The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-08-23
THE COMMISSION NOT GUnTLEss.

Into what endless trouble are we led by
the Utah Commission. That the law is bad
under which they serve is, of course, not
their fault: no one can eensure them for
accepting positions of which the emolu-
ments are so satisfactory and the dignity
and Importance are so great But that the
admins Gration of the law is bad is in
great measure attributable to the action of
the Commission. We understand that
were they actuated by the highest motives,
and ruled by constant desire 10 ameiiorate
the harsh and autocratic features of an
unrepublican measure, they could not Sc
cure results that would be entirely satisfac
tory to the fair minded men of the territory.
We are not ignorant of the fact that the
exercise of their duties often requires that
they should reposc confidence in others as
TO the fitness and character Of appointees
to registration and election officers. We
know something, too, of the corruption of
politics everywhere, and that many of the
evils that some OF US fancy to be incident
to the rule of the commission prevail in all
of tle American states. We are therefore
not without sympathy for that dignitied
and powerful body in the indiscriminate
criticisms that are directed at them and the
often ill-considered maledictions that are
heaped upon their heads.
But Notwithstanding all that can be
said in the wav of extenuation, we believe
that the palliation falls far short of
the offepse. We believe, for example. that
the commission was not sent here to dis
criminate in favor of the Liberal party.
We believe that congress has done all in
the way of discriminating that it wishes to
have done; that it has in several ways en-
acted determinations and that it intended
that the law embodying them should be
fairly administered. We believe that all
men who take the necessary oaths to be-
come registered voters stand equal before
the law, and that when the commission, in
the exercise of their plenary powers seefit
to distinguish between registered voters by
saying that some voters are worthy of be-
ing registrars, or judges of election, while
others are not, that they discriminate I'M
justly between citizens and add a new and
non-statutcry disqualification to those that
Congress deemed enough.
We,are unable to say what assurances
some members of the Commission may
have received, on the side, from prominent
Senators and members of Congress to the
effect that "you have full power in your
hands now, and it will be your own fault if
you do not so use it as to accomplish the
result you desire''; but even if certain mem
bers of the Commission are in every way
hostile to the Peoples party. and even if
such things have been said to them by
prominent legislators, yet it is none the
less unjust that discrimination should exist
and that qualified voters of the Peoples
party should not be entitled to treatment
accorded even to criminals by the honored
precedents of our Jurisprudence, namely, q
fair and equal administration of law regard
less of the preiudices of the court.
But even if we err in this view, and it be
true that the commission are but exercising
the legitimate functions of any similar body
in grasping for their own political pets
everything in sight, in performing the high
and important duties of congressional
office as though they were local politicians
carried into power on the crest of some poll
teal wave, there is still another abuse thai
tits within their power to correct. and that
Notwithstanding all that may be urged a.
to political precedent, it is their duty t,
correct We refer to the practice, careles.
it may be, but it is none the less serious Of
reprehensible, of appointing irresponsible,
and bad men to important duties in connec
ton with election matters.
just men should be appointed to thes,
positions because it is within the power o
unjust men, as the commission have ha,
abundant proof, to materially affect, per
haps change an election by crooked work
If the registrars and the judges of election
had performed their duties under the Law
and decisions, there would be no thought O
contest in the county at the present time
there would not be a man on the combina
ton ticket that would not have beel
elected by safe majority, but by partisan
methods and lawless acts, the People
vote. al least, was cut down, it is a SAT
estimate, several hundred.
Responsible men are demanded, becaus
under the law voter rejected withou
cause may in certain cases, recove
damages; but OF what advantage is such
provision OF law, where the defendant fa
not dollars worth of property exemp
from execution? Under such circum
stances such a law is farccial 1t is tn
duty of the commission to correct thes
evils, or at least to make an honest and III
partisan effort to do so.