The Wyandotte herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1879-1943, 1938-11-04
3 Amendments,
|. A REFERENDUM
Up TO VOTERS

At the election next Tuesday, three
amendments to the state constitution
and one referendum will be placed be-
fore the voters.
! Amendment No. 1 proposes TO In
crease the terms Of office OF certain
county officials from two to four years.
The amendment reads as follows:
Section 3. There shall be elected in
each organized county in which reside
a sheriff, county clerk, county trea-
suTer, register Of deeds and prose
cutting attorney, and the said enumer-
ated officers shall hold office for four
years and until their successors are
duly elected and qualified. This con-
stitutiOnal provision shall affect the
aforesaid officers elected on the Tues
day succeeding the first Monday OF
November, 1888, and every four years
thereafter. Their duties and powers
shall be prescribed by law. The Board
of Supervisors in any county may unite
the offices Of county clerk and register
OF deeds in one Office or separate the
same at pleasure This constitutional
provision supersedes any and all exist
ing constitutional or legislative provi-
siOns as it affects the term OF the
aforesaid enumerated officers.
Section D. The sheriff shall hold
no other office. He shall be elected at
the general election for term of four
years in accordance with section 3 or
this constitution. He may be required
| by law to renew his security from
1 % I4Gn ,,1f RE friu I'M
such security, his Office shall be deem
ed vacant. The county shall never be
responsible for his acts.
The sections of the constitution
which would he altered or abrOgated
in the event of these proposed amend
ments now stand as follows:
Sec. 3. There shall be elected bien-
nially in each organized county sher-
| iff. county clerk, county treasurer,
register Of deeds and a prosecuting
attorney, whose duties and powers
shall be prescribed By law. The board
of supervisors in any county may unite
the offices Of county clerk and register
of deeds in one office or separate the
same at pleasure.
Sec B. The sheriff shall hold no
other office. He shall be elected at the
general election for the term of two
years He may be required by law to
renew his security from time to time
and in default of giving such security,
his office shall be deemed vacant. The
county shall never be responsible for
his acts.
While there may be some arguments
advanced for a fOur-year term, we be-
lieve they are OvershadOwed by strong
Ter reasons for continuing the twO-year
term. For instance, there is a wide
spread belief that two years is enough
for some of the officials now holding
county office in Wayne.
Amendment No. 2 would make the
office of state supreme court justice
appOintive rather than elective as at
present The change, The Herald be-
lieveS, would be salutary one.
The amendment reads:
Sec 2 The supreme court shall
consist Of justices who shall, annually,
appoint one of their number chief JUS
tice of the court. The term of office OF
the justices, other than those appoint
ed to fill an unexpired term, shall be
eight years, and not more than two
justices shall go out of office at the
same time No person shall be eligible
to such appointment unless such per
son is, and for ten or more years shall
have been, admitted to practice law in
courts of record of this state. When a
vacancy occurs in the office Of a pre-
sent or future justice Of the supreme
court, or the term Of such justice shall
expire, the office shall be filled by ap-
pOintment by the governor upon NOM
inatiOn or nominations by the judiciary
commission. The judiciary commission
shall consist of justice of the supreme
court elected by the justices OF that
court, circuit judge elected by the
judges of the circuit courts, probate
judge elected by the judges Of the pro-
bate courts, three electors of this state
not licensed to practice law therein
appointed by the governor, and three
members of the bar Of this state ap-
pointed by the commissioners OF the
state bar Of Michigan. The term of
| Office of the members of the judiciary
| commission, other than members elect
ed or appointed to fill an unexpTed
term, shall be three years, except that
OF the members first appointed by the
governor and of the members first ap-
pointed by the commissioners OF the
state bar Of Michigan, one OF each
shall be appointed for one year and
one of each for two years. No more
than two in each of the groups ap-
pointed by the governor and the COM
mlss1oners Of the state bar of Michigan
snail belong to the same political par
~, and no member of said groups shall
hold any other political office. The
term OF office of the first members OF
the judiciary commission shall COM
mence as Of the effective date hereof.
No member Of the judiciary commits
sion. shall be eligible for election or
appointment for two successive terms.
Should the office of any member OF
the judiciary commission remain un
filled for sixty days after a vacancy
therein occurs, said office shall be I'LL
ed by appointment by the judiciary
commission. Members of the Judiciary
commission shall serve without Om-
pensati ton except as to actual expenses.
The commission shall from its MEM
Dership elect chairman and secre-
tary. The provisions Of section 20 OF
Article VII Of this constitution shall
not apply to the supreme court.
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