The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-09-16
Public Opinion on the Subject
The Effect mud Force Of the
Arguments.
Judge Mcbride Not Held in Too
High Esteem.

ere disappointed. In answer TO 4
question. the Judge stated that he
would deliver his opinion at 10
o'clock this morning the hour 1T
which the court opens. The atten-
ton of the Judge was then directed
to additional authorities on both
sides Of the qUestion-cOuIsel on
either si6e Of the case having agreed
TO do sO,With the consent Of the court.
The debate on Thursday was the
subject Of a great deal of comment
en- Friday, and while it is impoS-
sible TO imagine what the decision
will be, quite a number Of lawyers
have expressed the unqualified
opinion that the law was IN favor
of the right of the Territorial Legs
lature TO grant the elective fran
chise 70 women. 1t was generally
regretted that the subject was not
discussed at greater length, as cOun-
sci on behalf Of tho People left IN
said many things which bore on the
subject with considerable weight.
The fault, however, was not so
much on the time as with the num-
Der of persons who spoke on the
defending side. Mr.. Richards, of
Ogden, who came down here
with two cases, when he
heard thai his side had but two
hours, yielded his time to his
colleague. Considerable criticism
has been called out by the remarks
Of Judge Mcbride particularly i'll
the closing, and by some Of Judge
Sutherland's in the opening. The
closing, it is said. was d political
address, rather than a legal aTgu
ment. The assertion Of both these
lawyers. that tie TerritOrialLegisla-
lure wilfUlly intended-when pass
ing that clause which says that the
wives, widows and dGugbterS" Of
naturalized citizens shall be allowed
to vCCe-tO admit q horde" Of un-I
lawful vuFers WAS quite generally
cOmmshtrC upon Inc assertion Oi
Judge McBrlCe and also Of JUICE
Sutherland, was that i did not re-
q1ire that they shOu,d be q Years
of age in order 10 vote. but
that ann person coming under
that headiiI rcu.d VOTE nOtI
what lhr age. Was ais5 = subject OF
much remark. Ia referring to
this Col Merritt said that by The
rules of construction there v s no
question as 10 the ln;enti0n Of the
Legio,al ure. and THAI fair and
| Just reading nf the law Itself VI oUld
show the Legislature intended that
wives, widows and daughters should
be OF The prescribed age, before they
could be gu ilihed voters The
vehement declarations by Judge
Mcbride in his position that the
| wllful intent OF the Legislature
| was to admit a horde" of Illegal
voters, is particularly what is
Objectionable, and even members Of
his own party refer 20 this assertion
as being without any show Of reason
and absurd on its face. The law
| itself retuteS the assertion, aud the
condition of the Territory 1T that
time supports this refutatiOn. AS
now" said one Liberal gentleman,
"the Peoples party were in the ma
| jOrity, only great deal more so.
! There was rot cOrpOrals guard,
comp aratiyely speaking, on the OPP
pOsite side, and the Legislature
could have no earthly or
unearthly object la wilfully
making a law to admit q
''hOrde" Of Illegal voters. The
most pronounced thief must have
! some object in committing a theft.
but here these men insist that the
! Legislature. for no purpose in the
wOrld, would commit s wrong.
Judge Sutherland knGws bis
! theory is absurd and impos
sible, and crazy as Mcbride
| is on this subject, he knew that the
! assertion he made with such aston
ishing vehemence, was without
| foundation in fact, and without a
| shadow of reason.
al am not surprised at Mcbride
because he will take unfair advan-
tages," said lawyer on Friday.
"He has reputation for it; but his
twaddle about .iis interviews with
Senators Edmunds and Window on
the Edmunds bill, aud his declara-
lions about the horde of illegal
voters, were more suited to poll
tician who is not particular what
he SAYS, so long as he is successful
rather than to a lawyer who is en-
gagged in tie discussion of d grave
and a solemn question"
There Is no doubt but tn'
idea of the Liberals is that it vii
be a matter of great benefit to then
in their political fight to have th'
right OF suffrac = women declared
illegal. The 4esticn has neve
been called up because of any wrOn,
the operation Of the act was work
ing; it is purely and undeniably
political trick. OF course, if th
law is illegal, it is right that
should be so declared, but it neve
Z can be as bad as the motives tina
have led to the testing of its valid
ity. Even should it be declared II
valid-though lawyers say there
no question Of its validity-the sai
Z lsfactiOn Till De grim one, for Ia
male voters OF the Peoples part
will Outv0te their opponents ut To
rate Of about five TO one; and tax
it all through. there would pract
callY be no change.