The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-01-25
rHr PROTECT.

LYMAN IrumDul LOT u = aooIatoTl DC
cause the constitution of this State then
declared that all votes cast tor Judge
during the nine years of his term. and one
wear after, should be void Judge Trum
bull, who had been Judge of the Supreme
Court and whose term had not expireu'
was elected Representative in Congress III
November, 1854, to which POSITION py our
State constitution, he WIS heh Ihchgipie
Ito meyer hook a scat in the House be
oo,,sc during that winter he was elected
n s. Senator, ard there the same objec-
tions existed 70 his taking seat The
Senate. however, admitted him, because,
nv its Standard, he was not ineligible. The
Fl nit with Illinois then, as now, was thnt
the Legislature had enacted no law t.
punish its officers for accepting positions
under the federal government during the
term they had agreed to serve TIE State.
The people of Illinois have an undouhted
right to say that their own officers shall
not be elected to that position, but they
have provided no measure of punishment
for an officer who. being elected takes the
forbidden place.
Our new constitution, adopted in 1870.
Section 3. Article D. provides;
Neither the Governor Iieutanant Goyrrnoe,
Auditor of Public Accounts, Secretary OF stare,
Superintendent ri Public Instruction, nor Attor-
ncy General shall he eligible 10 any other Office
during the period for which he shall have been
elected.
| And now the Democracy of Illinois is
entirely consistent in again protesting
against the violation of their own conStitu-
ton by the election of Gov Oglesby.
/ Their protest will he found in this paper.
I The discourteous and disgraceful conduct
Of the Radical majority towards the minor
/ ity while the protest was being read has
already been described in this paper, as
also the supplementary course Of the
| Speaker and the majority towards Mr..
Durham, our Representative, who was
/ DESTROYS of discussing the senatorial ques-
/ ton We regret that Mr. Durham was
prevented from laying his views before the
people of the State, ON this question; and
we hope that he will yet find an occasion
for doing So, before the close Of the session.
Some people affect to find an incOnSiSt-
ency in the Democracy in now voting for
the man they then protested against. but
such peonle should remember, LIST, that II
wa, not the man they protested against
then. but it was the violation Of our con
sttution; and ID, they should remember
that Judge Trumbull who was not eligible
then, is eligible now.
/ MIR Ogiesby will he admitted To his scat
and the United States Senate will do right
in admitting him because there is nothing
in the Constitution Of the United State:
making him ineligible The people of I'll,
State cannot disqualify any one from hold
ing an office under the government OF III,
United States but they can provide pun
ishments for any of their officers who VIC
late their own constitution. The real oh
lection to the transfer of governors, ol
judges, or other State officers TO any fedora
Office, is, LIST, that it deprives the people o
the services of men they have chosen t,
fill certain positions, and compels them {,
find other men 70 fill them; and, ID. il
+ places before them temptation 70 abuse
their trusts, and u pervert their ofhcia
, functions u objects of personal ambition
The General Assembly unquestion
, ably has the right to enact 4 iav
declaring what the meaning of then
, own constitution is and making i
misdemeauOr punishable by flint
, and imprisonment, or by incarceration il
the State prison. for the Governor, Lieu
, tenant Governor. Auditor of Public Ac
counts, Secretary Of State, Superintendent
Of Public Instruction on Attorney Gen
eral, to accept any other office under tn
State government or the Federal govern
ment or the government Of any flreigl
state, during the term for which they wer
elected Such an act Of the Legislature
would give an authoritative construction t
the State Constitution which the Fedora
Senate and House Of Representative
would. Of course, recognize, and which tn
Judiciary, Federal as well as State. woul
follow We hope such bill will be intro
duced and passed during this session |
cannot affect Gov Oelesby, now, and
would forever prevent future officers iron
abusing their position 10 secure a Fedora
Office