The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1881-07-16
THE COUNTY ELECTIONS.
Estate journal. ]


The Legislature Of this state took very
appropriate step when it submitted to
vote of the people the proposition to amend
the state constitution by extending the ten
ure OF certain county ofiicers-whlch
amendment was approved by vote of the
people at the election in November last.
The Journal heartily approved the PROPOSE.
ton, and still regards it as being in the in
tercst OF economy and an improved manage
ment OF local affairs.
The effect of the amendment has been to
divide the coulty officers ia the several
counties of the state into two classes, elect
cd alternately every two years, and each
holding their Offices for four years. This
amendment is already part Of The cons,i-
tuition, and therefore binding upon the peo
pie of the state and Its public officials. In Of
der to make the election laws consistent with
the constitution as now stands, the legis-
iatlre, at its recent session, enacted law
prescribing that the regular election of
county clerks, county judges, sherifls,
county treasurers and county superinten-
dents OF public instruction shall take place
on the Tuesday after the first Monday in
November of 1882, and every four years
thereafter, while the same law provides that
county surveyors, states attorneys and
clerks of the circuit court shall be elected
two years thereafter November, 1884
and hold their offices for -four years. Coro-
ners will be chosen in 1882 for two, and
after that for four years, commencing with
| 1884.
In view of the fact that the constitution,
| before the adoption of the amendment and
| the laws framed under it. provided for the
election Of certain OF these officers in No
vembeI ol the present year, the question
has been raised IN certain quarters whether
the officers belonging to this class can or
should hold over untl their Successors can
be legally elected in 1882. Clearly, ma
jority of the Legislature who voted for the
act passed at the last session, and
the governor who signed the bill, thought
that this would be the result, and voted fol
and approved the law as the simplest meth
cd of bridging over the period between
December, 1881, and December, 1882
when, according tn the constitution now
amended and the statute repealed by tn,
act Of 1881, a new set of officers would b
chosen. Those who think otherwise quot
the following provision of the constitutio
(Art. ~, sec. 2S) "No law shall be pass
ed which shall operate to extend the teri
of any public officer after his election O
appointment Yet the same constitution
in the judicial article (sec. 3, Art. vi J, re
ferring specifically to county judges an,
county clerks, says: 'All officers provided
for in tins article shall hold their Offices
until their successors shall be qualified; :
while section Of Article X, after enum
Grating the officers to he elected in each
county--vizv County Judge, sheriff, county
clerk, clerk of the circuit court, treasurer
surveyor andcoroner says "they sht Y hole
their respective Offices for the term of fou
years, and until Their Successors shall b,
elected and qualified" And, as a genera
rule, all officers of this class do hold the
offices "until their successors are elected
and qualified"
AS a matter of fact there is no provision
of the constitution for an election Of count,
officers in this state in the year 1881, an,
after the 1st of July, there will be no la,
authorizing such election. Under both tn
law and the constitution the persons now i
Offices whose term would have expired IN
der the discarded provision of the constitu
ton and the repealed provisions of The Law
will simply hold over till November 1888.
This seems the simplest and inaxpensiv
solution on the whole question, and wha,
ever may be the aspirations of certain il
dividuals, is undoubtedly as Just to on
party as the other.