The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-11-01
THE PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL
AMENDMENT VOTER
SHOULD CAST HIS VOTE
AGAINST 1T.
The following is the Joint Resolution
to provide by constitutional amend
ment, for biennial elections.
A JOINT REVOLUTIONARY PROVIDE ny CON-
sTITuTIoNAL AMENDMENT FOR BEN
NAL ELECTIONS.

| ment, Tor D1ennlal ELECTIONS.
sT1ruTIoNAL AMENDMENT FOR BEN
NAL ELECTIONS.
Resolved by tho Legislature of the Statt
of Mississippi, (two.thirds of each Hous'
agreeing therefor That the following
amendment to the Constitution of THU
State, n substitute for Sections 6 and 7, Of
Article ", of said Constitution, be sub
mitted to the qualified Electors of the State
at the next general election, for adoption OF
rejection, namely:
Section g. The political year shall begin
on the first Monday in January the Legisa
lure shall meet at the seat of government
on the first Tuesday after the first Mon
day in January, 1888, and biennially there.
after. unless sooner convened by the Gov
ernor. The time and place of meeting
may be altered by law.
Section 7. A general election, by ballot,
shall be held on the first Tuesday after the
first Monday III November, A. D., 1880,
and biennially thereafter. All officers who
go into office on the first Monday in Janu-
airy, 1882, shall be elected at the general
election in 1880. All officers who go into
Office on the first Monday in January, 1880,
and all officers who go into office on the
first Monday in January, 1882, shall hold
their respective offices for three years, but
the Constitutional term of their sue
cessors shall not be hereby affected.
Electors, in all cases, except cases of trea,
son, felony and breach of the peace, shall
be privileged from arrest during their at
tendance at elections, and the going to and
returning therefrom.
APPROVED, March 9th, 1878.
Under ordinary circumstances, we
would favor the the amendment, be-
cause we are in favor Of biennial cleo
tons; but for some reasons, which we
now BRIEFLY submit, we are utterly OPP
posed to its adoption, and earnestly
hope it will be defeated by an over
whelming vote. AS the resolution is a
little obscure, and somewhat hard to
understand at first glance, we offer a
few remarks to explain it as well as we
can; and to get the whole subject before
the readers mind, we premise by say
ing, that under our present State Con-
stitution, all State officers, Judges of
the Circuit Court, Chancellors, Clerks
of the Circuit and Chancery Courts,
and Clerk or the Supreme Court, hold
their respective offices for the term of
four years; the Judges of the Supreme
Court hold for nine years Sheriffs,
Assessors, Coroners, Rangers, Justices
of the Peace, Constables, and members
of the Board of Supervisors, hold for
the term Of two years; the Attorney
Genera! and all the District Attorneys
hold for the term Of four years. The
above officers are all to be elected by
the people except the various Judges
and Chancellors, and the Clerk of the
Supreme Court.
Under the proposed amendment
general election is to be held Oh the
first Tuesday after the first Monday of
November, 1880, and biennially there
after; so that in future, general cleo
tons will occur every two years, and
always on o0en numbered years, as for
instance, 1880, 1882, 1884, and so on.
The officers to be elected this year, will
go into office on the first Monday of
January $780, and will hold three years
under the operation Of the amendment,
if adopted; that is, they will hold dur
ing the years 1880, 1881 and 1882, Their
will be elected at the regular
biennial election provided for in the
to occur on the first Tues
kay after the first Monday of Novem-
Der, 1882; and they will hold office
either four or two years, according to
the Constitutional term of the respec-
tive offices, as now established.
The term of the present State officers
will expire by Constitutional limit, on
the first Mondoy of January, 1882.
Their successors are to be elected, I'M
der the proposed amendment, at the
general election provided for, to occur
on the first Tuesday after the first
Monday of January, 1880. They will
go into office on the first Monday of
January 1882, and will hold three
years-viz: 1SS2-S3-'S4. Their sue
cessors will be elected at the biennial
election provided for, to occur on the
first Tuesday after the first Monday
of November 1884, and will, of course,
hold for the Constitutional term of
four years.
Thus it will be seen, in order to get
the election machinery in running
order under the operation of the
that We will have one
extra election, viz: that to occur in
$780, and one extra session of the
viz: that to commence
Oh the first Monday in January, 1888.
Another result of the amendment, if
adopted, will be to fix the term of
office of two sets of officers, at three
years, viz: "all officers who go into
office OH the first Monday in January,
1880, and all officers who go into Office
on the first Monday in January, 1882"
But the chief objection to the
amendmendment is, that hereafter,
under its operation, the election of our
State and county officers will occur at
the same time when Federal officers
are to be clected-the President and |
Of Congress and cOnse- |
luently will fall, more or less, under
the illegal, unnatural and hateful in
iuence of the election laws Of the |
general government. We want no |
United States Marshals or Supervis- |
Drs at the polls to interfere with our
590ae elections--to intimidate, influence,
control, and arrest and imprison vot-
Frs when in the exercise of the high |
md sacred right of the elective fran
;hise. We want none of it. 1t is
violative Of our dearest rights, and
contrary to the spirit and genius of
our free institutions and form of gov
For this reason, if for no
1ther, we hope our people will, with
united voice and sentiment, cute dorm
We AmeBGment