The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1920-07-16

Editor Herald Advance:
As much enquiry has been made
regarding the comparative provi.
sions of the primary law enacted at
the special session, which law will
be voted on at the annual election
this fall, and the primary law now
on the statutes, known as the the
Richards Law we here give
brief comparison:
The new proposed law provides
for the nomination by direct party
primary Of candidates for Govern
or, United States Senator and rep
resentatives in Congress, together
with County and Leg islative offic-
ers at a primary election to be held
on the first Tuesday in May of each
general election year. at which pri-
mary they also elect delegates to a
state convention from each county,
upon basis of one delagate for
the county, and one additional del
egate for each 500 votes or major
fraction thereof cast for the party
candidate for Governor witrin the
county at the last general election
according to the official returns.
Such delegates represent the county
in state convention to be held in
the city of Pierre on the third
Tuesday in May following the pri-
mary, which convention nomin-
ates party candidates for state
officers Except Governor) includ-
ing circuit court and supreme
court judges. presidential electors,
in presidential election years, and
elects delegates to national party
conventions in such years. The
names Of candidates for governor,
United States Senator and repre-
sentatives in congress are placed
on the primary ballot by petition
as provided by the law. The same
is true of the names of candidates
fox county and legislative officers.
All the state officers Except
for governor) including judges
nominated at the convention as
above stated go directly to general
election ballot, therefore do not ap-
pear on the primary ballot, thereby
materially reducing the size of the
primary ballot and giving the elect
or chance TO express an Intelligent
vote on each class of candidates on
the ballot. The names of delegates
to lne state convention are So
chosen and placed on the primary
ballot that there will be at least
twice as many names printed on
the primary ballot as tn IRE are de-
egates to be elected in the county.
which names are distributed as
nearly as may be among the several
county commissioners districts of
the county. out of which list the
electors elect the number of dele
gates the county is entitled to. to
represent such county in the state
convention. The proposed law al
so provides for party registration
but does not prevent an electOr from
voting a party ballotff-he can SUBJ
stantiate his right to vote such
party ballot in the primary al.
though his name fails to get in the
registration list.
These are the main features of
the proposed law.
We were prevented from using any
of the ideas Of Mr.. Richards con-
tained in the so called Richard"
Aaw even if We had seen fit to do SO
as he had his ideas embraced in his
law copyrighted. Of course he re-
leased his copyright to tn e legisla-
ture Of 1917 so it could enact the
law and submit it to the people.
but the legislature of 1917 and that
of the special session of 1920 were
different bodies.
The Richards law provides
first for a precinct election on the
second Tuesday in November, al
year before the general election. to