New-York tribune., 1878-07-06
UTAH ELECTION LAWS.

| FAULTS OF LAST WINTERS ENACTMENT
THE SOS-NoRMoNs WORSE Or THAN BEFORE-THn
| LAW FAILURE-THE SECRET BALLOT SECURED
-AssIsTANCR FROM COSGHEF NEEDED.
! To the EdttOr Of me TrtbuHe.
SIR: A good deal has been teleHaphed
and written within the past few months concerning the
election law passed the last session by the Tsaiurs
and Governor Of Utah. The old election law required
the marking of ballots and ~ has long been usty com
planned Of by the non-Mormons They had representa-
tivss Ia Washington last Winter. they always have
had for The past ten years urging Cong'ss TO pass laws
better regulating judiciary. giving free ballet.
and amending the law against poygomy 90 a. TO make
1t available.
The last session hero the mos progressive one We
ever had. Although unanimously Mormon and mostly
poly gamous. there few LIBERAL men In ~ men who
advocated fair dealing regard ess Of what i called eii
gon There sharp debates. aud dhcrcnceso of
opinion went 10 far once twice 0 induce call for
ayes aud nays something unknown heretofore In tho
history ~ Utah There strong disposition In favor
of establishing better school facics. but nothing much
was done on that head. The legislators thought the
community unable 10 sustain thorough free school sys-
tenn, and there is nothing between that 9ud what already
subssts which they could The most important
enacted criminal practice act revenue
law aud an election The last 4 taken up un-
an the close Of tho session, and then 10 fosta
Congress n passing election law for Utah somebody
the House Territories Committee tclegraphed them
that unless they passed "a law NOngitHs Nouiu'
on first reading the law seemed fair enough andt
was under the impression that II at least an m-
provement on the old law that Governor Emery
approved but upon close study and discussion IL ~
found 10 be very Objectionable, and there y no doubt
that the Mormon element Ia discouraged than
ever before n Congress does not give Utah on election
law It s safe to Say elections will not hc much con
tested IN the future. This law prof,sses o give secret
ballot but docs not II nominaly takes away the cause
OF complaint while leaving II greater than ever Tho
law Is objected to, because
a. Itimpledly II not absolutely vests iu 'he regis
try officers the power exclude erase the names Of
persons from the registry lists whom tnrN ray deem not
entitled 10 vote It least ambiguous this point,
whereas it should have been explicit The duties Of
these officers should be simply ministerial. aud they
should be clearly prescribed that there could possbiv
be only Interpretation and no cF1diug oi ihcm lt
IS said that the courts will coustruc them bur why de-
pend on tie courts DO what the Legislature sLould dot
Carving thrsa questions o. the courts h not 'Xpyn-
siye the courts change u Uan, and one Be- liable 70
reverse decisions ~ ts prcd,cr-or and dsr-pc,t
and disregard o them at best have l.ug been taught 10
the people of J.ah Ihe registry oniDrr ahc uo oaih
of office as sueh either. Is the voter given Us r Jaw
any definite remedy N case De- thinks hen vIHug.d
t2J The same ambiguity IL cou-1,uoUs BOO "a, oath
emnoiying tie qualifications of yoter., particularly N
The requirement that they shall bc taxpayer. u 3. tho
more advanced opinion that the rght "t -i -o should
not. especial, m counrios De- mad" t' DEPEND upon
"A
be- So stated definitely that the clause ug uoi br oou-
,trucd 10 mean thing for a Mormon api another
thing for q Gentle Iu practice the l1d-" Of election
seldom applies thi- tosi to member ~ DIE party, While
invariably he applc- % To members Of the o'n'-u"n'
The majority coustruc 10 10 mean person VINO has ac-
tuaily paid Es taxes; the minority, person vino ~
liable 10 taxation; the law ii-clf should whether 70
mean. the one OF the other aud tbU. close ths vide
door to unfair crimnauou, on thc part oi those Who
execute tlcluw.
Again. itI. not applied % the female voter ai ali.
Neither Is t requisite that she SHOULD hr ultlfnt i au
aeu order 10 Dee an elcctor, while thc-. requirements
are applied To man. II Is sufficient ior hrr tlat sho 10
the widow wife or daughter ~ ntt,, of ut'ufazgd
citizen and there l. distinction a. c" whether The
marriage j. legal or fclouious. u ugu women must
vote let them required 90 have lived 800 tla country
five years, to DE ~ lawful age and G" nave H'n ttaN'
tive or natumlizcd culen. surely nothing gts Mnudhe
iair aud jus, u law processing to De- s'lgiin'"a''
and designed % remove an just cause cot complaint
80 All marking ~ the envelopes Is forbidden by This
law but the mlrkirg of the ballot b. not 10 s iuc, tho
examining of uuy ballot for pr' other purp".' 'han 10
ascertain what candidate has been 'i.,t Co. - made
m,demeuuor but the examining rau easily h'd"ue soaa
to escape public detection and M sh'r,, the prcsty
teachers or committee distribute ballots with tho
nitinls Of voter, on them and 70 they NOT found IN
the box upon th,m The same fu- option u- under
n M law had . mo- ballot shall b, marLcu inf pur-
pose of indicating who cast and IT, Pc can, a-scr-
7 ~
lot. which We ha,, not now,
These are tho principal reasons why the law f. Oh.
sctfouaba to the nor MoImous uuc Why thr1 continued
70 urge upon Cou.lcss the passigc ~ au election law tor
Utlh which should give them Gar a. 1v ,an do ~
free and fair chance at the polls. There s where tho
Gentilcs must meet aud conquer Moruuu.m after al
il z,id and done; they have niscd their vote rom
nothrg la Sos % tbrce four thousand under tho
system Of espionage subsistny here, and they are en-
titled 10 n, cdom aud fairness IN The unequal contest ~
ia not Tor outsiders strcty. that real secret ballot 10
asked. they don't care who knows how they 'oits IT'S
for peoplc who would break away from tho cnr'h, hut
bo dare not because their bread and that ot those Dc
pcudrut on them may hc taken AWAY " i'A q" "" 70
I'M. class that must be- won to Uui-Nutt M"l'l"hl-u
The Mormons have shown ia this Law tho best thew VIII
do: and as u leaves the opposition wore on ilhh be-
fore they appealed 10 Congress uu illt showing
10 far play believing that u ~ Wouln we ',un'y
would have heard the lat OF tht M"thou ll'"' ia
"A few years, more OF lees
lido not charge bad fdth In passing the law though
MANY aud particularly aposate Mormous do; % Is nat
ura for any patty sect TO cling to power as long ana
es hard AS they can; and from their standpoint they
think they have conceded all that can n fairness be
a.ked But think all election laws every where should
close the door to fraud, UNJUST discrimination or con
strueon and undue influence, Just as far as can DO
done Certainly they eau be made explicit Instead OK
ambiguous; espionage can he prohibited aud prevented
Instead of invited aud the qualifications of au voters
rnn be made the same and exactly defined lntA these
things are done the Law W-makng power har not per
formed it, duty In the mater-it has Tot provided Tor
ana secured, FAR as laws can do II, nee ana Yhr
elections "
SGH Lake Cify, rtah, June -, ISIS.
.,, y,,,.,,, j, NV 1T uoNuoT.TH p4PR