The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-12-03

desires to vote. The law would be fall
ure if it were not for this provision, as
there are in every mining community many
foreign-born citizens who are familiar w tn
their own language, but deplorably igno-
rant of English, when it comes 20
reading and writing. Such citizens
in the states which have ordinary
election laws. go to the polls with their bal
lots in their hands, which have been given
them by their employers or by the candi-
dates for whom they are to vote. 1t so
happens that in one precinct of Silver Bow
county there are a number of these citi-
zens who can neither read nor write Eng
fish. As thelaw permitted these men pre-
scented to the judges Of electio notes stat
ing that they desired to vote the Demo
cratic ticket, and requesting the judges to
fill out such tickets for them. The judges,
also as the law directs, complied with the
requests and the ballots were deposited
in the boxes. There was no doubt
regarding the mems citizenship, there
was no question raised concerning
their right to vote. However, in order 90
get control of the legislature, it was neces-
sary for the Republicans to get the delega-
ton from Silver Bow county. AS the ma
jority of the votes cast were Democratic,
and as the returns showed this fact, there
was but one way TO get the county and that
was to steal it. However moral and up
right your Republican may be in other
matters, in politics he does not scruple at
fraud nor does he hesitate to steal. The
Republican canvassers of Silver Bow county
simply threw out the returns from the pre-
cinct referred to. If it had required the
throwing out of other precincts, it would
have been done, the determination being to
count in the defeated Republican candi-
dates.
This is the true story, in brief, of the
cause of the present muddled condition of
things at Helena. There are two delega-
lions from the county, but the leg islature
cannot be organized for the reason that
neither party will recognize the claimants
on the other side. Governor TooLE, of
course, can only recognize legally censti-
tuted body, and there being no such body,
the executive sits quietly back, waiting the
regular organization which does not now
seem likely will come before the expiration
of the ninety days. constitutional limit of
the session. Meantime, there is no leglsla-
ton, and the new state is moving along
with lmprovised and temporary machin-
cry. The money is not being appropri
ated, and cannot be, and in a little
while the public institutions will be run
ming on tick" officials be without their
Of
things will prevail. And all because the
party has set out to capture
the two United States Scholarships. On
the part of the Democrats the contest is
one of principle; on the part of the Repub-
licans tits one of spoils.
It is to be hoped that the Democrats will
follow the example of their courageous
by their position until the solution of the
problem. They have nothing to gain by
yielding, but everything to lose. A sur
render will not only be equivalent to say
ing they were wrong when claiming to be
right, but will be a giving of the state
into the hands OF the enemy which
will not hesitate to do anything to
prevent INC recovery Vi GueIr OWN ny
the Democracy. A holding on now
means at least fair chance for continued
Democratic control, while the giving mp
would mean long and discouraging fight
against great disadvantages to recover lost
ground Governor TooLE seems to be
made of the right kind of stuff. If his
party associates are composed of equally
good material, the present problem viii be
solved in the way nearest to right.