The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-01-30
SOME LIKELY CONSEQUENCES
SALT LAKE CRY, Jan. 20. 1881.

? Editors Herald:
Much has been said by many PEI
: sons and papers upon the importan
! subject OF Governor Murrsy's actor
, in designedly withholding the delegat
! election certificate from the right per
son and giving it to the wrong one
This morning l feel like thinking
few sober second thoughts upon th'
subject. The great KentuckisD
Henry Clay, said he would rather bt
right than be President. But she
very small Kentuckian, Murray
whether he says so OF no., would rsth'
er be wrong than be anything else
and since he came to Utah he haE
been remarkably successful in going
and doing wrong. In fact he seems tC
have got into the way OF being chron-
ically wrong, and OF delightiDg in
being 80, as some men do glory in
their shame. For what has be done
Just right since he came he:e? ]
should ike to know. Excepting his
hasty fight back to old Kentucky.
That was right enough, 90 far az | am
concerned, and would have been if it
had occurred the very morning after
he came to Utah. Not that ] wish
the Kentuckiaus any harm, but |
wish the Utah people well.
IsbOuld like to indulge in a word
or two by way of reflection upon the
likely consequences Of this certificate
business, as the Governor managed it
or rather mismsnsged. First, will
say that if Campbell were a generous
man, a liberal man, an honorable
man, just man, an honest man, q
gentleman, he would with supremest
scorn, refuse the certificate, to which
he has not the smallest particle of
right, ss stain upon his character,
a cloud upon bis honor, an imputa.
ton upon his honesty, as incompat.
ible With the instincts of gentle
man, il accepted by him, all which
it certainly Is, and would fling it back
in the Governors face with unutter-
able loathing and contempt. Will
Campbell do this? should like to
say it is likely consequence. But
much fear that 1t is very unlikely.
| very much fear that, in his Utmost
soul, he is not that sort of man. l
am very certain that the less he is
that sort OF man, the more he is
that identical sort of a man, who
is entirely unfit to represent Utah in
| Congress or anywhere else,
One OF the likely consequences is
that Utah will be misrepresented in
Congress by Campbell. if permitted
to take his seat there. Murray's
delegate will advocate such legislation
az the people OF the territory do no.
desire but deprecste. He will oppose
such Legislation as they do desire.
He will advocate the appointment of
persons for federal Office in the terri
tory whom the people 60 not want to
rule over them. He will oppose the
appointment OF such persons as they
would choose or wish to rule over
them. He will advocate such meas
ures and appointments as would
please 3 very small minority of the
people, and displease the very great
majority, so that his presence in
Congress as delegate from Utah will
be the veriest hurlesQue upon sDy
and all kinds of democratic or repub-
licsn government.
Another likely consequence is that
Utah will really have no representa-.
tive, as delegate in Congress. The
law allows her one, but Murray's
perversion of the law mperiously and
arbitrarily disslloWs that allowance.
The majority rule is the constitu-
tional and legal rule OF the country.
But Murray at one fell stroke
abolishes that rule for this territory,
and in its place esta bl;shes his
own personal dictum. Such imperium
IN imperiO surely was never dreamed |
OF by any of the fathers and founders
and great lights of the republic. Utah |
will have no delegate in Congress, |
but Murray will have delegate there
at the expense of the territory and of |
the Union. So that one person, and |
he not resident, except foI a briei
official term and fer equally brief
official purposes, will have represen.
tation and resulting power and in.
huence in Congress. while the people
OF the territory will have none what
ever. While the territory and the
people will not be represented in any
way in the federal legislature, Muir
ray will be represented there. He
will have fuller representation there
than eDY territory or state in the
Union will hsvs. For he will have a
delegation there equaling in number
the constituency that really sent it
there. which not a solitary territory
or state in the Union has. So that he
will not only be bigger man than
all the territory OF Utah, but g bigger
man than any sovereign state in the
Union. Indeed the biggest man in
the whole Union. Murray is the con-
stiiuency that sent Campbell to Con-
gress, the only constituency that sent
him there, constituency o! one, con-
sisting OF one person, and one persou
only. Campbell's l, 800 votes did not
send him there, and could not send
him there any more thsn CauDon's
$4,000 votes kept the latter out. II
was Murray's vote, and his vote
alone. that did the mischief. There
was the cloVen foot. under that one
vote. 80 that, for the time being at
least, Murray's one vote SIS governor
counts for more than the entire TO-
COO votes Of citizens that were cast for
both the candidates com bined. Muir
ray could as reasonably and as law
fully have sent Campbell to Congress
on his (Murray's) one solitary vote,
without the 1900 other votes. as with
them. This vote was heavier than
everything else in the ballot box, and
40 other vote was needed or OF any {
real effect there or anywhere else,
outside Of Congress. That is how the
matter stands at present, and very
pretty aspect of affairs it presents.
Do you like the picture? Could any ]
thing political be more preposterous?
Talk about one-msn power after thisl
Though absurd to an extreme de-
gree, yet it is a very serious matter.
But however serious, i. ia not without
ts ludicrous side. For it is really an c
open question whether the delegate
owns his constituent, or the constitu- :
snt owns bis delegate. Which is ii i? !
Does Campbell own Murray, or does