The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-10-07
TRIED HARD TO DEFEAT IT,
Why Some Legislative Candidates Did
Not Want Summer Sessions.

Serious Complications that the Passage
of the Amendment Would Involve
The Recently Elected Legislature
Would Hold Three Sessions Instead
of Two-How 1t Would Affect Candi-
dates for Other Ofhces-A Belief that
1t viii Be Defeated.
Many Of the politicians have been very
much perplexed over the questions that
would arise in case the amendment to the
constitution providing for the meetings
Of the legislature to be held in summer
should become a law. AS yet, it is not
known whether or not that amendment
has been carried by the recent election,
but the indications are against that pre-
sumption.
In the first place, should that amend
ment become law, there would be three
sessions of the present legislature, or the
one just elected instead of two as has
heretofore been the case. This legisla-
ture would meet the latter part of this
month. The next session would be held in
July, 1895. and as there would be no cleo
ton until October 1886, it would meet
again in July, 1896.
There is a large number of members
of the present legislature VINO contem-
plate running for certain Offices in the
gift of that body before the next legisla-
ture. The terms of large number of the
solicitor generals, judges and others ex-
pre- Jan. l. 1897, and ii is provided by law
that their successors shall be elected by
the session of the general assembly
which meets nearest to the time of the
expiration of those terms. 1t is also
against the law for any member of the
legislature to be elected to any other
state or county office. This puts those
members of the present legislature, who
want to run for offices before that body
in a dilemma, in case the amendment
should be carried, for they, themselves,
would be members of that legislature
which elects these officers.
Several of them have endeavored to
think of ingenious plans whereby this
situation of affairs could be avoided, but
so far no entirely satisfactory solution
has been offered. Many of those mem
bers who intended to run for office before
the next legislature, foresaw this situa-
ton of affairs and they endeavored to
have the amendment defeated. They had
the democratic ticket printed in Savan-
nah, Macon, Athens and in several other
places where large democratic majorities
were expected, with For ratification of
the amendments with regard to supreme
court judges and veterans pensions. and
Against ratification" of the summer ses-
sions amendment.
This was done designedly to defeat the
amendment, on account of the difficulties
which it would have brought about, and
is the way in which the straight demo-
cratic ticket at these places were printed
and those who voted straight did not take
much trouble to scratch any of the
amendments or change the wording.
The summer sessions amendment would
be perplexing all around under the cir
cumstances. The election comes off in
October, just few months after the leg
a new legislature are elected. The gov
ernor's term expires Jan. /; therefore a
special session of the legislature would
have to be called for the Inauguration Of
the new governor, who would take his
office Jan. /, 1897, or the then ruling exec
utive would have to hold over until the
legislature met in the summer.
The election of both United States SEN
ators would also be thrown on the re-
Gently elected legislature by its passage,
as Senator Gordon's term expires March
H. 1897, and unless his successor was
elected in the summer of 1896 he would
hold over until the next summer. Thus
a number of complications and difficulties
would arise in case the amendment is car
ried which might be rather hard of solu-
ton. Definite returns have not yet been
obtained, but it is believed that the
amendment is lost.