Arizona republican., 1895-04-07
DON'T DESPAIR.
A Motto for Arizona
County Officers.
The County Reclassifi-
cation Law
Apparently Lacks Something
to Make it a Law.
Was the Bill Presented to the Gov.
ernor the Bill Upon Which the
legislature Voted?

Gentlemen who may happen just
now to be unfortunately situated as
county office holders may abate, for
time at least. any fears they may have
felt concerning the effect of the county
reclassidcation bill upon their salaries.
AS THE REPUBLICAN, has before OBJ
served, that bill has a history. Mr..
Fish, of Graham county, its anthor,
intended that it should become opera
| tive upon it's passage and it was so
drawn. In the committee to which it
was referred it was so amended so thatit
was made to take effect on January |,
1897, a date in which none of the
present Office holders are concerned
except those who expect to become
successors of themselves.
As amended the bill wes passed by
| both houses and signed, but when it
reached the governor it was discovered
that by some process, possibly attrition,
in the engrossing room, the amended
section had been worn away, and not
only that section, but the preceding
one repeating ''all acts or parts of acts
in conflict with it.
The governor sent for Mr.. Fish, the
author, and pointed out to him the
condition of the bill, explaining that
though the last section had been
omitted, the law would, by general law,
become effective thirty days after it's
passage. This explanation pleased Mr..
Fish more than the amendment had
dolse. He preferred, Of course, that it
| should take effect at once, but If il
should begin to work in thirty days,
that was better than in two years. The
| bill was signed and office-holders were
in state of despondency.
After the adjournment of the legisla-
ture they began clutching at such
straws as the omission of the effective
section and the inability of legislature
to interfere with an officials salary
during his term OF Office on the supposi-
| tion that his successful campaign was
an implied contract.
These grounds of forlorn hope were
at last admitted to be untenable and
with closed eyes, the affected office
holders awaited the application Of the
knife.
There is yet hope. Speaker Harry
Carpenter was in town yesterday. He
is not a lawyer but he knows some
things which it appears most LAWYERS
have forgotten and one Of these is a law
that bill signed by an executive differ
ing in form from the bill voted upon is
not law.
Upon this subject Attorney Damron
says that the same law prevails in Cali
fornia and be cites the case of one in
which Arizonians are interested since it
was designed to exclude Arizona cattle.
1t had been subjected to change be-
tween its passage and its signature and
| though it was entered upon the statute
books, it was held by reason of such
change to be invalid.
1t is said in regard to the reclassiica-
ton law that very large majority of
the mem bers of both houses learned
with surprise after the adjournment of
the Legislature that the last section or
for that matter the last two sections
had been omitted in the billreceived by
the governor. That therefore it is not
the bill on which they had voted. In this
case all the heretofore despondent Office
holders will have to do will be to stand
pat" and insist that the law is no law.
The legislators as witnesses will come
in and swear whether or not it is the
law they voted for. The burden of
proof will naturally rest upon those
who wish to reclassify the counties and
reduce salaries and the facts appear to
be against them.
The novelties in ladies' spring and