192 Ky. 364 | Ky. Ct. App. | 1921
Opinion op the Court by
— Affirming.
The appellee, R. B. Roberts, on the 14th day of September, 1921, which was more than forty-five and less than seventy-five days, previous to the- regular election in November, 1921, tendered and offered to file in the office of the Secretary of State, a petition, which was signed by a requisite number of legal voters of the 33rd judicial district, nominating him for the office of circuit judge, as an independent candidate or candidate of an independent party, and requesting that his name be placed upon the ballot to be used at the regular election under the emblem of his picture or photograph. The
The appellee by proper proceedings in the circuit court, secured a writ of mandamus against the appellant, requiring him to receive the petition and to file the same as of the date tendered and to cause appellee’s name to be printed upon the ballots to be used at the November election, 1921, as an independent candidate for judge of the circuit court, in the district, under the emblem desig'nated in the petition, and, from the judgment, granting the writ of mandamus, the appellant has appealed;'
The appellant assigns as reasons, why the mandamus should not have been granted, (1) that the petition which was offered to be filed was insufficient under section 1453, Ky. Stats., and (2) that the appellee having been a candidate at the primary election, held on August 6th, 1921,' for the nomination of the Republican party for 'judge of the circuit court, in the 33rd district and having been defeated, he was not eligible and could not be permitted to run as a candidate for the same office at the ensuing November election, either as an independent or otherwise, or at least he was without right to have his name printed upon the ballot, as siich a candidate.
As to the first reason, an examination of the petition, tendered to the Secretary, shows that it substantially complies with the requirements of section 1453, Ky. Stats., and is sufficient under that section to require the name of the appellee to be placed upon the ballots, at the ensuing November election, according'to its request.
The second reason is based upon the provisions of chapter 156, Session Acts, of the 1920 General Assembly. That act purports to be an amendment of subsection'6, section 1550, Ky. Stats., and the act consists of .subsection 6, section 1550, supra, as it existed before the amendments of 1920, with the following language, in addition,
“No applicant or candidate for any public office, in the state of Kentucky who shall have filed his application. or declaration under said section and who shall have been defeated for the nomination for any office thereunder, ■ shall be eligible or permitted to run for the same office
The appellee having been an unsuccessful candidate for the nomination for circuit judge, of the Republican party, at the primary election held on August 6th, 1921, the Secretary of State was but within his rights, in refusing to cause his name to be printed upon the ballots to be used at the November election, as a candidate for that office, if the above provision quoted from chapter 156, supra, is valid and applicable to the facts. The appellee, however, contends that the quoted provision is void, because it is in contravention of section 130, of the Constitution, in that it undertakes to add to the qualifications, necessary to hold.the office of judge of the circuit court, as prescribed by the Constitution, and further, in effect denies to the people of the district a free and fair election, contrary to section 6, of the Constitution.
It is unnecessary, however, to determine, whether the above quoted provision of chapter 156, supra, is or is not void as in contravention of any constitutional provision, since we have concluded that it has no application to the present state of facts. At the same session of the General Assembly, which enacted chapter 156, supra, there, also, became a law, chapter 99, of the Session Acts of the legislative assembly of 1920. The latter act, also, purports to be an amendment of subsection 6, of section 1550, Ky. Stats., but, it is in reality a statute prescribing a different mode of nominating a candidate for a judge of the circuit court and a judge of the .Court of Appeals, by a political party, from that prescribed by chapter 156, supra, or that prescribed by the original terms of subsection 6, section 1550, Ky. Stats., and. prescribing different qualifications to make one eligible for candidacy for a party nomination than the qualifications prescribed by chapter 156, supra. It at least has the effect of excepting the nominations for circuit and appellate judges from the operation of subsection 6 of section 1550; supra. These two acts, having been enacted upon the same subject and by the same session of the General Assembly should be construed together and the intention of the legislature ascertained from a consideration of both, and they should not be held inconsistent with each
It will be observed that by the terms of subsection 6, section 1550, as amended and re-enacted by chapter 156, supra, before one can be a candidate for a nomination in a primary election, he must be a member of the party, of which he seeks a nomination; he must have affiliated with the party and supported its nominees, as defined in the act; and as a necessary prerequisite to having his name printed upon the ballots to be used in the primary election, he must file a notification and declaration, subscribed and sworn to by him, in which he must swear that he resides at a certain place; and if in a city, where registration is required, that he is a registered voter; that he believes in the principles of the party, whose nomination he seeks; that he intends to support its principles and policies, and vote for its nominees at the coming general election; that he has affiliated with such party and supported its nominees at the last general election, or was prevented from doing so by some sufficient reason;' that if nominated, he will, accept the nomination and not withdraw; that he will not violate any law pertaining to elections, and if elected to the office at the general election, he will qualify, as such officer. In 'addition to such sworn declaration he must, also, file the affidavits of two reputable electors, to the effect that they have affiliated with the party and supported its nominees at the last general election; are personally acquainted with the applicant ; know him to be a discreet citizen and to the best of their knowledge has affiliated with and supported the party as defined by the primary election law and that his residence is stated correctly in his notification and declaration and they believe him to be qualified to fill the office, he seeks. It will be observed that the written instrument which this section requires to be filed, by one proposing to become a candidate, in a primary is termed, in the act, in some places a “notification and declaration,” and in another “said application and declaration,” and the person who files it is termed an “applicant,” and that it uses the terms “notification and declaration” and “application and declaration” as describing the prerequisite to be placed upon the ballot. It
Hence, a candidate for nomination for judge of the Court of Appeals or a circuit court is not a candidate under subsection 6, section 1550, supra, but, is a candidate under said subsection as amended by chapter 99, supra, and hence the amendment as embraced in chapter 156, supra, does not apply to him. Only candidates under subsection 6, section 1550, are required as a prerequisite, to file “application and declaration,” as provided for by that section, and they are the only candi
Chapter 156, supra, is general in its terms and applies to all persons, who may be candidates in a primary, while chapter 99, supra, applies only to persons, who may be candidates for judge of the Court of Appeals and of circuit courts. Construing them as one act, it is very plain that the legislative intention was that, while all other candidates in a primary were governed by the provisions of subsection 6, section 1550, Ky. Stats., the candidates in primary elections for the judicial positions above named, should be excepted from the operation of the provisions of that subsection and as before stated, chapter 99, supra, so declares. There would be no other way to construe these two acts upon the same subject and enacted at the same session of the General Assembly, consistently with each other. Carrying out the policy of the legislature in regard to candidates for judges of the circuit court and judges of the Court of Appeals, the legislature, in enacting the amendment to subsection 6, section 1550, supra, embraced in chap. 156, supra, did not include candidates for these judicial offices, in terms, but expressly excluded them from its operation, by making it apply only to such candidates, in a primary election as were required by law as a prerequisite to candidacy to file a “notification, application and declaration” under subsection 6, section 1550, and who did file same and were candidates under that section and not to candidates in a primary, who were not candidates under that section. The quoted portion of chapter 156, supra, having no application to such candidate as appellee, and no inhibition in chapter 99, supra, being imposed upon him from appearing as an independent candidate upon the ballots at the general election, his rights in the matter are governed by the principles announced in the opinions of this court, in Napier v. Roberts, 172 Ky. 227, and Francis v. Sturgill, 163 Ky. 650.
The judgment is therefore affirmed.
Whole court sitting except Judge Sampson.