Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-02-14
ALARMING LOGIC.

TINS mornings issue Of the CHI
Liberal" organ contained this e
torial paragraph:
THE Nelrs last evening misstat'
Gov. VESTS argument and th'
jeered at it. What the Govern
claimed was that residence was ma
ter of intention. II a man in Denv'
had fixed his business to settle in Sa
Lake and had left Denver to con
here, his residence here had begun
even as the date of a foreigners res
dence here begins when he sails fror
his native country to make this cour
try his home. In the early days c
California men were six months cros
sing the plains to go there. The court
decided that their residence begal
coincident with the date they lef
home for the purpose Of settling il
California.
Here is what the NEWS said
about Governor Vests argument,
being the paragraph to which the
foregoing refers:
SO far as we know 1t is only paral-
leIed in point Of clearness by the al
legged legal argument made today by
Mr.. Caleb W. West before Judge
Piper, in which the learned gentle
man commended tina; mans residence
in place is co. eval with his intention
to locate in it. Consequently, that
person living in Denver. who con-
ceived an intention in June to reside in
Salt Lake was resident Of this city
from that time, although he did net
reach here till Angus"
If we misstated Governor Vests
position, the paper which offers the
soft Impeachment is in the same
box. The intelligent reader will
see that the definition of the argu-
ment given by the News is identi-
cal with that given by our muddled
contemporary. Worse than all, it
endorses the idiotic legal absurdity.
So ''the date of n foreigners resi-
dence here begins when he sails
from his native country to make |
this country his home" Well, |
now, this is too much. Logically, |
then, the naturalization law means
that an alien can declare his
intention to become a citizen
Of the United Stated two years
rom the date Of his departure from
he port Uf Liverpool and not from
he day lac Sets foot on American
oil, even If he should be detained
* months on the coast of New
Oundland. Not only this, but
arrying the theory forward in its
legitimate channel, the alien would
e a full-iedged citizen from the
ate of his declaration Of intention.
We emphatically dispute the ex- l
itence Of the alleged California de- 5
ision, claimed to establish the resi-. {
ence of a person in that State from
lie hour he made up his mind to
Ike up his abode there and began /
he journey over the plains at the
ar end Of the swift-footed OK. L
ven in those days of western Judi t
al crudity We doubt if a pro- b
'unced imbecile or haggling higot u
Ter occupied the bench in the
olden State TO produce such =
legal enormity. We doubt if a =
wyer or newspaper outside of n
tan could be found to advance or Il
idorse it. II it exists, let the a
.rody on legal sense be produced Il
ID held up to the public gaze as a ii
eianeholy outgrowth of judicial 81
b
In connection with the statement II
the NEWS already quoted, we oil
ID: CO
ust let person apply this theory L,
the general affairs of life, and then ;,
culste the character OF the bolt he y,
.kes from tbs line OF the commonest =
Id OF common sense. nj
That the intention to do ANYTHING az
any character whatever, cons,i- al
rs the contemplated act an ar m
nplished fact is the acme Of absur. m
y. With as much logic as in the pc
tier OF residence it could be held &c
1 man and woman were mar. ~
4 from the time they formed an 'el
ention to enter that relationship -
h each other. The application n,
iuch a theory would, beyond dis. !,
e, lead to the most embarrassing 70,
Ialions and results. "a
remained for a political marty on
ormulate this monstrous theory SUI
order to stuff the ballot boxes Pla
d the votes of persons who were fro
qualified electors, and to con- do'
innate the infamy by hiking it as one
isis in the defense Of their tools y"
were arrested for breaking the '
L. How can they escape the -
I'M attached to a well founded sol,
'ge Of f'GrticepS crfHsiais? Let sc;,
y man answer the question &C. con
ing to his liking. mn