The Portland daily press., 1888-05-08

Now what would be the legal status of Treas
urer Burleigh during the first fortnight OF
next January, in case he should be elected
into the awkward position which he seeks
and for which his friends are urging him?
Would he be for that period both Treasur-
er and Governor? or would the Inaugural
tion be delayed? Or would he resign the
the treaSuryshlp? III so, who would be re-
sp0nsible for the treasury funds during the
interim?
The question is so full of embarrassments
ana difficulties as to leave but one answer to
the inquiry prefxed to this article, wills
it quite the proper thing to nominate State
Treasurer for Governor?
Probably nobody ever dreamed that a State
Treasurer would think Of such thing; mo-
body imagined that such contingency
would ever occur. Otherwise 1t would un-
questionably have been forbidden by posi-
tive statute il not by the organic law. Inc
reason for this assertion may be found Dy
reference to an actual statutory prohibition
in reference to the comparatively lnslgnlil-
cant Office Of town treasurer
'Treasurers and collectors Of towns shall not be
seIectmen or assessors, until they have completed
their duties as treasurers and collectors and had
SIS 1'''a' ''''''"'''' VIII" inc ''"' w. o. . .
This judicious enactment was made in
1874, but originally applied to larger towns
only Exceeding 1900 inhabtants) but In
1885 it was thought prudent to remove the
limitation and to make it universal.
Can II be right and seemly for the cust0-
dian OF millions to enjoy privilege which the
law has denied the humble collector OF thou
| sands? Under this wise and benefcent law
| town treasurers are obliged to submit to one
| years political solitude after their retire.
| ment from office before they can enjoy the
| dignity OF selectman Of the smallest town In
| the State.
Hitherto State treasurers have voluntarily
| submitted to the same wholesome restraint.
| III this was seemly and decOr0us in ordinary
| years under the annual system, and when no
| unusually complicated and responsible
duties had devolyed on them during the
sin gle year since their election or reelection,
Is the present good time to change
the immemorial precedent, now that
two fn Sears ~ of
| the State Treasury remain to be examined,
| and that too during period OF peculiar re-
| sponsibility arising from the issue OF nearly
| three millions Of new State bonds, under the
act Of 1887, chap. 43, which confers broad
| powers upon the treasurer in reference to
| the negotiation Of temporary loans, giving
notes for the State, issuing and exchanging
| State bonds, selling off bonds from the sink
| ing fund, purchasing outstanding bonds Of
| the State, cancelling of bonds, ETC., etc.
1t is but just to Treasurer Burleigh to say
| that for the reasons above given, doubtless,
| it probably was not his original intention TO
announce himself as a candidate for an i'm
mediate transfer from the treasury to the ex-
ecutiYe chair.
At any rate if such was his purpose he did
not promulgate it during the life of the late
Governor Bodwell. 1t Is therefore fair to
presume that it was his original intention to
allow an interval Of two years to elapse be-
tween his retirement at the end of this
year, (as required by the constitution and
his candidacy for Governor.
Why the death of our lamented chief mag
istrate can be regarded as tending to remove
the embarrassment OF the treasurers sltua-
not apparent. 1t is believed that Treasurer
Burleigh's change OF intention was ill-ad-
vised, and that the difficulties in the way OF
establishing such precedent as his friends
are seeking to establish will be found insup-
erable. NoRoMBEGA.
May 4, 1888.