The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-05-10
MR.. WILLIAMS SPEECH.
The Rights and Wrongs of the
People of Utah.
MURRAY AND THE COMMISSION.
and Cancellation OF Both Parties
Advised and Advocated.


We printed. the other day, brief
outline of Judge Williams speech in
the Ogden mass meeting. Since then
we have been enabled to obtain a COM
plete synopsis of his address, which our
readers will take interest in perusing:
Mr.. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen:
You must not expect systematic
speech on the few minutes notice have
had of desire to hear from me- am
not member of any church, nor do
agree precisely with any, but 1 have a
profound respect for all sincere wor-
shippers. You must recognize that the
people of this Territory are now in
moral revolution. You must see that
hundred and twenty thousand people
are brought face to face with fifty mil
lions of people, and that the latter have
a mighty organization, a government
that rates as one of the first powers of
the world; that these make the Congress
of the United States, elect the President.
and that he and the Senate make the
Federal judiciary. Thus they have
the law making. the law executing
and the law administering power
in their hands. whilst YOU have only
the pitiful power to elect Delegate to
Congress, who cannot vote on any nea
sure when there
You must recognize that the Pres
ident and Senate make your District
and Supreme Territorial Judges, and
they being the same makes an ex-
tremely lnfirm system of judicature. |
am talking about the system as ap-
plicable to all the Territories, without
any intended reflection upon our Judi
ciary. Your lives. characters and prop
erty, as 1T were, are held in the hollow
of the hand of the three judges thus
made for you, for there are only two
classes of criminal offenses that can be
appealed to the United States Supreme
Court, that is murder cases and polyg-
amy cases. and now no civil case can be
appealed to it unless there be of the
value OF S., 900 involved. So you see how
important your Territorial, District and
supreme Courts are to you, and as the
same judge who tries the case in the
District Court constitutes one-third
OF the Supreme Court the chances of
getting errors corrected are much more
vcnsIstihg so Of 1 na9 S SnPPrenma e
nothing to do with the trial of causes
in the District Courts.
There are now eight Territories, sew
eral of which in point of population.
wealth and commerce are far superior
to some of the States, and with a great
and rich government that has a daily
revenue of at least million of dollars.
the parsimony that prevents the max
ing of one or two Supreme Courts of a
different body of men from the nisi
prius Judges is almost inconceivable.
While this infirmity attaches to all the
Territories, owing to your peculiar con-
ditlon, and the fierce conflicts peculiar
to tn people of this. Territory, it is felt
in an aggravated degree here.
You must also recognize another sol
emn TACT, IN all its lengths and breadths.
heights and depths, that the
American people have solemnly
United States. that the Supreme Conrt
OF the United States shall be the final
and ultimate tribunal to decide all con-
stltutlonal questions, and that from its
decision there is no appeal hut
obedience must be rendered to It until
through the proper law making power.
the statutes can be repealed or modified
or the decision overruled by the same
court, and even this cannot affect its
past adjudications.
NO matter what your grievance.
a forcIble revolution is not to he
thought OF or tolerated, but your right
to assemble peaceably and petition for
TOR the redress of wrong is a constitu-
tlonal one. written in plain language in
your constitution, and you have chosen
a wise and constitutional means Of re-
dress.
The freedom from excitement and the
seriousness depicted on the counten-
ances of this vast assemblage Indicates
the solemnity of this crisis and how
acutely you feel on the subject.
There IS world of truth in the pro-
test that has been read in your hearing.
The Governor sent here to execute
and enforce the laws of the United
States, early in his admins tration be-
came violator of the law, in giving
certificate of election to candidate re-
celvlnS fraction of over thirteen hun
dred votes, whilst his opponent received
over eignteen thousand. This was not
only violation of law but a violation
if the political presidents of both the
Republican and Democratic parties and
was crime against the principles of
Republican government and the males
ty OF the people and majorities, and
OF course rendered him odious to the |
majority, and. SO far as they are con-
cerned, impotent for good. Whilst at |
the same time it was a usurpation OF I
the powers of the House of Representa-
tives in Congress, which is made by the |
Constitution, the judge of the election !
and qualification of its own members.
And other :charges against him
are also true. for he has at
tempted to usurp the appoint
ing powers by false and wrongful con- +
struction of the Hoar amendment. and |
then denounced you as disloyal because
you would not accept his construction,
but chose to exercise your legal and
rights of appeal to the
courts of the country.
He has also attempted to usurp the
power in direct contraven-
ton of your Territorial statutes, which
have passed the ordeal of the Supreme
Court of the United States, in principle,
in the case of Snow VS.. the United |
States. Is Wallace Reports, 3l9.