The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-01-19

Congress is a matter OF no consequence
Whatever, except 10 himself, there will
rot probably be any falsifcation OF
records made in his behalf Whether
Cannon is eligible to the seat in Congress
or not, certainly Campbell ought not to
occunv il. for whoever else the people of
! TTtsb NAV have desired should represent
lem in that body they did not yearn tor
OamnheIl's services In their behalf, and
! Tor tbis reason not one in four of them
voted for him. Ifit can be shown that
With due knowledge Of the fact that Can
non is not a citizen of the United States,
they still persist in voting Cor him, so as
to DEFY the laws, they would deserve to
be deprived Ofany representation In Con-
gress, but without such showing and
without proof of Cannon naturalization,
the case should be remanded 70 the peo-
pie, and q new election ordered, and al
though that would result in the choice OF
some other Mormon, that fact should
make no differences with the action OF
Congress. What is fair, is islr, Nc mai
ter VINO is dealt with.
TOnaha Herald, Jca. l4.l
The action Of the governor of Utah in
withholding the certificate OF election
from the legally elected representative IN
Congress, and comforting It upon the de-
feated candidate has not provoked from
the democratic press the criticism 1t de-
serves. A more arbitrary and unprlnci.
pied proceeding has never before occurred
10 the country. 1t is alike destitute Of
precedent and example, and the pretended
excuse offered by the governor only rem
ders more glazing the enormlty. In the
fret place neither the Constitution nor the
laws make him the judge OF tbs quailtl-
cations ola mem Der of Congress. w neither
Mr.. Cannon was a nGturallZed citizen or
not. was none of his business. be was
elected By the people Of Utah aud the
duty Of the Governor was TO render the
will of the electors effective in the only
proper way, which WIS to certify the
fact to Congress. That body alone can
Judge of the qualification of its members.
There is nothing in the organic act Of
Utah which can fairly be interpreted
as comforting upon the chief magistrate
of the territory any but executive
functions. He is neither a judge, nor
an investigating committee. No local
law contrsvenes this assumption
or supplies an omission in the
organic act which to him is
q rule of conduct. Conceding that Mr..
Cannon is not q nsturslized citizen
(which we do mott he was nevertheless
elected delegate to Congress, and that
body alone can render effective his dis
qualification, if it exists. His opponent
was certainly not elected, and in certify
ing that he was, Governor Murray
chooses between his ieslty to his party
and his sworn obligation as an officer Of
the law. But for the dignity OF his posi-
ton, it might be said that Governor Muir
ray, under the solemnities of an official
oath, had certified as true to what he
knew was not fact The whole thing
is a subterfugewhich, inbrazen effrontery,
Outstrips the usual devices Of the charac-
;erless politician. 1t was done in the
laxity OF code Of morals which in poll
tics as in the hazards of the gamesler,
considers that the end justifes the means.
1t sweeps aside safeguards which official
honor and the customs If society hsve
provided as a means If preserving the
dignity Of high position and the personal
purity of the magistrate. Tie instincts
OF the gentleman are set at naught for the
benefit Of party. A trick is made to do
service as an excuse, from which sense
of justice and sens9 Of honor equally
reVolts.