South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1883-04-06
Death of the Mud Ito.

6SAth VA b4lO LII AA lsO'
To the Editor Of the S. B. Intelliysn Ger:
DEAR CIR Yours seems TO he one
of the few papers Of the State that has
not burnt its fingers with the great con-
stitutional muddlc, that has be N a2ila-
ting the State, for some weeks past
As the question has now become an i'm
practicable one and mus, soon drop into
oblivion, l merely show how it happens
TO die. Though for many reasons sta
ted by the Governor and many lawyers
in the State, no. to speak OF my own
letter to the Wheeling Register there
was and could have been no difficulty
in resolving the question in any cindid
rejecting miad for the middle never
had any but Fictitious life. Yc, l am
pleased to liud that tho Almanac Of
1884 and the law submitting the A
menIment 10 the people show fully it
could rot have been the in, eutioa of the
Law TO have general State Election on
the Tuesday after tho first Monday in
November next or i. woull not have
provided, that the result of the October
election on the andment, could not
DO officially ascer.aiueb and proclaimed
ill after the list Tuesday after the first
Monday in November is passed; and
this made a State Election on that Cay
| impossible.
The law which submits tho Amend
ment to the people in October, pro.
vides that the Governor shall ascer-
tain the result OF The October Election
on tho Amendment, not Till twenty e re
days after il has taken place, wien aud
not Till then are the returns TO be sub
mitted TO the Governor for that pur-
pose. Now the Almanac of 1891 shows
the October Election will fall on the
l4sh day Of the month (2nd Tuesday,
and the Tuesday after the first Monday
in November will fall on the 4th day
OF that month, leaving only 81 days in
teryening. So by the only law wIlich
gives the right TO vote on the Amend
men,, provides that the question of its
ratification or rel ction shall not be as
certaiDed and decded by the competent
authority for four days after the time
appointed Us some pretcnd) for hold
ing general State Election in No
vcmber. And the Governor is the
only official pOwor authorized TO ascer-
tain, decide and proclaim the result un {.
der the Law. So it is an insur mounta-
ble difficulty and lega! impossibility to
hold the November Election in 1884 for
the general State Officers, anil the dog
is dead. give below an extract from
Senator DoSEnoE's article which sets
forth the impossibility plainly:
PRACTICAL DIFFICULTY IN THE WAY
Of this imaginary middle. which quite
muddles the muddlers. The act sub
hitting the amendment requires that
the certificates of the election hell in
October, 1884, upon the question of "a E
tifca,ion, shall, ION tue 18th day after
the said election, or as soon thereafter
as practicable" be laid before the Gov.
ernOr, whose duty IL shall be TO nscer-
tain iherefrom the result Of sal cleo
ton" Not BEFORE the 2jth d9y after
the election (and IL may be days aud
weeks AFTER the 2jth dsy) can 'hc Gual
Judge OF the election i. e.. the Gov
ernor- DO called on, or authorized, to
count the returns. But. it so happens
that the Tuesday next after the f,st
Monday in November, 1884. falls on
tire 4tb Of the month, and is just rwES.
TY-oNE days after the October cleo
ton AMI so the Governor cannot even
begin his duty Of ascertsining whether
another State election is to I've held on
the Oh Of the month, according to the
muddie theory until FoUE DAYS AFrER
the 4th OF the month is clean past and
gone Now, If it were legally allowa.
ole TO net upon n legal result, before
there Is any legal result, then there
might be some way out Of the difficulty
and the middle might proceed But
no way has yet been suggested, and the
muidie. "a fact, fades into nothing
ness; just as it dssoyes into thin va
por as a thing OF law.
AS this muddle has Doen repeatedly
personilicd, it may he asked which way
it goes after death IL never did much
harm. | wont attempt to answer the
questionable merely announce it's
death in this world. BLANCHE.
s~-
What is that which flies high, flies
lnn haa no foot cannnt nnIk NH 70,