Good use has been made of the provision for independent candidacies. Senators Johnson and Poindexter were able in this way to submit their presidential ambitions to the people of South Dakota in 1920, although neither received any consideration from the state proposal convention. So also Mr. Richards himself, decidedly persona non grata to the Republican organization, was enabled in the same year to become a candidate for the gubernatorial nomination, and in that way secure a hearing for more of his ideas. The campaign of Mr. Egan in 1922, already mentioned, was also conducted as an independent candidate. In other words, the method of proposing candidates by an official convention does not by any means preclude other candidates who may not stand in well with the "organization," nor does it necessarily mean that the slate or program is going to be a cut and dried affair. The system does, however, throw a certain responsibility upon the party organization; it is required to show its hand, so that the voters at least know which are "organization" candidates and which are not. The plan of the Richards law with regard to the selection of candidates is thus much like the plan of Governor Hughes in New York. It is different in that the official slates are proposed by representative conventions instead of by the party committees, thus providing greater opportunity for the voters themselves to determine the selections. It differs also in that the Hughes plan gave the official slate the preferred place on the primary ballot, whereas the Richards law favors the independent candidates in that way. Finally, it differs from the Hughes plan and from any other plan in its distinct recognition of factions within a party. It is this provision, perhaps more than any other, that is criticized by politicians and organization men. It is said that this prevents party harmony, promotes factional differences, and keeps the state in continuous political turmoil. To a certain extent those criticisms are no doubt well founded, but it seems to the writer that the law is simply a recognition of an obvious fact, perhaps especially obvious in South Dakota, where the Republican party has been split into two well-defined groupsstalwart and progressive for at least the last twenty years. The Richards law does not require factional proposals, it merely permits them; but it does offer an opportunity for dissatisfaction, where such exists, to assert itself in an organized manner. The voter's task of ultimate approval or disapproval of the party's program and candidates is thus simplified to a degree. 121. PRIMARY ELECTION BALLOTS a. Primary Ballot in Illinois SPECIMEN BALLOT for Primary Election to be held in REPUBLICAN FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: (Vote for One) CALVIN COOLIDGE HIRAM W. JOHNSON FOR DELEGATES TO NATIONAL State at Large Choice for President-(No Preference) WALTER A. ROSENFIELD EMILY WASHBURN DEAN Chatre for President-(No Preference) FRED W. UPHAM Choice for President-(No Prefereses) MARTIN B. MADDEN Choice for President-(No Preferenced HOMER K. GALPIN Choice for President-(No Preference) WILLIAM WRIGLEY. JR. Choice for President-(No Preference JOHN G. OGLESBY Choice for President-(No Preference) Choice for President-(No Preference) Choice for President-No Preference) FLO JAMISON MILLER Choice for President-(Calvin Coolidge) WILLIAM WALTER SCOTT Choice for President-(Calvin Coolidge) WILLIAM A. RODENBERG Chosen for President-(Calvin Coolidge) JOHN E. HUGHES Choice for Fresident-(Calvin Coolidgn) Choice for President-(Calvin Coolidge) Choice for President (Hiram W. Johnami Choice for President (Kirum. W. Johnson) HERMAN WOLLENBERGER Choice for President-(Hiram W Johnson) SUMNER S. ANDERSON Chuire far President-(Hiram W. Johnson ROSE L. R. MURFEY Choice for President (Hiram W. Joknomi MURRAY M. BAKER Chuc for President (Hiram W. Johnam) SYLVESTER HANSON Choice for Presidens- W. J WILLIAM H. STEPHENS Choice in Preshorus (Hiram W. Johnson ALBERT O. ANDERSON Coker President (Hiram W. Johnson) Chore for President-(Hiram W. Johnson) HAROLD LICKES Chosen for President(fram W. Johnson) FOR ALTERNATE DELEGATES TO NATIONAL NOMINATING CONVENTION: State at Large (Vote for Eleven) GEORGE HOPKINS Choice for President (No Preference) ARCHIBALD J. CAREY Choice for President-(No Preference) LACEY K. WILLIAMS Choice for President-(No Preference) JOSEPH Z. KLENHA |