The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-06-21
From Yesterdays Register
AN IMPORTANT QUESTION.
When Is the Congressional Election
To be Held In West VirginiaI

MORGASTOWS, June III, 1879.
Editors Of the Register:
GENTLEMEN see ON examination Of
the RgiStcr Of today, that there il 10 bC
convention held at Grafton, on the j,l
OF September, to nominate candidate
Tor the Second Congressional District, and
this brings 10 my mind the importance Of
the question mOOtCd here for some DAYS
rs to thch, in the event of the al0p,ion of
the new Constitution, Congressman viii
or should be elected for this Suatcg
Should il be the fourth Thursday of
October as now provided, or the second
Tuesday OF October, or fourth Thursday
OF August, the days fixed for the gcaenii
election Of the State for State officers, by
lhc Schedule To the new Constitution:
some OF our lawyers and politicians hold
one, anu some the other What say you:
l., too, have m opinion on the subject. nj.
though It may be erroneous. Il will be
seen that neither the present nor new
Constitution provides, in terms, for the
election Of members of Congress, but
SIMPLY for an annual gcHerR State cleo.
ton for State officers
The Code, chapter ,, section / provides
or fixes the time when the said gcAsril
election shall be held. Section ., among
other things, provides that in 1879 and
every second year thereafter, Il member Of
Congrcw shall be elected ut SlH generIL
d'ctton. So that il the new Constitution
should not be ratified On the fourth Thurs.
day OF August, there can be no trouble;
hut It II is, what then? Will not the
above provision, or sections of the Code.
he LEFT and remain in force, only and cx.
ccpt lar rs the same is in conflict or
rcpugGant 10 the provisions of the new
Constitution How far, then. are ia
provisions in conflict with said provisions
Of the Code Genera! elections are alike
provided for by both; but the time of
holding such general election is changed.
and instead OF the fourth Thursday of
October, the day H0U provided for hold.
ing said general election, the fourth Thurs.
day Of August is substituted by the new
Constitution, far tbs gear, and after this
the second Tuesday Of October. IT, then.
the time is simply changed, and the said
sections OF the Code in all else remain in
lorce, il seems to me that Congressman are
to be elected at the general State election.
We can have but one such this year, and
that on the fourth Thursday Of August,
There is no law Of our Stats land | know
OF no other authorizing the election of a
member Of Congress in this State only at
4 general State election. There can be
none such this year, either on the second
Tuesday or fourth Thursday Of October
II this be 50, then such election must take
place on the fourth Thursday of August
this year, ar Ho' at Mluntil further legisla.
ton Is had, and that cannot well be until
too late for the meeting OF Congress, il
seems 10 me. The notice for the Grafton
Congressional Convention, for the 9Th Of
September, seems 10 recognize an election
Tor Congress in November. Is there any
law for this | write you this that YOU
may develop the law of the case, 50 as to
prevent any possible advantage being
taken Of us by the radicals icar thai
some OF them may procure themselves
voted Tor at the August election, and, in
the event Of the adoption Of the Constilu.
ton, 20 before Il radical Congress and
claim and get Il seat there, hy fraud or
oversight. =. II. KECK.