The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-04-23
THE DELEGATESHIP.
SALT LAKE CITY. april q, 1882.

gress. For the matter of that, per-
haps it will not matter much if she
never has another there. Certainly
no delegate at all would be far bet
ter than to have such a delegate as
Campbell, who is not nor could be a
representative OF. the people, for he
does not know how to represent
them. He could only misrepresent
them. The same may be said of all
others of his class.
In my humble opinion, Congress
has acted in a most disreputable and
disgraceful manner over this Utah
business, from beginning to end.
The certificate issued by Governor
Murray was illegal and fraudulent
on its face, and Congress ought to
have rejected it instantly and also
to have peremptOrily demanded Of
President Arthur to remove the ar
rOgant and usurping Governor at
once, as man who was not worthy
to represent the United States gov
eminent in any official capacity.
No government can reasonably
expect to be respected, as a
government ought to be, that
sanctions such a high-handed
and unjust proceeding as Governor
Murray was guilty of in that in
famous certificate business. Mr.
Cannon should have been seated at
once as the legally elected delegate
from Utah, which he was beyond
all rational controversy. Then, if
Congress had been disposed to eXpel
him in the regular way because he
believed in and practised the same
kind of marriage honored by Bible
prophets and patriarchs and through
which kind Of marriage the lineage
Of Jesus Christ ran, that would have
been a different thing, to altogether
refusing to give him his seat. That
would not have been so bad, though
bad enough. Anyway, Murray and
Campbell ought to have been kicked
out of all decent society in Washing
ton, as utterly unworthy of honor or
respect, as enemies of the liberties
of their country and foes to the
rights Of their fellow citizens. l
find myself thoroughly incapable of
respecting either of these men, in
consequence Of their culpable con-
duct in this delegate business. The
fewer such men there are in the
Union the better prospect for the
perpetuation Of its liberties and its
national integrity.
While Utah had no delegate
in Congress, that body rushed
through both Houses a special pro-
scriptiye law, unconstitutional and
un-American beyond a doubt, on
purpose to prosecute the people of
this territory for their religions
sake. l could hardly have thought
Congress would have shown itself
so mean, wicked and cowardly. l
am thoroughly ashamed of it,
ashamed of such disgraceful procee-
dure.
Then, not being able to swallow
that fellow Campbell, and not will
ing to dc a righteous thing by seat
ing the delegate chosen by the peo-
pie, the House has declared the Utah
delegateship vacant. A most dam
nable decision, when we consider
the action of Congress all through
the affair. For Mr.. Cannon was
lawfully elected, he was the un-
doubted choice of the people, he was
eligible in every reasonat lie way, he
received a vote crushingly over
whelming, he had sat as delegate in
several previous Congresses; in mo-
ralitv and religious conscientious
ness and integrity, and gentlemanly
courtesy he was the equal, at least,
of any other member Of Congress in
either House. Yet, incuIpable def
erence to popular prejudice, melted
by hypOcritlcal preachers and cor
rupt partisan politicians, the House
must refuse him a seat therein, and
a new election must be had and a
consequently needless expense in
Cured. What Solons we have in
Congress, to be sure!
Now l am we'll satisfied, and so is
every other reasonable citizen, that
the election of George @. Cannon as
delegate from Utah to Congress was
conducted as fairly as any election
in any state or territory in the
Union; that there never will be a
fairer election in Utah under any
regime, much less under the afro
ciOuS Edmunds bill and the new
tangled $4,000 oligarchy which is
to supervise and may cook our next
election affairs. The fact is, Con-
gress, under the pressure brought to
bear upon it, does not want Utah
in the House. All that
is wanted by the party in power is
that the party in power shall be
there and the popular
cry against the MOrmons be ap-
peased, no matter how much ipius-
tice is wrought thereby. If, by any
possibility, another Mormon is al |
lowed to be elected as delegate, and
is allowed to have his certificate. |
even, the equally Yenal parsons and
politicians will egg on Congress
until that body Will be no better
satisfied to have him take
his seat, though he have mol
wife at all, than they have |
shown themselves to be TO have /
Mr.. Cannon take his seat. It is NOT
q matter of right, but of MIGHT. I'll
is not matter OF principle hit of
prejudice and passion and pelf, and
in truckllngs to this unholy greed
Of gain and lust Of power. CONGRESS
is playing dangerous game fur #
is wandering to the aleroarte -,-l,;.t