The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1914-03-31
TUESDAY, MAR. 81, 1914.
THE AFTERMATH

their support OF the Glenn lnSur-
ance bill, are to be appointed UNI
der that law to positions in the
insurance departments of the
State. The Editor of the Inter
ior Journal, who was a member
of the Legislature, asks why this
is to be done. He points out
that he offered an amendment to
the insurance bill, the object of
which was to prevent any mem
Der of the Legislature being ap-
pointed under the provision OF
that law, if it should become a
law, and his amendment was de-
feated by vote of Al to 81, and
the three members who have re-
ceived appointments, or at least
whom the papers say have been
appointed to-wit: Representative
Greene, Cary and Duffy, voted
against his amendment, but voted
for the bill.
Representative Saufey says
that he introduced his amend
ment with a view of relieving the
House membership of the charge
that some of its members had
been promised fat positions for
their vote.
The Kentucky Court of APP
pealS long years ago decided that
the promise of an office to one to
secure his vote for a measure was
bribery, and the person making
the offer as well as the person &C
cepting the offer were guilty of
bribery. See case of Common
wealth VS. Root, Sc KY, 533. We
make no charges against anyone,
but we discuss the legal question
involved.
There is a provision in the con-
Stitution which prohibits mem
berS of the Legislature from being
appointed or elected to any civil
office of profit in this common
wealth during the term for which
he was elected, and for one year
thereafter.
Section "A reads as follows to-
wit:
mo Senator or Representa-
tive shall, during the term for
which he was elected, nor for one
year thereafter, be appointed or
elected any civil office of profit in
this Commonwealth, which shall
have been created, or the emolu-
ments of which shall have been
increased, during the said term,
except to such offices as may be
filled by the election of the peo-
pie"
1t it be true that any mem
Der has been rendered the appoint
ment, it is clearly contrary to the
constitution. AS to the charge
that members of the Assembly
were promised positions under
this bill to secure, their votes for
it, we have no information, and
make no charge, but if such d
condition of affairs exists, it is
clearly bribery, and it is due to
the good citizenship of the State
of Kentucky that the matter be
thoroughly investigated and siftec
to the very bottom by the grand
jury soon to be convened a
Frankfort.
And while the grand jury is in
vestigating that, if it does inves
tigate it, it could spend its time
very profitably in the investiga
ton of the conduct of those Rep
resentatives and Senators who 81
boldly declared that they wer
riding on passes issued by tn
Railroad Company. The consti
tuition is as clear as the noonda
sun, that when one accepts pass
he thereby forfeits his office, bu
there has been an effort made o.
the part of the officials interests
to make it appear that there wa
coupled with this constitutions
provision, a provision that tn
Legislature must enforce tia
section of the constitution by az
propriate laws. We contend tha
this is not a correct interpretatio
of the constitution and we sui
NIT the language of the constitl
ton itself. Z
Section 1877 reads: mo raj
road, steamboat or other con