The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1905-12-08
COUNTY AUDITORS
MAY ADD A YEAR
REPORTS FROM COLUMBUS TELL
~ OF A SLEEPER"
Association Has Great Advantaue
From Constitutional Amend
ment--stark One of the
Fifty-four. f at

Columbus; o.. Dec. 4.-Persistent
rumors in well-informed political cir
cies are In circulation here that the
County Auditors association has sue
eeeded in placing a sleeper" in the
'so'ht resolution providing for the CON
sututional amendments Changing the
time OF eAections. II was broadly hint
ed that the auditors had card to NAV
that would prove a surprise, and tnat
the first move would be in a suit in
which 1t was hoped to secure an inter-
pretation OF the constitutional amend
ment resolution that would keep oyei
Two score or more county aud tors il
Office for at leas Ia year over tn,
term for which they were elected.
very searching investigation fail
ed to reveal the cardinal scheme bui
enough was learned to warrant the
statement that the auditors association
is. while ostensibly for the improve
ment of the efficiency of the members
really a bi-politicai combination TO,
the protection and the advancement,
OF the personal interests and fortune
or the members,
The constitutional amendment. as Is
well known, provides that elections foi
state and county offices shall be held
in even numbered years and all other
elective Offices be voted for in the odd
numbered years. The joint resolution
provides that the legislature shall have
power to so extend existing terms of |
ofiice as to effect the purpose of the |
amendment, and finally that every
elective officer holding Office when this
amendment Is adopted shall continue to |
hold such Office for the full term for
which he Is elected and until his sue
cessor shall be elected and qualified as
provided by law"
Just where the sleeper" lies may
develop later. On the face Of the pro-
vision there is nothing clearly irregu-
lar. However, the fact remains that
the auditors are going to come in for
a generous slice Of extra terms. Out OF
the eighty-eight county auditors ir
he state. ffty-four will be kept In Of !
fee four years instead of the three
for which they were elected. The con-
stitutionai amendment was great
thing for the county auditors, as well
as host of other county officers
They get more extensions than all
The other three-year termers of import
ance IN the state combined--the re-
corders, the clerks. and prosecutingl
attorneys, and almost any auditor In
the state can give the figures as to
their own number. without doing any
figuring. It has been figured out for
some time.
These fifty-four auditors will serve
for four years, from October, 1905,
until October, 1903.
The association may have devised
some way to extend the terms of the
thirty-four- whose terms expire either
in October, 1905. or October. 1907, but
as yet the scheme has not come TO
light.
1t Is limited. however. that some ac-
tion NAV yet be taken. There are
many different ways of constituting the
simplest law, and courts do some very
unexpected things with passages OF law
which on their face appear TO be very
harmless. Developments of some kind
are expected before the legislature has
It's work
The terms of ard'tsrs will be ex-
tended In the following counties: ASH