The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-05-10

secondly, by taking from him the power
TO again perpetuate such an otfense,
and comforting on the Commission. pro-
vided in the Edmunds statute, the ex-
elusive power to certify the election of
all officers, and leaving only the duty of
commissioning on such certificates in
the Territorial executive.
And whilst this Commission have
made Some grave mistakes, to its honor
be it said. and most trutbfully, that it
has never yet certified the election of
any man who has received only a mi
nority vote, and has never failed to GER
THY the election of the man receiving
majority.
1t is the duty of all citizens who live in
a government and claim IT'S pro-
lection in their person, property,
character. etc, to give that government
a loyal obedience to its laws, and it is
the peculiar duty of all its officers and
agents whilst demanding legal sub
mission on the part of others to render
implicit obedience to its laws them
selves, and to fail to do so shows either
an incompetency or perversIty. The
Utah Commission went far beyond
their legal powers in prescribing an il
legal expurgatory oath and excluding
from registration legal voters, but since
the decision of the United States
Supreme Court in the Commissioners
cases they have modified their action,
and it is to be hoped that they will con-
form to the Territorial statutes and de-
cision of the United States Supreme
Court. in ordering, at the proper time,
an election for the other Territorial
offices which they have failed so far
to do.
| Another hope may be INDUCED, that
when the present administration
shall send you a new Cover
nor that he will be fair
and impartial man, who will execute
the laws as the Governor of the whole
Territory and not as the mere partizan
of small minority; one that will sign
the wholesome acts of the Legislative
Assembly, and who will give his as
sent to such an act as is contemplated
by the Edmunds Statute and thereby
rid the Territory of an unwelcome COM
mission and the United States treasury
of heavy, extravaganza and unneces-
sary expense.
Of course; you understand me as
making no personal allegations against
the gentlemen constituting this Com
mission, for 1 suppose they are quite as
much respected as any other five that
could be sent from abroad. but such a
commission is useless and expensive
appendage and an unwelcome guest to
the people of the Territory.
1t is impossible to ignore the fact
that your surroundings are most grave,
for in the enlightened civilization and
| broad Christianity of the ninteenth
century, no Christian government can
afford to prosecute the religion OF hun
dred and twenty thousand people. and
no people of that number can afford to
resist the laws of fifty million people.
Hence this question must be settled on
the principles of broad craftsmanship
in spirit of compromise, and conces-
sion and Cancellation of both parties,
consistent with justice and generosity
on the part of the government and OF
loyalty, honor and obedience by the
peenle
broad craftsmanship realized that the
imprisonment of jeff Davis, the Presi-
dent'of the defunct Confederacy, as their
inf1iction, that his cause was their cause
and in the generosity and justice OF
his great soul he was for amnesty and
opposed to trial. conviction and pun
ishment, and gave unanswerable rea-
sons therefor. He said that no trial
and conviction could be had that would
not be the result of scandalously pack
ing of the jury, for if it was taken from
southern sympathizers, he would be
cleared, and if taken from the northern
sympathizers he would be convicted,
and there without much reference to
the law or the evidence, and which
would result in the disgrace of the Gov
eminent in the future impartial history
of the times. And now permit me to
suggest that this is now very much the
condition of affairs in this Territory.