Waterbury Democrat., 1901-10-18
WHO IS ELIGIBLE :?
Laws That Prohibit Some Men From
 Going to Convention.


 Going to Convention.
 One of the most interesting questions that has arisen ill connection with the election of delegates to the constitu- tional convention, says the Hartford Times, is whether the state officers are eligible for election as delegates from their respective towns.
 This question has been brought up by suggestions of the election of at least two of these officials Governor Mclean to represent Simsbury and At torney General Phelps as the delegate from Vernon. The convention of ISIS was presided over by Governor Wol- cott, who was elected as a delegate from Litchfield, and it has been sug- gested that the precedent might be fol lowed by having Governor Mclean to preside over the convention of next January. Governor Mclean might not decline an election by his fellow townsmen as delegate. but he would be quite as well satisfied not to be called upon to take a direct and ac- tive part. His preference, it is said would be merely to enjoy the privi-
 
 way and at his own time in commit tee of the whole or otherwise, on such questions as might have a special in- terest.
 Whether Governor Mclean is eligi- ble to election is a point on which opinions differ, but it is probable, that, if elected as delegate from Simsbury, he would be admitted to seat, for the bill providing for the convention reads that the convention .'shall be the final judge of the election returns and quail ifications of it's own number" The general assembly has like powers, and only q few years ago established the remarkable precedent of admitting to seat in the house a man of foreign nativity who had never been made citizen of this state or even the United States.
 In opposition to the argument that Governor Wolcott, having been admit ted as a delegate in ISIS, precedent was established for the admission of Governor Mclean next January, the point is made that at the time of the 1oA9 convention, Connecticut was pro- ceeding only under the charter of the year 1862. The convention framed in 1918 made three distinct departments, legislative, judicial and executive, and as the provisions of the constitution and laws relating to representatives are made to apply to the election of delegates to the convention of next January, then, it is claimed, the gov ernor would be barred. On the other hand, it is pointed out that the only constitutional provision relating to choice of members of the general as- sembly which (under the law providing for the convention) would apply to the delegates is the following:
 Article 10, section 4. No judge of the superior court or of the supreme court of errors no member of congress; no person holding office under the au- thority of the United States; no per- son holding the office of treasurer, secretary or comptroller; no sheriff or sheriff's deputy shall be a member of the general assembly,"
 No prohibition against the governor nor lieutenant governor appears in that section. Nor does it apply to the at torney general, and this latter fact is of interest in view of the proposition to appoint Attorney General Phelps as the delegate from Vernon But Treas urer Gallup from Norwich, Secretary vinal of Middletown. and Comptroller Chamberlain of Meriden are clearly barred.