Daily Kennebec journal., 1880-01-13


By careful reading Of the Constitution
as it originally stood. and comparison with
The various amendments since passed, II
will appear beyond doubt that theserns
Of Office Of all the officers above named
b9in Nth the first Wednesday, Of JaHu-
ary in the year of their election and end
at The same date in The suceeeding year 80
that each of these offices is now vacant
The Constitution, as originally adopted
in ls2D. prescribed in the same language
as now the '.Annual election" Of the OH
GERS above named. but in that Constitu-
ton was the additional provision. Art 10
Sec. 2. found in r. S. page Al
Sec ?. The period for which the Gov
''ernor, Councillors, Secretary and
Treasurer. first elected or appointed are
ITO serve in their respective Offices and
places. shall commence on the last We'd
'nesday in May in the year Of our Lord
zone thousand eight hundred and twenty
and continue until the first "Wednesday
''of January in the year Of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and twenty two. ="
This especially fixes the frst Wednesday
ef January 1922 as the day on which the
terms Of the first State officers expired and
the election being annual" each succeed
ing officer held one year from that date.
This was expressly decided by Mr.. jus
tice Paris IN 6 Maine Rep. jO6 as to Gov
ernor and Councillors. And as to all the
State officers this was the construction
stamped on the Constitution by its franz
ers and by their successors for thirty years,
as appears conclusively by the following
amendment adopted March 10, 1874,
amendments to constitution Art. ). K.
). page, n and as) by which the various
articles and sectionsOf the Constitution
"are 50 far altered or amended as that the
words the second Wednesday of May
"are substituted for the words the first
"Wednesday Of January in each Of said
sections; and the provisions OF the Con-
"stituion are so far altered or amended.
las that the Governor and other State
"oNcers elected for the political year,
"cOmDieacing on The first Wednesday, ot
"January in the year of our Lord one
Thousand eight hundred and forty-five.
shall hold their Offices till the second
"Wednesday of May in the year of our
Lord one thousand eight hundred and
"torty-six.
Also Amendment, Article 3, adopted
August 2lst. 1880. found K. 5. pages. 4s
and 10. by which the various articles
and sections of the Constitution
"are so far altered and amended, as that
the words the first Wednesday of Janu-
'arv' are substituted tor the words see
"ond Wednesday of May in each of said
sections and the provisions of the Con
"stiiution are So far altered and amended
''as that the Governor and other State oH
'ccrs elected for the political year. conn
"m,acing on he second Wednesday, o,
"Nay. eighteen hundred fifty-one shall
"hold their offices till the frst "Wednesday
"of January, eighteen hundred fifty
three"
Thus stands the Constitution to-day
Each State officer elected in 1858 d,ttd
ms term from the frst Wednes,iay Of Janu-
ary. and every succeeding State officer to
the present time has done the same.
The result is that all the old State Off
GERS trent ont Of office on the first Wedmcs-
day ofJannary last past and the State has
now no Governor to execute its laws. no
Council to advise. no Secretary of State to
guard its archives. no Treasurer to hold
its funds. no Attorney General to prose
cute for crime and no Legislature in either
branch which can pass measure. levy a
tax or enact law. which any citizen is
bound to obey,
i il not time that the men whom the
people have elected. as appears BY the re-
turns themselves. should assemble. and in
an orderly and peaceful manner establish
a legal government in the State of Maine ?
ORyILLE ID. BAKER.