Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1904-05-05
The COming Election.

The city democratic committee mas SCI
the date for the party primary to noml-
nate candidates for the Offices OF mayor
and Councilmen. The candidates arein
the field, and the time for the primary
is rapidly approaching, yet little has
been said of the changes wrought in our
municipal government by the constitu-
ton promulgated in 1902. BY that in
strument an entirely new government in
all parts was formed, and the logical con-
clusion seems to be that except in so far
as the constitution itself, or the schedule
accompanying it, provided, the old gov
eminent was dead, and with it every
state and municipal Office became vacant.
However, to prevent total cessation Of
government and a continuance of this
vacancy, the schedule provided that GER
tain officers then in Office should continue
to exercise their respective powers and
duties for certain periods, so that their
continued terms should expire at the
moment the terms of Office of the officers
elected in pursuance of the new COnsti-
tional provisions should begin. The first
important change made in the municipal
government was the increase of two years
in the term of Office of the Mayor, whose
term begins on September lst, instead
of July LIST, as heretofore. Hence the
Mayor elected at the .oming June election
will hold Oficeun september LIST, 1908.
A provision of the statute putting into
operation the constitutional provisions,
which may possibly have escaped the
attention of some who are considering
whether or not to become candidates for
ceuncilmen, reads as follows: ''The
members of the council of each city, and
of each branch thereof, shall be resi-
dents of their respective wards, and
qualified voters therein Acts Of As
sembly 1902-S.4, chapter 269, section
1915 A And failure to have paid the
poll tax six months prior to this election
makes one ineligible for office fortiarl
to vote. And the payment of the poll
tax al the required time does not qualify
one to hold Office, or to vote, unless he
shall register when the books are opened
on the third Tuesday of the present
month. A question frequently asked
concerning this election is, Do we elect
one or two cOurcilmen from each ward?
If, as stated above, the constitution gave
us new government from July 10th,
1902, all officers holding over alter that
date did so only by authority Of the con-
stitution, the schedule, or subsequent
legislative act. Section Is of the
schedule provides that "until other
wise provided by law, the Mayors OF
the several cities shall continue in Of
flee until September lst, 1904" and in
accordance Herewith we elect Mayor
this spring to enter into Office on the
above date. The same section further
provides that until otherwise provided
by law, the members of the City Coun-
ellis shall continue in Office for the
terms prescribed in the charters of their
respective cities. except that where their
terms are prescribed as ending on the
lst day of July of any year, they shall
be extended until the LIST day of Sep
TENDER following. Under this section,
before any Legislative act had been
passed. TIE COuncilmen and Aldermen
elected in June, 1901, held over until
September LIST, 1903, and September
1st, 1905, respectively. But, by the
very terms of the section quoted, it was
left With the Legislature to change this
tenure of Office. BY an act of the Cen
eral Assembly, 19O2-3-4, chapter 269,
which became law on May Goth, 1908,
this change was made. Section lO33B
of this act, after providing for the time
for the election of Mayor and Council
men, and putting into effect the consti =
| tutional provision that their terms OF
Office shall begin on September LIST, pro-
yides "The terms of members OF the
CITY Councils now in Office shall be con-
| tinued until September LIST, 1904, and
all elections to fill such office there
after shall be held in pursuance Of
section 1O15A OF this act" Hence,
reading together section 10 of the sched-
ule and this section of the statute, it is
plain that all COuncilmen held office
from May 90, 1908, by authority Of the
powers vested by this act alone. Then
section 104S of this same act provides
that section 1033B shall be construed tc
repeal any provision of the charter o.
any city in conflict with the provisions
of said sections, anything in the said
charters to the contrary notwithstand
ing. BY our city charter the terms o
| the Aldermen elected in 1901 expire II
| July, 1905, but their term is EXTENDED
| until September, 1905, by the schedule
| vet by section 10SSB the term of al
] Councilmen expires September l, 1904
and section l04S of the act of the As
sembly declares that section 1OS3B re
peals the charter. This being the case
| it is apparent that all the present Alder
men 60 out of office September l, 1904
| If this were not so, there would be on
vacancy in the Board of Aldermen iron
each ward, from September !, 1905
l until September l, 1906. 1t is well t
note also that no member of the Git
l Council is eligible for an office to
filled by the Council, either by electio
II or apDOintment