The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-10-20
THE IOWA ELECTIONS,

|
: Congressional District have conformity calles
a convention to nominated candidate for Con
gress, to be voted for at an election proposet
to be held on the Tuesday following the frs
Monday of November. 1t is asserted that
like course will be , rarssled ii t II
o'h't u'selAelEg '5f the State The reason
s' 'ss for this proceeding Is tha
shder law of Congress applicable il
Iowa, the elections for members of Congress
must occur on the Tuesday following the frs!
Monday In November and, therefore, that
the recent elections held on October 8 were IL.
legal. null and void. At the October election
the Joint candidate of the Democrats and Ma.
tionals was defeated by small majority, but
1t seems they are unwilling to ooncede that
the defeat Is final. and propose to have @ SEQ.
ond trial of strength with their Republican
antagonists.
The ground upon which they allege the H.
legality OF the October election, and insist
upon another in November, Is certainly plau-
slble, and unless there be O. special exemption
OF Iowa from the provisions of the Federal
statute, OF which we have no knowledge. we
cannot see how the construction of the law
they contend for can be successfully contro.
verified.
Tho law is very plain and concise. and it's
enactment by Congress was authorized nv a.
provision of the Federal constitution that
can possibly admit Of but one Interpretation.
! Inc hrst paragraph Of section of the con-
stltution Of the United States reads MS fol-
| lows:
| 'The times places and manner IF bo1din,
elections for Senators and Representatives
t 20 @ Il, eaGh state ny the Iegs-
| time nv law rnalre or .lto, ,.Is lily ~ auy
except as to the place of choosing Senators
In the exercise of this plainly de]egated
power Congress passed an act in 1874 in
which Is to be found the following nrovieion
.src mr. rho r,auaa ,. Ill.,, A.
Monday in November. in the YEAR 1s7e Is estnh'
l!shed as the day. n each Of the statos and Ter
representatives and Delegates to the fortr IA fth
congress- ana The Tuesday neat after the first
thereafter ia estabished a. the dav s fn, yef
| ton. In each OF said htates and Territories. of
On "" tha fn e. TO me
| thereafter
Az 'he nhle me passage OF this act pro-
VoRea O great deal OF discussion. 1t SO hap
peneo 'hat III ohlo' INDIANA, Maine, Vermont,
oregon, west Virginia, ana, we believe, In
hell'SyiVania, inc state constitutions had
prescribed other dnys than that named In the
wv 'ol 'he 1olulhg OF congressional elections.
L. was ooil1ehded ny polltlcians OF the States
.,sntS sc'iool 'ha'' ID bhese states at least,
'''o i," co'lo noe go INTO effect except by
''ii5 .. o' 'aelr otate CONSTITUTIONS &C
ooiu'os 10 'ho processes ana tormallties pre-
s'A'oe" III .le organic 10" OF these ILL
/
WOE .n'' 'no ''o' u Congress was passed
ui'"e' "speclt' auohorlzatloh OF the constltu-
''ou " '''o u"l'0" o'1'es' "hlch "ae 1Csell
i,'i'-",t JIG supreme part III matters spe-
e,a,S iop'l''eo ehelelh 10 teaeral author'ty-
VI 'no VI st'..o !." vi e'ich oCtte' any regu-
.'v'o' Do W 'o '''los' p's'ceh i1lo manner OF
no'''ne o,eo''ols 10. members OF congress-
'''n' in'e'i' w eiiloo"ieu LII the otate constl-
Iu'iolS, "''S inserted 10 cohtraVentlon OF the
reoefal constitution ana In deroghtlon OF the
expressly oelesated power OF Congress. All
sue" pio'isloils Oh obate constitutions were,
'heleioie' repeated by ACT OF Congress when
o''i '.,''' no"S cn'so ~ "Seiclse the powers
speo"'ny "''ea'ea NY Inc CONSTITUTION OF the
otitooo ''tts'e7'
roI some reason, doubtless BECAUSE from
Ili'e nhDleniorlai' che elections In these
oeehtes' preceding by lew weeks the general
electloh throughout inc Union, had been re-
garaeo OF great Importance by politicians in
enapilhg them TO forecast the grand results,
IL was oeterm'ned TO modify the law. Ac-
corolhg'y congress, Id 1875, before the act
went INTO operation, amended the foregoing
section so as not to apply In any State that
mas not yet changed Its day Of election, and
whose constitution must be amended In order
70 effect change In tho day Of the election
OF State officers
IL appears That In Iowa the day OF election,
nelCher 1or state officers nor for members of
CONGRESSES Is 1lxed by the constitution Of the
DUNE oo. merely ny an act OF the Legisla-