure on its merits. by the fact Of q
''nip and tuck" vote winning In
one county and losing in another
by q few votes ard no seemingly
blind landslide either way. The
only exception to this is the two
machine ridden counties of Charles
Mix and Day, and the two small
German-Kussian counties of Nc
Pherson and Campbell. La the
latter two counties, about one
thousand majority was cast against
the measure. The German Rus
slams are we'll meaning people; but
their vote suggests a lack of un
derstauding of the measure. or
that they followed the general dis
position to vote "No" on every
thing, because of their avowed op
position to woman suffrage and
prohibition.
The progress of our civilization
depends on organization for public
welfare at elections. Aside from
individual character, the election
laws underlie republican form OF
government as a means to organ
lied democracy. The election laws
are crude yet and should be COM
pleted, so as to give the people in
formation and II chance to hear
both sides on issues before they
vote, and a plain ballot. The pre-
sent primary ballot is very confus-
ing and the progressive movement
in this state has fizzled out. The
large volume of legislation in re-
gulation of old things, instead of
intelligent organization laws for
new things. fails to make for
progress. Hence no practical re-
suits have accrued to the people,
but the taxes have continued to in
creas The lost progressive move
ment failed to recognize the first
necessity of completing the pri-
mary election law to make it the
fundamental organization device
to get at the truth of things in an
orderly way pertaining to public
policies, SO as to bring the govern
ment right down to the people and
create discussion. information, and
intelligent action ON issues, by ma
jority rule at the polls.
With practically no cooperation
from any organized source, the
measure did exceedingly we'll to
secure over $4,000 votes on its
merits. This encourages me to
think that the purpose of the law
is gradually gaining ground in the
minds of the people and while q
majority has not accepted it be.
cause Of organized opposition that
we may hope by keeping at it and
yielding some of the minor points
of the law without giving up any
vital parts that the legislature may
adopt it at this session. or that we
reinitiate same in simplified form.
SO that the people may vote it il
at the next election without an,
particular sacrifice or campaigr
for its adoption.
The legislature of 1918 passed {
law prohibiting anyone from pay
ing wages to. another for circnlat.
ing initiative and referendum pc.
titions. protested against sdopt
ion of such narrow law, at the
time, which prohibits a either
from making q sacrifice for public
welfare. hut to no Aysil. This