The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-02-12

the paths of any of tn
planets of the system, evel
the obscure ellipses of the Asteroids
rather than encroach upon the patti
SO peculiarly appropriat to His Elk
cellency-the orbit of Venus
Your committee Ould be gratifiel
if His ExcelIency's assertion, tnat /
will ever be his ''most earnest endea
vor to promote the best interests o
Utah's people," came with create
assurance. But this fair promise i
hampere with such singularly con
Trajectory conduct that to express 1
mildly, we are dumbfOunded. l
does not appear to your committed
that the effort of His Excellt ncy t,
deprive the people OF Utah of theil
votes cast for the gentleman Of theil
choice to represent them in The
halls of Congress and to foist upor
that honorable body comparatively
unknown person, purporting to b'
their representative, is consistent
with the expression Of interest fol
their welfare, couched so eloquently
in his message to this body, He
has exhibited either lamentablt
ignorance a. 20 the value of suffrage
as one of the best intere- is of Utah'l
people, or is hopelessly lost to 6
sense of justice in attempting tt
pervert their express ed will. In
either case, whether in assuming
to know better than the people
themselves do, what their desire j:
in the matter OF representation, OF
In ignoring and despising theil
votes, we find nothing to inspire
them with confidence in bis profess
ed friendship. Furthermore, and il
harmony with this fragrant at
tempt to nullify the peoples votes
current reports, widely circulated
and not denied, indicate that tn,
Governor in his recent eastern toul
has reiterated and sanctioned
the infamous proposition to de
prive the people of Utal
of even the degree of American cit
izenship and freedom they now en-
Joy; to destroy the Legislative AS
sembly to whom his message is ad
dressed, sand to create in its stead al
appointed commission more in keep
ing with the tyrannical government!
of effete monarchies than with tn,
enlightened civilization Of our coun
try. If the rumor prove true, tina
Governor Murray has SO far forgot
ten the first principles of politica
Iiberty-so dear to every American
heart-as to in any way counter
ance the above suggestion, we have
no hesitation in denOuncing him as s
traitor to the best interests Of Utah'l
people, whom he processes to serve
But we would rather believe this re
port to be fabrication; indeed from
the patriotism His Excellency 81
freely expresses in his message, we
can scarcely entertain the thought
that one VINO knows the honesty,
fidelity, industry and peacesblt
character of Utah's people, can be
depraved enough to sanction so enor.
NOUS and outrageous an usurpatiOn
of their dearest rights.
Your committee repudiate the in
situation Of His Excellency that
this Legislative Assembly is notrep-
of the people. We nave
not come here as representatives of
any church, creed or religious estab.
lishment, and would deplore as
much as any one, or any body OF
people, the ascendancy of priestcraft
or the dominion of priestly and &c.
clesiastical influence predominating
over the minds of legislators, or the
civil authority of the government.
We have already suffered too much,
and are IaboTing under too
much oppression from similar
causes, not to be keenly alive to
all such pernieious influences.
On the contrary, we have come
from the people of the Territory as
their politicaIrepresentatives,ch osen
freely and fairly by republican
ballot. Our constituents are pro-
gressive people, who have thrown
off the dogmas, egotism, big
otry and superstition of the past, so
Of the self-appOinte tied
worldlings who assume to lord it
over Gods heritage for filthy lucre's
sake, and hireling priests who d.
vine for money and preach for hire,
merchandise of mems souls,
and who combine together to des-
troy the innocent and try to dictate
to others what they shall or shall
not believe or practice. Had your
committee the assurance that the
Governor is as free from such infiu-
ences as ale the representatives now
and Utah's people, whose
representatives they are, we would
less regret in report
ing upon this part of his message.
His Excellency can, however, rest
assured that in our opinion, in no
sense, should the church be
placed by law over the State or
other civil government; although
the influence of Gods religion on the
mind of man stimulates him to good
deeds, to love his neighbor, to en-
noble his nature, to cause him to
observe and keep his official oaths
and solemn obligations. and better
qualities him to obey and administer
the law.
Your COMMITTEE re confident
that the Legislative Assembly OF
Utah will not pass law concerning
any church or establishment Of re-
Iigion of any kind, name or nature,
for il would be an UNCONSTITUTIONAL