The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-03-13
MANSUR'S MINORITY
Report on the Admission of
Idaho as a State.
IT is A VERY STRONG PROTEST.
Against Depriving Man of the Right of Suf
Irage Without Trial-The Case of
the Centurion Cited.

WASHINGTON, March 12.-[Special tele-
gram to The HERALD. lin the constitution
of no state of this union can provision be
found wherein any citizen is disfranchised
and rendered incapable of holding Office
and serving on juries because of any crime
alleged against him until he has been con
victed of that crime Further along in his
report Mr.. Mansur says: 'We now pro-
coed to bring the attention Of the House to
the particular provisions of the constitution
to which we are obiecting, and in that con-
nection to show that this constitution is in
consistent with itself, and that it is dis
eliminating in It's character, and that it re
quires even in case of offenses such as trea
son, embezzlemento of public funds, bartering
or selling ones vote, the trial and convic-
ton as condition precedent to disfran-
chisement, whereas in the case Of those
other otfenses, bigamy and polygamy, it
does not require that party shall be con-
victed but he may be disfranchised with
out such conviction. 1t must be conceded
that the making of such discrimination is
an arbitrary exercise of power, and it
be conceded that it will be very
difficult to find any reason to
Justify such arbitrary exercise of power
1t cannot be possible that the people of the
United States in the closing years of the
nineteenth century, and when we are cele-
brating the hundredth centennial of the
assembly of the American Congress, that
the great conservator and protector of our
American liberties will permit such clause
to stand in the constitution of the new
state seeking admission into the union.
'lf the constitution of Idano shall be
ratified by Congress and the state admitted
under said constitution, so far as section
is concerned, an apt illustration of it's
enforcement may be drawn from the Holy
Scriptures in this: ''That centurion or
pered Paul to be seized and loaded with
chains" and then the centurian inquired
Of Paul who he was and what he had done
First rob the citizen of his liberty and de-
priye him of his inestimable rights and
leave him afterwards to obtain, if possible,
partial PREPARATION for the outrage inflicted
upon him by depriVing him of that badge
of freedom-the right of suffrage on the
day of election. We insist, therefore, that
when Idaho is admitted it shall not be with
a provision in the constitution which de-
prives a citizen of the right of suffrage, of
the right to serve on juries and to hold
Office, because of alleged crime Of which
the party has not been convicted. We in
sist that these disqualification shall only
present with this report an amendment,
appended hereto, the adoption of which we
recommend.
Nebraska was not permitted to be-
come a state until the conseitntion
offered was so changed that suffrage
should not be restricted to white per-
sons, and an irrevocable provision to
that effect was made, and so here we
insist that in like manner that Idaho
Should not be admitted until the provision
Is eliminated from the proposed constitu-
ton by which citizens, who have not been
convicted of alleged crimes, are disfran-
chised without conviction. The minority
therefore recommend the adoption of the
following amendment to the pend
ing bill, and the following sec
tons: Section 2. That the constitu
ton shall not take effect until the same
shall have been submitted to vote of the
people Of the territory of Idaho. That f.,
the purpose of such submission, the gov
ernor of Idaho shall issue his proclamation
calling upon the voters of said territory tC
assemble at their respective places for vot-
ing on the day of - ammo domini
eighteen hundred and ninety, then anc
there TO cast their ballots for or against the
adoption of such constitution; and The
said governor may prescribe such
form of ballot as shall be USED
at the said election, and the said election
shall be conducted in the manner and by
the officers as now provided by the laws OF
the said territory; and returns thereof
shall be made, and the same shall be can.
VaSsed, in the same manner as is required
by the laws of the said territory in case O.
an election of Delegate to the Congress
and if majority shall vote in favor of the
adoption Of the said constitution, the gov
ernor shall issue his proclamation thereof
Provided, That no person otherwise quail
fled Cbqll no dpDind tho rlm bt n vnt ofc OF.
election, because of an alleged crime TO
which the punishment embraces disfran
chisement as a part of the penalty thereof
or, except where he has been duly con
victed thereof by court of competent
jurisdiction.
Section 2 of this act shall not TAX
effect except upon the fundamental condi
ton that within the said state of Idah
there shall be no denial of the right o
suffrage, or of the right to hold office.or L
serve on jurieS because of crime eXcep
after conviction thereof by court O
competent jurisdiction; and upon tn,
further condition that the legislature o
said state shall, by solemn public act, de
clare the assent of said state to the sail
condition and shall transmit to the Presi
dent Of the United States an authenticate
copy of said act upon receipt whereof tn
president. by proclamation, shall forth
with announce the fact, whereupon sal
condition shall be held as a part of tn
organic law of the state irrevocable with
out the consent of Congress; and there
upon and without any further proceeding
on the part OF Congress the admission o
said state into the union shall be con
sidered as complete. Said state legislator
shall be convened by the governor of Idan
within thirty days after he shall take hi
office to act upon the conditions submittet
herein.''