Eureka weekly sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1887-1902, 1895-11-02
CORRESPONDENCE.


EUREKA. Oct. %, 1898.
EprroR SENTINEL: The provisions OF
the 'sPurity Of Elections Law" that can
be most easily enforced and that will be
| found most effective 10 putting q stop to
corrupt practices in the nomination and
election Of our public officers are sections
4 and IL. Section 4 provides that any
| candidate who fails to file . statement or
makes . false statement OF moneys re-
ceived or expended as prescribed BY sec
ton 8 Of the Act. in addition TO the pun
ishment prescribed by the laws OF the
State, shall forfeit any Office to which he
may have been elected. II further pro.
| vides that no certificate Of election shall
be issued TO him and no official bond pre-
scented by him shall be approved. The
incumbent OF the office, unless he is him
self the guilty candidate, is required to
| continue to hold the office. II the incum-
bent is the guilty candidate. however.
he f~orfeits the Office as incumbent and as
the successful candidate.
Section ii of the law, amongst it's other
numerous provisions. provides that any
candidate for an office who pays, lends or
contributes any money or other valuable
consideration for any purpose in contra
~vention Of the provisions Of the law, in
addition to the punishment prescribed BY
the laws Of the State, shall forfeit any
Office to which he may have been elected,
and II he is the incumbent Of an Office at
the time Of his election he shall forfeit
that Office also. II . candidate p~rocures,
aids, counsels or advises the payment OF
any money or other valuable considera-
ton by or on behalf Of a committee Sc
lected under the Act which would il the
candidate expended it himself work q
forfeiture of the Office to which he had
been elected, shall in like manner forfeit
the Office.
1t is an old adage, that "everybody's
business is nobody's business" The
Legislature in passing this law seemed to
have had this in view, and by section is
made ID the business Of the District At.
torney specially to see to the enforce.
ment OF the law. Section Is provides
that the District Attorney, when notified
that the law has been violated, If there
is reasonable grounds for instituting o
prosecution, shall file a complaint charg-
ing the %offense. 1t further provides that
if the District Attorney fails or refuses
to perform any duty imposed upon him
by the Act, he shall RIFE HIS OFFICE.
It further provides that il shall be the
duty of the District Attorney, under
penalty Of the FORFEITURE OF HIS OFFICE,
to prosecute L persons guilty Of q vic.
lation Of any Of the provisions of the
Act, the penalty Of which is fine or i'm
~prisonment or removal from Office.
The law-makers we're also evidently
Of opinion that a District Attorney
might possibly be himself corrupt ant
disposed to shield political friends ant
supporters or luke-warm or inefficient
and therefore they further provided tina
any citizen might employ an attorney II
assist the District Attorney aud that h
should be recognized BY the District AT
torney and the Court as associate coun
sell and that no prosecution, action o
proceeding shall be dismissed withou
notice to or against objections Of asso
ciate counsel, and not until the reason
Of the District Attorney, together wit
the objections thereto, shall have bee
6led in writing and fully considered b,
the Court.
From the above ii will be seen at
glance that these sections Of the law no
only 20 TO the root Of the evil practice
heretofore prevailing. but in providing il
addition to punishment criminally for in
fractions Of the law by candidates an
committees that successful candidate
shall forfeit the office TO which they hav
been elected. the Legislature has adopte'
at once q just and the best remedy to stoI
corrupt practices in the nomination an
election Of our public officers.
THos. WREN.