The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-06-21
A SHAMELESS OFFICIAL.

one of the Federal officials VIII
should be removed before he has d
opportunity to bring any fdrthe
disgrace upon the power that sp
pointed him and which keeps h,n
IN the place. From the time b
entered the Territory he has been
source of disturbance and con en-
ton, occasioning more trouble thai
all the governors who had preceded
him, and also managing to keel
himself in hot water. He is con in
uously on the defensive, and man
ages TO never quite clear himself
from any al ezatiGn OF wrong doing
twill be remembered that early
last spring Ordway was indicted by
the grand jury, for bribery and
fraud in connection with the organ
iZation of O new county. He was
arrested, and admitted TO bail with
out being required to plead or even
90 into court. At the time he ex-
pressed himself as being highly in
dignant that the inQuisitors should
cast a suspicion on his probity OF
character, and charged that the AMI
mus of the indictment could be
traced to political Jealousy on
the part Of certain officials, notably
the United State distrlct-attorney
who had used his influence with
the jury to have the latter make
the presentment. The Governor
protested himself rs ready and
anxious for trial and q full and
complete investigation, and claimed
ability not only to establish his en-
tire innoeense, but also to show that
he wac the victim of malicious prose-
Sutton, Just how anxious he was to
get all the facts before the public
and demonstrate his purity has
been shown, Last week, at YaDk-.
ton, the governor. g coDpsuied
by his attorneys, four n1tet GRIM.
inal lawyers, appeared before the.
court, and instead OF demanding
trial in which he could show the
malice of his enemies, he moved to
Guash The Indictment, on the ground
that "the grand jury had no juris>.
diction over the defendant: that
under the law men occupying the
position Of Governor were not in
dictable r0r offens committed
within tho jul isdictton OF their Off
clal duties: that no matter how
guilty OIdTay was in The direction
charged he could not be FINISHED
by a court, and could only be pun-
ished by removal from Office by the
President; that the Governor, on
being convicted snd sentenced for.
this offense, would be removed from.
Office by such conviction and SEN
tence, and that such removal was
contrary to law, which provided that
only the power which appointed
could remove. In the States gov
ernors were punished by impeseh>
ment, III cases of this nature, and in
the Territories by removal from
Office"
The natural inference from such
q plea is that the Governor was not
anxious to establish his innocence.
The innocent official would not seek
escape by means of a technicality,
and certainly would not take ad- !
vantage of the protection here
claimed. The court granted tine
motion and discharged the accused,
and while this action may keepi
Ordway out of prison, it will not &C |
suit him hefoIe the public. His
conduct Is exactly that CT guilty
man, and therefore directly oppoe
ute to that of sn innocent person
who cared for L is reputation.
1t isa shameful thing that in OPP
position to the loud protests on the
osrt Of the people of Dakota, in
view OF the trouble that he breeds
md with the ugly scandals in which
lie Governor is the central figure,
,eing circulated, the administration
hould keep Ordway in office. 1t
nav be he has a hold on the ap-
,ointing power that cannot be
oosened without lis consent, or it
$ possible that the government
know what to do with the
elbow if it were to let him out.