Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1872-05-04
Tho Election of Governor,


edi This question has been lately ni
traoling the publls attention, and cspcoia I.
" In view Of the present lawless mon.
sirosily occupying that position. Al iht
close Of The 8ri day Of December, 1869
Edmund J. Davis was supposed to be elect
ted, or, nj least, wos declared 10 be elected
by Gen. Reynolds, Governor of Texas
Under the Constitution, his term Of Office
consequently commenced on the day ofhis
insta llmcnt, and will end four years there
from. The constitution says that the Gov
ernor shall hold his Office for the term of
four years from "the time Of his enstall.
, ment, and until his successor shall DO du.
~ qualified" 1t further declares that "the
Governor shall he elected by the qualified
voters Of the State at the time and places
at which they shall vote for Representa-
tives to the Legislature Tho Legisla.
ture, by Act of August 10TH. 1870, have
fixed the time of the first general election
on the first Tuesday after the first Monday
Of November, 1872, and it will be held ev-
cry two years from that date until chang
cd by Jaw. 1t is obvious then, that on
next November there should be az olseiioa OF
Governor and other State officers, AS we'll
as members ofthe Legislature, or else they
they will hold over their constitutional terms
Of office from the Ord of December, 1873, to
the 3rd Of December, 1874, for want of
qualified successors. This would be mani
testify wrong and in defiance of the Con-
stitution. But tho Legislature have not
said, anywhere that we can find, that
these officers shall be elected at the last
general election before the expiration of
their terms of office, nor have they made
it expressly the duty of the Governor to
issue his proclamation for their election.
Indeed, they purposely omitted to do SO,
and contrived the Law, cunning!y rs they
supposed, to prolong their existence and
rule against the wishes of the people.
Now, though it is plain that the Governor
an other State officers should be elected
next November, if his usurping fraudu-
lency does moi order such election, what
can We do? Is there any remedy7 We
confess that we can see none under the
forms Of law. 1t will not do for us to vote
for Governor or other State officers next
November without proclamation from
bo 90 IN hot IN
election will be ield by the Governors
appointees, who will regard his instruc-
tions and refuse to count the votes given,
and it might furnish pretext for them to
throw out all the ballots on which were
found votes for these State officers, and
thus declare their own candidates elected. .
This catastrophy must be avoided. We
know well the foes we have to deal with,
and we must act accordingly. Thai the
Governor should be elected at the next
general election, and that ii is the duty Of
the present Governor to give notice of the
Is ahe and make provision therefor, as for
|he election of other officials, there cannot
70 doubt. The Act to provide for the
Mode and manner of conducting elections,
bich we have alluded, says, Section 2,
General election is an election for
ate pd county officers and members of
stature in general" ami Section
bat the first general election I'M
ZIkls act shall be held on the first Tues
day after the first Monday of November
1872, at which time, and every two years
thereafter, members of Congress, represen-
tatives and senators to the State Legisla-
ture, district attorneys, and nil county Of
ficers made elective, shall be elected"
Here, it will be noted the State officers are
left out, evidently with intention, for
wicked purpose. But as the terms of all
the State officers will expire long before
another general election can be held, sure
ty it is the duty of the Governor to correct
this omission. But will he do it'll We
have no idea that he will and we shall be
without remed as we have been for ma
ny other lawless acts, which a corrupt
Legislature h ave enabled i'm to perform.
1t may be well for the press to agitate this
question in relation to radical misrule,and
for the coming democratic State Conven-
tion to pass resolutions upon the subject,
to arouse the people TO true sense of the
usurpation practiced upon them but we
do not see that anything can be done in
the way of holding an election for Gov
ernor in November against the determine
would be useless, perhaps injurious, for
The democratic party TO attempt il, or to
make any nominations for the several
State Offices. This is our view of the mat
ter. What say our brethren of the press