The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-10-01
COUNTY CONVENTION.
The Delegation to the Territorial
Congressional Convention.

yiLake County Convention were
called to order, and the proceedings
commenced. There was a very full
{ attendance, and the business COM
menced in the usual manner.
g. M. Ottinger was elected chair
man pro tempors, with Francis Cope
as secretary. The chair, on motion
Of MI. Penrose, appointed a COM
mittee of three or credentials
Joshua Midgley, Hamilton G.. Park
and n. V. Jones being the commit
tee.
Hon. C. W. Penrose was in
formed that he Was called on for a
speech, and said lie was very sorry
to hear it. He felt pleased to as
semble with the delegates in such a
meeting, for he considered it of
very great Importance. We are
here as representatives OF the peO-
pie, who are the soyereigns. They
owe allegiance to no prince OF pOten-
tate. They are themselves the
source Of power. It is true we do
not enjoy the power locally,
because we are in a Ter
ritOry, a form of govern
ment which | new as an anomaly.
Our principal officers are appointed
by another power, Congress assum-
ing supreme power over the terri
tory. We are, it is true, allowed to
elect the local lawmakers, but a
%gOvernor, who is not of us, can
render without effect all laws which
do not please him, by withholding
from them his signature; and even
if his signature is obtained Congress
may render them void, by so declar-
ing. l do not understand that the
Constitution gives TO Congress this
supreme power, but as the Supreme
Court has SO held, we are forced to
grin and bear it. There may be a
time when we will come out from
under this state Of tutelage, when
Utah becomes afree and sovereign
state. Utah is not now q state, be-
|cauSe Of a pretext which is that
people here practice and believe in
p1lygamy. Yet only a portion of
the people here practice it. Now,
because a portion practice polygamy,
is it right that all should be ex-
cluded? [ think not; the C0nstitu-
ton gives to all men the right of
belief, and there is no right to deny
rights to a people because of
their beliefs. rhe idea that. if
Utah were admitted as a state
pOlygamy would he a feature in its
secular affairs is absurd. The fact
that a majority ofthe people belong
to al church, which has sanctioned
polygamy, could have nothing to do
with the political or constitution of
the state. l consider that Congress
J has no right whatever to deny the
right of statehood to Utah; no
territory had more actual right to
admission than Utah. Not only are
1--we now laboring under what l con-
slider a state of yassalage, mon
archal in its character; not only
have we a governor who has SUI
preme power to veto at will all en-
Iactments passed by the Legislature,
but we have d governor who is
ACTUALLY enimical to the people
and who is working up a raid
against a great majority of the in
habitants of the territory. The
speaker then referred to the course
of the governor in making appoint
ments to all the elective offices OF
| the territory, which the law of the
territory provides should be filled
by election last August. There is
an idea that no person has a light
to he q delegate to a convention
who is not on the registration list
The people L think, have
la right to send a person
who is not a citizen, but l do
not think it would be a wise policy,
There may be many persons who
tare citizens, whose names are not
now on the registration list. Is
Therefore, a citizen to be denied the
fright to attend conventions?
think not. But, admitting that
only registered citizens should be
sent to conventions, [ want to know
who can tell what names are on the
registration list. So far as know.
: there is but one official list, and
that is the one posted up at the last
election. Hence, a person whose
name is on the last registration list
is eligible to attend not only O county
but a territorial convention. What
we want is men who will represent
mot any party, or clique, or sect, but
who will representa- whole people
He urged the peoplet to come out and
cast a full vote. He was applaudec
at the close.
y Milo Andrus next made a speech
Siand urged, while the people were
maintaining peace, the neces
sity of eternal vigilance, which il
the price of liberty. He thought
this was a day of great thought
but not much speech. Things
are pressing pretty tight; W.
have stood a great deal, anC
feel as though we could stand
great deal more. 1t seems tina
every man and woman should b.
alive to the ~exigencies of the occa
sion.
n MIR. viii ans was called on bu.
did not respond. Mr.. ROlllHs wa
called on, and us ne arose to speak
the committee on 'edentlals en-
tered and reported The names o
those entitled to De admitted.
:, Geo. NJ. Ottinger was made per
= manent chairman, and F.sCope con
tinued as secretary. Mr.. Ottinge,
SAID it was hardly necessary to stat
the object of the meeting; but hi