The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1908-08-12
THE MANNER OF ELECTINC.

i"NsSi polC VI MS term alleT his re-
election has been assured. but. before
the meeting of the legislature that
was expected to re-elect him, oc-
casions three sorts of vacancies.
First. there is an immediate va
cancy. which it is the prerogative of
the governor to fill by executive APP
pointment. The senator so appointed
would serve until senator should be
elected by the legislature tor the I'M
expired term: but he would have to
! retire as soon as senator so elected
should present his credentials to the
Senate.
Second, there is the remnant of the
uneXpired term referred to in the
preceding paragraph. This remnant
begins as soon as the legislature can
elect senator to take the place of
the governors appointee. This rem
nant might be filled 1T special ses-
sion of the expiring legislature, but
the converting of a special session for
such a purpose would be very unusual.
Also there would be little motive tor
calling such session. for if the gov
ernor were to call such session he
would only facilitate the retirement
OF his own appointee. and the term
to be served would be so short that
it would not be worth his while to
invite criticism by himself seeking
an election at the special session.
The senator elected for the unexpired
term. whether by the old legislature
or by the legislature soon to be
elected, would have no particular adj
vantage in the contest for an election
for the full term at the regular ses-
sion of the legislature.
Third, there is the full term of
six years, beginning with the meet
ing of the next congress. AS to this
vacancy. the death of senator in the
preceding term has no legal effect. it
being assumed that he would have
been reelected. Political situations
are greatly affected by his death. but
the time of election would come
around in just the same way, whether
his friends should still be in position
to vote for him or whether they
should be under the necessity of Civ
ing thei" support to someone else.
The time of elections is the ssecond
Tuesday after the meeting and organ
ization of the legislature chosen by
the people next preceding the begin
ming of the senatorial term.
All of these regulations are pre-
scribed. either by the constitution of
the United States or by act of con-
gress, passed in conformity with the
constitution. Primary laws of any
state and expressions of the people in
pursuance of such laws are only ad-
visory to the members of the legis-
lature upon whom may fall the
actual responsibility of making an
election. The vital force of the re-
cent republican primary in Iowa was
not in any legal authority of the pri-
mary, but in the fact that public
opinion and the pledges of candidates
made it certain that the choice of
the primary, if he should live until
the time of election, would be elect
ed Stree. the candidate chosen
by the dominant party at the primary
has died. the advisory action of the
people in the primary has become in
effective. and it follows that the
senator is to be chosen by the legis.
, lature in the usual way. and in ac-
cordance with the ultimate opinion OF
the majority of its members.
The usual way in such cases ha.
been for the members of the legis
f lature representing each of the poll
4 tica parties to hold party caucuse!
f and therein to nominate by majority
h vote candidates for senator. Then
: if all the members of the Legislature
e should vote for their party nomine,
4 he would be elected senator. Some
r times, but not often, there is nj
party majority in the legislature
e or sometimes, and little more fire
$ quently, some members of the ma
t jority party refuse to vote for thei
: party nominee. thereby preventing
any candidate from having ma
iority of all the members of the legis
ature voting. In such cases the leg
islature ballots daily until there is ;
majority for some candidate or thu
: legislature gets tired and adjourns
g As general proposition. the caucu
G nominee of the majority party i
d elected.