Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-01-13
TERRITORY OF UTAH.

population, and yet the sovereign voice of
: generous government, from the beginning
, has denied, and continues to deny, the re
quests of majority of the people for ad
vancement to Statehood. No probationar,
period of Territorial existence is declared
nor any definite number of population i
prescribed by law. 1t is not years or mum
bers that warrants advancement. There ar
conditions precedent-other considerations
The Government of the United States is tn,
, combined aspirations of men determined tx
continue free government upon the earth
Is it not well for us to measure the grandeur
greatness and beauty of its mighty stature
and to look at home for the cause of the
troubles that confront us? Is it not we'll te
heed the advice of the parent government
SO often given?
While the state of mind and purposes and
perplexed surroundings of so many people OF
Utah must, in a measure, be felt and re-.
fected by you as their representatives, there
fore affirm that it is we'll for us to heed the
danger signals that Executive expression,
Congressional legislation and Supreme Court
decisions have given to poor, distracted and
obdurate Utah of the past, and our bounden
duty to consider the present and threatend
legislation before Congress, relating to Utah,
al! OF which am sure in patriotic hope and
wisdom, by the Government at WASHINGTON
and by those charged with the execution of
those laws here, are intended to correct ex-
isting evils in the Territory, and which pri-
marily should be corrected by the LeoisIa-
ture of Utah rather than by Congress.
AID TO THE FIRST SETTLERS.
Remember the aid given by the Govern
ment to the hardy pioneers who settled Utah.
Remember that not one life of those who
settled Utah was put in jeopardy in the bat
ties with Mexico, the successful termination
| OF which gave this vast mountain re-
glon to the country and to you. Remember
| that not one life of those who inhabited
Utah went out in the battles of the late war,
which preserved the life of this Nation. The
blood of the people of Utah was not re-
quired that of others secured this land and
preserved with it the blessings of Liberty |!
1t is your country, and mine On the noun
tains and In the valleys, the Government has
gwen with sheltering and helping hand
homes for all. Is it too much to ask that
all should obey the laws? And is it too much
| to expect that your honorable body, owing
its very existence to law of Congress. and
Tor your official services paid out of the Ma
tional Treasury, should write laws in unison
with the laws of the country and to repeal
all Territorial statutes that conflict with
National laws? '-
OUR RECIPROCAL DUTY.
Those who engage to say that Congress
having undertaken to legislate upon certain
subjects, relieves you of any obligations to
leglsiate upon them and like subjects, are
mistaken. The argument is specious and
as dangerous as it is fallacious.
The express provisions of the law known
as the Edmunds bill, providing for the con-
duct OF elections, etc., announce that the
law should continue in force until the Iepis-
!ature meets the requirements of Congress
IN passing proper statute upon that sub
Ject. 1t therefore may not be expected that
nf
ments will permanently restore the exercise
OF the functions of the Election Board to
those named by Territorial statute.
In my message to the Legislature two
years since, | said: "We are expected. in
discharging our duties as legislators, to
write such code of laws as shall, while
conserving the local necessities of the Terri
tory, be an assurance of our fidelity to the
Nation, and satisfy the exactions of public
opinion on questions in which Utah is re-
garded as not in harmony with the rest of
our common country. Whether we shall do |
this or not will chiefly depend upon Won.
With you will be the imitation of measures |
looking to this result. If to you it should |
seem advisable; and if we be fortunate in |
perfecting those laws, by mutual consnlta-
ton and by reaching common ground, we
may, IN conclusion of our labors, congratu-
late ourselves upon the contamination of a |,
great and patriotic work.
Forseelng the troubles that would come.
Z, ana winch have beset many of the people of
the Territory. then earnestly desired to CO.
operate with that body to avert them hv
means of wise and essentially necessary
Territorial legislation. assure you that I
shall now be gratified to do SO with all tbe /
sarnestness and capacity 1 possess.'' But
my appeals and warnings were unheeded. as
>thers had been by previous legislatures, and
'nas oody ieft heritage of contention and
strife painfully well known to all, which in
ny opinion it was their highest and first
luty as citizens and representatives to have
'yolded. That failure was "a grave political
'lunder far-reaching in consequent results !" {
nd one which the country has not failed 10 {
appreciate and condemn. {
DEFINED RIGHTS.
The powers of Territorial form of goy- ;
fnment are no longer unknown, and what !
re rlghtful subjects of legislation consistent :
nth the Constitution of the United States :
nd OF the acts of Congress are no longer ] +
ndehned. The rights of the people under '
ne law are now with some degree of GER
Itorlal government, and the rights of ali n
ne people, and their political privileges. e
1ould be Jealously guarded, by us as we'll n
by all citizens and this may be done only / E
yielding unfaltering allegiance to the :
n1ted States by giving aid and comfort to Z,
le Government, and in conforming Iegisla- q
on !, and our actions as citizens not only in Fl
e!dlng obedience to, but in upholding and n
ding in the execution of all laws. y,
WRONG ADVICE. pl
The people of the United States. irrespec- w
Ve OF party (for at no time have the ques- y
ons OF difference here been party oues- le
ons), and the Government, have time and
am, and IN express terms, declared that
act1ceS of the people and theories of leo
atlon lnduiged IN by your predecessors ps
re wrong and hurtful and debasing. The ~
esident will not recede from his high pur IL II
ses, nor permit stay of the vigorous exc CT CT
ton OF the laws, nor will Congress long o9. oh
lay IN passing necessary additional lepis- eis
ION. 1t Is idle for any to hope otherwise co
q gr1eyous wrong in those who would ca ea
unset the people to hold out against The IN u
forcement of the laws of their country. or Tn .l
10 would stay your hands and mine from AT
performance of our direct duty. The WI
IN VINO In praosloe holds to theories of a
Instruction of the Constitution and laws
verse to the construction placed unon 6
,m by the courts, endangers not only him the
t, but all who are misled by him. In view tar
the situation IN Utah and the preyalence ult
such advice, the duty is the more impera- ln5 1
e upon us. as the law-making power, to ma,
iform our statutes to the adjudications of Au
courts and thereby shield the people, Coz
o by our silence NAV be misled and even she
lily will feel the penalties of outraged law. ass ass
i, PERNICIOUs THEORIES
he history of national legislation demon rel
ites the manifest reluctance of Congress ere ere
egislate in purely local affairs. The fact pro Or
t Congress has disapproved of much of exa
legislation of Utah, and from time to rito
g has gone further and dealt directly with int
purely local affairs of the Territory, and req
more extended legislation is now pend era era
before that body, impels me to ask your oa;c o4s.
ous attention to the fact. and your con- the