The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-04-12
COUNCIL DID NOT MEET,
IL should Have Csnvassed the Vote Mon.
dag Night, Hut IL Didu't.

IL Snouiu nave Csnvassed the Vote Mon.
day Night, Hut IL Didn't.
Under the law the city council should
nave met yesterday as a ~nvass
board to canvass the returns OF the mu-
nicipal election held a week ago yes
terday. IL didn't meet. however. and
the returns were not anvassed. The
law relative to this point is sections AS
and Az of the new code. which reads:
On the Monday following any cleo
uon the council must onven and pub
licly canvass the result and issue GER
uncates Of election to each person
elected by a plurality Of votes. IL
the council from any cause fails to
meet on the day named the mayor must
call a special meeting of the council
within five days thereafter. and in ad-
dition TO the notice provided for call
ing special meetings, must publish the
same on two successive days in some
newspaper published in such city or
WI III the mayor fails to call said
meeting within said five days. any three
councilmen may call IL. AT such spe-
cial meeting all elections. appointments
or other business may be transacted
that could have been on the day first
herein named"
The law. it will be seen from the
above. doesn't say that the council
may meet on the first Monday after
election, but hat IL must meet on
that day to canvass the returns. The
council failed to do it, and the law pro-
vides another way i'm which the returns
can be canvassed i'm case of a failure
Of the council to meet on the day pro-
vided by law. 1t is provided hat a
special meeting can be called by the
mayor, or by any three aldermen for
the purpose of c~anvassing returns. City
Clerk Holland said yesterday, however,
that the returns will be canvassed at
the meeting of the council on Wednes-
day, an adjourned regular meeting of
the council, n not a special meeting.
There is no provision i'm the law per-
hitting the council to canvass these re-
turns at a regular meeting. 1t can only
be done legally at a special meeting,
and under the law the notice of this
special meeting must be published two
successive days i'm some newspaper
published in said city or town"
II don't suppose said one of the al
dermen yesterday, that there is much
likelihood of trouble arising from the
failure of the council to comply strict
ly with the law in regard to canvassing
the returns. Still, the safest course
always is to observe the law rather
thai break it. i suppose this law was
framed and enacted for the purpose of
being obeyed, and to follow the instruc-
tlons VI the law WOulu seem 10 lie TO De
safer than not to follow them, and a
strict observance of the law Is less like
ly to produce legal complications than
a wilful breaking of the law. / can
see no reason why the council shouldn't
have met yesterday, as the Law pro-
vides, to anvas the returns. and /
certainly think the law in regard to
c~anvassing returns at a special meeting
should be followed. 1t will be argued
that IL &C. anlx- a tanhrtzol;tx, aal ,La,
as long as the returns are ~canvassed ii
doesn't make much difference how IL is
done. i don't agree with hat view.
The city expects the citizens to obey the
law, n 1t ought to set the example
of obeying them itself. yer though the
hardship of attending an extra council
meeting might be involved. The people
can't be expected to respect laws of the
city IL the council keeps on breaking
them"