The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-01-10
A NEGLIGENT COMMISSION.

the absence and neglect of the Utah
Commission. 1t will be remembered
that after the passage of the Ed
munds act, the President delayed
for weeks in the appointment of the
Commissioners, and after their ap'
pointment the members loitered at
their homes, when their presence
was demanded in the Territory.
The time for the annual registra-
ton went by, and the work
was not performed. The local
election machinery had been
stopped by the Congressional
law, and the new act was not put
into operation until it was too late
to be OF service that year. The
consequence was the muddle into
which official matters were plunged,
and from which they have MOI yet
been extricated. The procrastina-
ton ard neglect on the part of the
President and his Commission have
cost the people thousands of dollars
in lawyers fees and court costs,
besides casting shadow upon the
titles Of many officials, and conse-
quently doubt upon important acts
by those officers. In many instances
men have held Office two years
beyond the terms for which they
were elected, and in some cases, at
least. very desirable changes in
Office were prevented. At best
two years more must elapse before
affairs can be Strengthened out and
gotten into proper aud regular
order.
Now another unpleasantness
threatens to arise because of the
absence of the Commission and the
neglect of their duty. Salt Lake
City and Provo will, or should, hold
their regular biennial elections On
February 18th. The law and. the
orders of the Commission require
that certain things shall be done a
specified time before the election
these have not been done, and the
time for doing them has long
since passed. The law cannot
now be com piled with, and it may
be questioned if an election held on
the date designated in the statute
will be legal. 1t is true, the Com
missioners have a convenient way
of making or interpreting laws to
suit their own ideas and conveni-
ence, and they may undertake to
legislate to cure the break which
their own negligence has created;
but their action will necessarily and
properly be questioned, and doubt
thrown upon tie legality of what
ever they may do out side their
plainly marked duty. Should the
elections in the cities named be
permitted to lapse, we may expect
another batch of lawsuits to
settle disputed points as to the
Tightfulness Of parties exercising
the functions of Office; and on the
other hand, should the elections be
proceeded with in an irregular man.
ner as they must now necessarily
be. il the polls are opened, it will be
surprising if the courts are not
called upon to adjust differences,
and give the sanction or authorize
ton of their opinions to official acts.
It is about time that stop were
put to this business. The Commits
sioners are paid fair salaries
for performing certain specified,
clearly defined labor; their
duties require them to be in
Utah, and not roaming about the
country or lobbying in Washington,
since their appointment they have
made occasional visits to the Ter
Iitory, but most OF their time has
been devoted to their. own private
business at their eastern homes.
Neglectful as they have been of
their other official duties, they have
never failed to draw their sal
aries when due. If these distin-
guished gentlemen cannot afford to
live in Utah they had better sur
render their Offices and let their
places be filled by men who will att
tend to the business and not per-
sist in keeping matters in an ugly
tumble. There are plenty of able
men who are willing to take the pay