The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-01-10
IDAHO LEGISLATORS.
Tragedy" Kurtz's Comedy in
the House.
TO NULLIFY THE ORGANIC ACT.
Does He Leave the Door Open fol-
Himself and Friends?-P Please Re-
tire-rhe Supreme Court.


tire-rhe Supreme Court.
Boise CITY, Idaho, January T.
Special Correspondence of THE HER
AID Your correspondent has hereto
fore taken occasion to speak of some
of the
AB:URD PROVISIONS OF BILLS
introduced in the assembly and OF the
liability of that body to nullify the
organic act. The first steps in that
direction have been taken by Tragedy"
Kurtz, as the boys call him. In House
bill No. 90 entitled ITO Protect the
Elective Franchise and to Punish
Crimes Against the Same" provision is
made that Every person who sells or
offers to sell his vote at any election,
for money or other valuable consicera-
ton, is guilty of misdemeanor," and
the same provision is extended to those
who offer to purchase such vote. Sec
ton Three provides that "a person
who has been convicted of crime
against the elective franchise, who may
be pardoned by the Governor, shall be
disfranchised for the period of three
years from the date of said pardon.
A pardon cleanses the person affected
from all guilt, and is often granted by
an executive on account of facts that
became known after conviction tending
to show the innocense Of the prisoner
or, at least, matters in pslliation of his
offense. The organic act, Section Two,
provides in abiding to the Governor,
that He may grant pardons and re-
spites against the laws of said Terri
tory, and reprieves for offenses against
the laws of the Unite d States until the
decision of the President can be made
thereon"
No writer on law, in our language,
who has touched on the subject, has
advanced any idea save that The par
doned was placed in the same position
that he was in
BEFORE CONVICTION,
otherwise, it would be no pardon. 1t
would certainly not be such where the
person receiving it remained subject
and not citizen. If disfranchisement
be a part of punishment, do not the
sections in question attempt to nullify
the provisions of the organic act? But
"Tragedy's" bill goes further and says:
"a person who is a member of any
order, organization or association, on
account of which membership he may
have been deprived of the right of SUI
frage by the laws of this Territory, who
votes or offers to vote at any election
until he shall have ceased to be mem
Der of said organization, order or asso-
cistion for the period of not less than
three years and resident of the county
in which he seeks to vote for the period
of four month, and of the precinct
thirty days, is guilty of felony; pro-
vided, nevertheless: That the political
disa Utilities of a person who has ceased
to be member of such an order, asso-
citation or organization may be removed
by the general assembly,"
OF all silly attempts at legislation this
presents the cap sheaf. Remembering
circumstances connected with his own
elevation-for in mis- case the elevation
was 10 an extraordinary degree wnen
touched lightly him who
OFFERS TO SELL Oh BUY VOTES.
1t may be fine of So. But Tragedy :
IS terrific when it comes to the punish
ment of one who has been member of
"any order, organization or associ alton
etc." Is he thus vengeful because he
has been charged by Mr.. Uhau-y of
Me- Perez County, in open assent bly,
with having been elected by Mormon
votes, and is his object to detract atten-
ton from such fact2 Does he, by the
introduction of a bill born in ignor-
ance, desire to induce the people to be-
lieve that he was opposed to the cast
ing of such votes without which he
would have still been in Nampa, attend
ing to his commission business? 1t
would ,eem so. ALI human actions
have some spring, and your CORE
spondent believes he has found the key
to the motives that moved Tragedy"
in his crusade. Why, of all the Re-
publicans In the assembly, numbering
twenty-five, should he. the only one
who, 1t is claimed, was elected by Nor
mon votes, and by money freely ex-
pended in
THE sLUMs OF BOISE,
father such an attem pit at an enact
ment2
But Tragedy" goes on a little
further and adds Section Five to his
bill, providing that "a person violat-
ing either of the provisions contained
in Sections Three or -Four of this act
shall, upon conviction, be disfranchised
for period of eight years" Why not
apply the same to Sections One and
Two? Does the honorable gentle
man" desire to leave the door open for
himself and his Boise friends to pur-
chase votes at future election? Do
not the facts point that wayf and why
does the bill make both parties GRIM
inals. the buyer and seller, unless it he
fer the purpose of destroying ali evil
dence offered in the premises? The
country has the right to the best judg-
ment of it's citizens in public matters.
such Judgment to be unbiased by hope