The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-11-10
COMMISSION NONSENSE.

Others of the prominent newspaper
have accepted and adopted the pre-
position of legislative commission
for Utah, similar to that by which
the District of Columbia is gov
erned. These journals have no
intelligently considered the matter
They have not thought the business
over. They think of the fact thai
other plans and propositions Hfol
the adjustment of the "Utah
problem" have proven greater OF
less failures, and they take up with
the commission scheme as an aW-
full but effective remedy. They be-
lieYe it to be full of shocking tel
rors, and unbearaole pains and
penalties. They do not stop to
enquire what a commission can
do, and how it will go about it; a
commission is new plan, and 9TH
ers having failed of success, this
one must be the right thing. We
believe if intelligent people like
the editorial writer's of the Chicago
Times would not accept the state
ments of such nincompoops as Gov
ernor Murray, and would do little
thinking for themselves, they would
condemn the legislative commits
sion project as no better than the
hundred and one other schemes that
have been suggested during the past
third of century. If there is any
thing statesmanlike in the proposed
commission it has not vet
appeared; the merit is too
deeply hidden to be discovered
by ordinary minds. If it possesses
good points they should be made
apparent. AS we understand the
plan, it is to disfranchise the people
Of Utah-Mormon, Jew and Gen
tile, and place all executive and
administrative power into the hands
of board composed Of six, nine or
a dozen men appointed by tie
President, with the consent and ap-
probation Of the Senate. These men
are to make laws and administer |
them; to appoint deputies and sub
ordinates to do detail work in the |
cities, counties and precincts, for |
which latter positions Utah resi-
dents will be eligible. Now. sup
pose all this has been done, the
commissioners and their deputies
are all here on the ground, and
everything ready for operation,
how will they proceed, and what
can they accomplish in the way of
adjusting any existing "problem?"
If they do not adjust the problem,
they had better never been appoint
ed, for there is only discredit in
failure. Congress cannot delegate |
to a commission power and author
ty it does not possess. It cannot
give the commission the right to !
enact laws which it could not pass.
The commission could not de-
-ise and enforce measures that
congress had no authority to
Ievise and enforce. It is
Vell understood that in deal
ng with Utah, Congress has gone
bout to the end of its legislative
ope. Some believe it has gone bey-
nd the line, and encroached upon
ground; but be that as it
1ay, 1t certainly can not proceed
much farther without stepping out
ide its bounds, and then the result
Till ba a retrograde movement,
which is ever bad business. Con-
ress has given all the laws that is
equired. and has provided the nee
5sary machinery for their enforce
ASAss As hao SsOAO as 1HI III SUoSC ]
aspects as a commission can go. It
as done all that it can do and re.
lain within the bounds Of consti- 4
ltional authority and warrant. A
commission that went beyond
there the national legisla-
Ire has gone would be c
lecked up suddenly, if not by the c
over that created it. by the courts +
hich are above Congress. What t
yer is done, to be effective and .
sting, must be accomplished
rough the forms and operations
just and unquestioned laws. An
iVance made by any other means Il
Ill simply prove a retrograde b
ovement. And a legislative COM Il
ission cannot make as great pro- il
'ess as can be achieved by the d
galsr and legitimate methods. II il